Faculty-led study abroad trip focuses on public health and social justice via community immersion and volunteer opportunities with the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children

Public Affairs, Roger Williams University

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Roger Williams UniversityDOCS@RWUFeatured News Story The Week at Roger1-7-2016Students Venture to the Dominican Republic forScholarship, ServicePublic Affairs, Roger Williams UniversityFollow this and additional works at: https://docs.rwu.edu/weekatroger_featured_newsPart of the Higher Education CommonsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the The Week at Roger at DOCS@RWU. It has been accepted for inclusion in FeaturedNews Story by an authorized administrator of DOCS@RWU. For more information, please contact mwu@rwu.edu.Recommended CitationPublic Affairs, Roger Williams University, "Students Venture to the Dominican Republic for Scholarship, Service" (2016). FeaturedNews Story. 615.https://docs.rwu.edu/weekatroger_featured_news/615 News ArchiveStudents Venture to the Dominican Republic forScholarship, ServiceFaculty-led study abroad trip focuses on public health and social justice viacommunity immersion and volunteer opportunities with the Foundation forInternational Medical Relief of ChildrenSta  from the Punta Cana Ecological Foundation lead RWU studentson a community visit to Veron in the Dominican Republic toshowcase their innovative techniques for sanitation andsustainability.January 7, 2016 Public A airs Sta RESTAURACION, Dominican Republic – Fresh o  of  nals (and a brief holiday break), students fromRoger Williams University headed to Hispaniola – the Caribbean island home to Haiti and theDominican Republic – on Jan. 2 to undertake a two-week study abroad session in which they will livewith local families and learn how the island’s history has shaped its current political, social andeconomic climate. Students will also explore the island’s healthcare infrastructure, learn about healthissues speci c to the region and how care is delivered at local hospitals and clinics, with a particularfocus on the Dominican Republic.Assistant Professor of History Autumn Quezada-Grant and Associate Professor of Biology Kerri Warrenspearheaded the trip, which Quezada-Grant describes as an opportunity for students to confront socialinequities and economic disparities that plague the island nation – where mere miles separate luxurybeach resorts from impoverished neighborhoods lacking clean water and electricity.“We want our students to become much more aware of social inequality and racial inequality andunderstand the problems that are created when communities do not have access to basic governmentservices such as electricity, water, healthcare and education,” Quezada-Grant says. “The DominicanRepublic is a developing country that cannot solve these problems of limited access to water and otherneeds without understanding their root causes. We want the students to think through that dynamicand learn about the process of how countries develop.”For the RWU cohort, it also means getting involved with the issues – not just observing them. Whilethere, the group will partner with two FIMRC (Foundation for International Medical Relief for Children)clinics in Restauración and Tilori, volunteering in the health center and the school. The students eachbrought a suitcase of supplies including school, personal care, medical and athletic items. They alsopurchased tutorial books to help local children learn English during their time in the community.Roger Williams University has a longstanding relationship withFIMRC, deploying student volunteers from across thedisciplines to sites in Central and South America annually. TheUniversity’s FIMRC chapter is one of the largest and most activeorganizations on campus, organizing the annual trips duringwinter and spring breaks to deliver supplies and providecommunity health outreach programs along with basic medicalcare services.“We are working so hard to make a change every time we go, and then bring that change and whatwe’ve learned back to Roger Williams” says senior psychology major Kelsey Harrington, who serves asvice president for the RWU chapter.The students return on Jan. 16. You can follow their journey and personal experiences, which they arelive blogging, here. 

Students Venture to the Dominican Republic for Scholarship, Service

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Students Venture to the Dominican Republic for Scholarship, Service

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