Eligibility
Program Description
Visa and Travel Documents
Getting There
AFS Orientations and Activities
Eligibility
To be eligible you must:
- Be between 15 years 0 months and 18 years 1 months old at the start of the program
- Have a minimum 2.8 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
- Be in good mental, physical, and emotional health in accordance with the AFS Medical Evaluation Policy
- Have an open mind, willingness to be flexible, and the ability to adapt to new a culture, school, and environment
Program Description
As with all AFS high school programs, you will be placed with a volunteer host family while attending a local host school. Learn more about life in the Dominican Republic.
Students are placed throughout the Dominican Republic, but most often in rural, small communities.
The ability to speak Spanish is not a prerequisite for the program but we strongly suggest that you learn as much as possible prior to departure.
Vegetarians can be particularly difficult to place and may need to be flexible.
Visa and Travel Documents
In order to participate in this program, you must have a U.S. passport that is valid for six months longer than your intended stay.
In addition to your passport, you also need a student visa to enter and reside in your host country.
The visa application process for the Dominican Republic is detailed, time-consuming, and costly. It involves collecting a number of documents including a parental consent form, an original copy of your birth certificate, a police report, and transcripts. All of these documents will need to be both notarized and legalized by a Dominican Consulate.
The current visa processing fee is US$20, not including the cost of obtaining, translating, notarizing, and mailing the required documents. Please note that these fees and requirements are determined by the consulates and are subject to change.
AFS USA will provide you with detailed visa application instructions in the months prior to your departure.
Getting There
You and your fellow AFSers will travel together from one of the gateway cities in the United States. You all will arrive Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, collect your baggage and pass through customs. You will be met by AFS staff and volunteers and then travel to your host community, which may be some distance away.
AFS Orientations and Activities
AFS will provide you with several orientations throughout your experience. These orientations give you a chance to gather important information about your host country, to meet other AFS teens from around the world, to share experiences and make friends. These group activities give you a chance to understand and process your intercultural learning experience during your time abroad as well as The first orientation will take place upon your arrival in Santo Domingo.
This will be a 4 day orientation that is intended to prepare you for your first weeks abroad. At the language and orientation camp, you will do most of the practical work: cleaning, cooking, shopping, etc. This involves hard work, but it will be an unforgettable experience. You will make friends from all over the world and join in games, singing and dancing. In other words, it will be fun! You will then travel to your host community.
About 1 week in to your stay, you will have a special welcome event for you and your hostfamily. This will be organized at the national level and will last for 2 days and will focus on cultural and school adjustment. You will also meet with AFS staff and volunteers to evaluate your first experiences and be offered guidance to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Finally, there will be an evaluation camp in the weeks prior to departure. This is your chance to reflect on your experience and to share with other AFSers. You will also prepare for the cultural readjustment that is a part of returning home.
These required orientations are intended to help you maximize the AFS experience, prevent culture shock and to gain knowledge, skills and a global understanding.
In addition, there may be cultural weekends in Santo Domingo or other places, a trip to the carnival of La Vega and an Adventure Weekend (the cost of this trip will be shared between AFS Dominican Republic and the participants).
