by Phil Hawley
The Dominica School and Orphanage has been recognized by the Dominican Republic’s education department in Santo Domingo as the only highly ranked private school in the community that did not close its doors during the pandemic. Dominica says there are multiple reasons for the DSO’s success:
- MOST IMPORTANT: The Dominica School and Orphanage Support Fund (DSOSF) of the First Community Foundation and the Columbus Foundation has been a stable funding source over the past six years. “The consistent funding from the DSOSF has allowed us to have the staff and the technology needed to operate as normally as possible.”
- Good community relations. The DSO is a major pillar of the community’s safety net. Thirty-four children are living in the orphanage, and the DSO courtyard has been the primary vaccination site for the citizens of La Ureña. Three hundred twenty students pay nothing for their food and education, and the DSO has delivered over 3500 bags of food to the homes of food-insecure students.
- Dominica School has an outstanding faculty of 26 teachers willing to go the extra mile, providing virtual and in-class instruction to the 458 students, including 26 high school seniors graduating on schedule this year. Most of the graduates will be attending public universities or colleges in the fall.
This summer, the DSOSF is funding a complete renovation of the existing basketball court, including a new metal roof over the court. The project will create 1800 square feet of covered space that will serve as a gymnasium, dining hall, and auditorium for academic presentations and music and dance recitals.
For more info on the DSO and DSOSF, visit domincaschool.org