Raising Change-makers, Our Common Vision
Yspaniola is a Dominican-American education nonprofit building a model of high-quality education programs in Batey Libertad from pre-kindergarten through university. After creating successful programs in Batey Libertad, our goal is to replicate our model in other bateys and marginalized communities in the Dominican Republic. Yspaniola’s vision is for the graduates of our programs to possess the knowledge and tools they need to successfully advocate for themselves and their communities.
Currently, Yspaniola’s academic programming includes the operation of a community Learning Center with a small library, a University Scholarship Program, and a Preschool. Our preschool currently offers classes four days to students in pre-primary and first grade, and when the COVID-19 pandemic ends we will return to working with younger students in our kinder class. Up until June 2018, we also provided daily classes and tutoring sessions in our Learning Center for students in grades 2-9. With the onset of the full school day in our region of the country in August 2018, we began a pilot program of working in collaboration with the local public school to provide literacy-focused, supplementary education to students from grades 2-5 within a public school setting, and this pilot is ongoing. Our university scholarship program provides full scholarships and academic support for five university students from Batey Libertad.
Vision
We believe in an inclusive Dominican Republic, which provides access to high-quality education and promotes the human rights of all people.
Challenge
Currently, there are hundreds of bateys spread throughout the Dominican Republic. These isolated communities are home to residents of Haitian descent who lack access to basic civil and human rights, like the right to an education, travel, vote, and citizenship. Thousands of Dominicans of Haitian descent who live
in cities and towns across the Dominican Republic face similar difficulties accessing rights and services.
Pathway to Change
Since 2009, Yspaniola has worked to build high-quality education programs from pre-K through university in Batey Libertad. Our aim for the future is to expand our education initiatives, tailoring them to each new community we work in, to help young people to overcome barriers to quality education. Want to know more ? Read about our programs below, and subscribe to our newsletter for regular updates.
