Overview
Yspaniola is an education nonprofit building a model of high-quality education programs in Batey Libertad, Dominican Republic, from pre-kindergarten through university. Yspaniola’s vision is to provide graduates of our programs with the tools they need to successfully advocate for themselves and their communities. Yspaniola also facilitates Experiential and Service-Learning trips for high school and university students from countries outside of the DR to raise awareness about international development and social justice issues on the island.

Yspaniola is seeking volunteer Camp Counselors to support our Batey Libertad Summer Camp in June 2021. Yspaniola Summer Camp Counselors will be expected to arrive on Saturday, June 12 for orientation and leave on Sunday, June 27.  Camp activities will run from June 14-25.

Every summer, Yspaniola supports Batey Libertad community members as they organize a two-week camp catered to youth ages 6–16. During the camp, youth participate in a number of different guided activities including art, sports, theater, music, and interactive games. These culminate in an all-camp celebration.

Summer Camp volunteers will act as camp counselors and project leaders and work side by side with local volunteers and Yspaniola staff. They will be assigned to a specific age group or be responsible for leading a daily activity with local volunteers. In addition, they will support Yspaniola staff with camp logistics and general behavior and classroom management.

During the entirety of their stay, camp counselors will live in the Yspaniola volunteer house in Esperanza where they will be provided meals and accommodations. In addition, camp counselors will be provided with a pre-arrival curriculum that prepares them for the experience and helps them to better understand Dominican and Haitian relations, human rights issues in the Dominican Republic, and challenges faced by batey communities like Batey Libertad. The volunteer experience will also include a paid trip to the beach and other local excursions, as well as afternoon activities such as Spanish and Creole classes, dance class, and service projects in the community.

Qualifications
-Experience teaching or working with children
-Conversational Spanish and/or Creole skills
-Must be 16 or older
-Passionate about educational equity
-Comfortable living in new environments and interacting with diverse populations
-High-energy, enthusiastic, and flexible

Expectations
-Lead a camp activity or class as a camp counselor
-Collaborate with local volunteers and Yspaniola staff
-Willing to stay for the duration of summer camp
-Willing to take on a leadership role in a small nonprofit setting
-Stay in and maintain the Yspaniola volunteer house in Esperanza

Physical Requirements
-Able to stand, walk, and be active for long periods of time
-Able to work in the hot and sunny local climate

Pricing
The participation fee is $1,500, which includes a homestay, all meals, transportation to and from the airport, activities in the batey, and in-country excursions. Individuals can fundraise up to half of this amount ($750) through Yspaniola's Crowdrise page if they do so by June 1, 2020. If they do not fundraise the full $750 by June 1, the outstanding cost will be payable by June 2 at 5pm EST. Volunteers will be expected to cover the cost of their own flights.

Application Instructions
If you are interested in the position, please fill and submit this form and email a copy of your resumé to volunteer@yspaniola.org by May 24th, 2021 at 5PM ET. Only qualified applicants will be contacted for an interview.