So, what do I do here?

Many know that I have moved to a beautiful Caribbean island, but few know what I'm actually doing. So, consider this post an introduction to the new working professional, Tommy DeMarco.

I am working for the CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange) Service-Learning Program in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Our students study each morning at a private, Catholic college called la Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM for short). Every afternoon the students go out to work for various community-based organizations throughout the city in the areas like education, health, business development and community organization.  To see what our students are up to, visit our program's blog or facebook!

Having participated in this program myself back in 2008, I have now returned as an Alumni Intern (or AI). Along with my fellow AI, Stephanie Carlson-Flynn, and under the guidance of the Intern Coordinator, Mike Aguilar, we act as an extension of program staff. We are the community liaisons between the community organizations and the students. We TA the students' Poverty and Development course as well as the Capstone course where students create tangible, sustainable projects within their communities. We work closely with our students' group process, leading reflections, workshops and debriefs in classes, excursions and group checkins.

This is all to say: we are busy. Development and social change takes time. We are here to guide our students through the process of helping create, or initiate, positive change within the communities in which they work. We get to be both in the community and in the field.  I am thrilled to be working in a job that combines alternative, experiential education with international development and community organizing. This, for me, is a dream come true.