This summer program is held in Santiago de los Cabelleros, the second largest city in the Dominican Republic, which is surrounded by mountains in the lush valley of the Cibao region. Places of historical, cultural, and ecological interest are nearby, and it is just a little over an hour's drive to the Atlantic Coast. Known as La Ciudad Corazón (City of the Heart), Santiago is the commercial and cultural center of the fertile Cibao Valley region.
The First to Go Study Abroad Program offers an intense, focused exploration of race and identity issues in the Dominican Republic. As an extremely diverse nation with a complicated history of foreign occupation, the DR is the perfect location to discuss ideas of national, racial, and social identity. As a cohort of first generation college students, LMU students will have the chance to examine cross-cultural differences and similarities in the greater context of higher education access and attainment. Daily activities, excursions, and lectures will give students a solid grounding in Dominican history and society, and will allow numerous opportunities for hands-on cultural learning and exchange. While no credit is awarded for this program, students can expect to learn a great deal. Short but highly relevant nightly readings will be required, and all students will be expected to participate fully in program activities and discussions.