In 2012 he began collaborating with service-based learning organizations who he reports have had an immensely lasting impact in his communities. What once began with a group of local volunteers showing students how to create structures like cement floors and latrine bathrooms has developed into a lasting partnership over the past decade.

“Get out and explore. Be fearless. Every experience in life is an opportunity to learn and grow more as a person”.

Meet Samy: Offbeat Travel’s Program Leader in the Batey Communities, Dominican Republic

The awe-dropping views of beautiful landscapes take our breath away when we travel and provide us with experiences that impact us forever. So, why shouldn’t we strive to reciprocate that impact? One way that Offbeat Travel likes to contribute to a positive impact on the places that we visit is by incorporating environmental community impact projects into our student travel programming.

Meet Francis, Offbeat Travel’s Program Manager in Constanza and Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic

When we travel, it is the communities and the people that live in the places we visit that offer us transformative experiences that leave us a lasting impact. That’s why Offbeat Travel is committed to collaborating with local communities in the Dominican Republic to conduct student service projects that give back to these very communities.

Bringing all of us program leaders from diverse backgrounds and perspectives under one roof for a week-long staff training is where the magic happened. Together we trained on how to cultivate decolonial student travel experiences by collaborating with local communities to bring our shared vision of reciprocal impact to life.

Living in a country other than the one of your origins can make it difficult to understand your identity. I remember growing up in the U.S. not really knowing who I was and carrying a lot of misconceived ideas about my origins. Going to these places to travel, study, and live helped me reconnect with my roots. I gained a deeper understanding of who I am and deconstructed all the false ideas I had about my origins.