Mary Valenta – July 25, 2011
Academia Internacional de Cabrera Hosts U.S. Doctorate Students
A class of Doctorate in Business Administration students toured the Dominican Republic in April as part of an International Program course. The focus of the class was on sustainability in the D.R. Academia Internacional de Cabrera (AIC) officials met with the five students and their professor, Dr. Pesakovic, from U.S.-based Argosy University for a half-day at AIC’s elementary school in Cabrera.
Founded in 2007 by Felicita Garcia, AIC specializes in teaching sustainability in creative ways to its pre-school through grade 8 students. In addition to the standard curriculum required by the Dominican Secretary of Education and an English program adopted from Puerto Rico, AIC’s 55 students perform hands-on ecological projects designed by the school’s artistic director of the Eco Arts Learning Program, Ingrid Madera, a Visual Artist.
AIC’s Eco-Art Learning Program is a unique interdisciplinary approach to arts education and ecological awareness curriculum. AIC teaches art in a form that promotes progress on ecological issues in the community. “AIC students can make a difference in their homes and their communities by promoting public awareness (of ecological issues) through their art projects,” explained Madera to the Argosy students. In walking field trips through Cabrera, AIC students identify and photograph areas of environmental contamination, such as the Tio Marcos River and other water sources. Students discover many instances of inappropriate garbage disposal. AIC teaches students about recycling and the importance of restoring and preserving local landscapes and coastal water.
Through its Eco-Art curriculum, AIC teaches ecological awareness and encourages student responsibility. Students work with patterns, colors, and textures that come directly from nature. They study the natural elements of water, wind, and solar for energy. Students use natural products, such as clay, wax, and gesso for studying anatomy by sculpting into human anatomy or animals, such as humpback whales. The Argosy class viewed how AIC students used recycled materials to make creative three-dimensional art projects that help raise issues about the psychology of the town’s waist. AIC students are also using art to beatify the town with murals of the Dominican’s ocean scenes and farming countryside.AIC’s Eco-Art program provides students an opportunity to develop artistic vision and collaborative work skills. Students learn to assume a role in advocating for and engaging their community through art that inspires “green” action. They are improving the environment by collaborating at school, home, and in the community. “In the precarious state which Mother Earth is at this time, I believe it is critical that environmental studies exist as a vital part of every grade school’s curriculum,” stated Madera.
AIC offers a lunch program so that students can attend the school for a full day, rather than the traditional half-day programs offered in Dominican public schools. The extra class time allows for an integral, bilingual and multicultural education that promotes a sense of environmental and community responsibility. AIC students also learn computer literacy.
As a bilingual international school using innovative methods, AIC’s mission is to provide an accessible, quality education while addressing the needs of the community. “It is about time we recognize we are in the hands of future generations. It is up to us to equip them with the right tools,” states Garcia. Tuition is kept as low as possible so that the school remains affordable to average and low-income families in the Cabrera area. AIC relies entirely on student tuition and private donations for operational funds.
“Teaching sustainability at elementary school age level assures that Dominicans know how to protect their environmental future,” explained Marta Cabrera, a Board member, volunteer, and parent of an AIC student. The Argosy class was impressed how AIC students achieve a love of learning through advanced teaching strategies and technology resources that foster flexible, independent and confident thinking. Students are equipped with solid moral values and a critical conscience. Upon graduating AIC, they are ready to face challenges and transform the world around them. Daurin Tavarez Severino, a third grade student explains, “AIC is special and good to me…because it is cool. I learn very much. For me this school is for all the people.”
With only 11 paid teachers, AIC operates with many parent, community, and teaching volunteers. Garcia would like to double the number of students to 110 and add one grade per year so that 8th grade students can continue at the school. Professor Pesakovic remarked, “I was impressed with the dedication to AIC shown by every member of the team, from the leadership to the children. Classrooms are small, but with powerful
messages that in a way summarized the mission and the vision of the school: Respect teachers, your classmates, and yourself!”
For the coming school year, AIC is adding highly qualified and motivated certified bilingual (Spanish- English) teachers and an experienced Academic Administrator. The strategic plan for the next 3 years includes adding extra-curricular programs such as music, art, drama, health, and nutrition programs. Most importantly, AIC would like to build an environmentally green school. AIC is planning significant attention to community outreach programs.
The Argosy class learned the significance of teaching ecology at an early age to ingrain sustainability for future generations. Dario Vasquez, an Argosy student from Ft. Lauderdale, FL and originally from the Dominican Republic noted, “AIC brings a unique perspective to the Dominican Republic, which as a developing nation needs this type of improvement in its education system. By teaching values of respect, environmental conservation, and creativity, AIC is preparing its students to help the entire country.” Impressed with the AIC program, Argosy students will take these teaching concepts back to the U.S. for further study in their doctorate program.
More information is located at www.aicabrera.com for AIC and www.argosy.edu for Argosy University.
AIC students show off costumes made from recycled materials.
Mary Valenta is a doctorate student in global business sustainability at Argosy University in Denver, CO.