It was around this time almost two years ago that I made a post on Learning Beyond the Walls at Carson Graham. This March, I had the fortune to join our Global Initiatives class, headed by our teacher Robert Olson, to the Dominican Republic. Under the guidance of Live Different, an impressive organization that “embraces a lifestyle of caring for people, not stuff,” our 43 students and 5 staff chaperones were able to make a difference by building two homes for families in need.
Together with the local contractors, our students worked long days to build two homes and the day before leaving, participated in two dedication ceremonies as we handed the keys to the families. Rob Olson summarized the day as:
Today was our final full day here in the Dominican Republic. With a lot of emotion, tears and thoughtfulness, our students handed over the house keys to two deserving families. The Global Initiative students have a lot to be proud of and they can truly say that they know what it feels like to make a difference. Our students have worked very hard here and I am proud of them and their contributions.
This certainly was a rewarding experience for all of us – one that we will proudly remember for a long time.
