Known as the “Heart City" of this sunny Caribbean country, Santiago is the cultural and commercial center of the fertile Cibao Valley region. Located in the northern part of the Dominican Republic and surrounded by mountains, Santiago is perfect for the outdoor enthusiast, but offers a vibrant host of activities for city lovers as well. Participants interested in a service-learning program in Santiago can give back to the community by contributing to local education, family and youth development, health, or human rights. Whether it’s using their language skills to teach English or working with medical professionals to provide basic health services to the community, there are plenty of ways for ISA service-learning participants to make a real and lasting difference in the Dominican Republic. During their time abroad, service-learning participants will also have the chance to experience the vibrant Dominican culture and explore this small, but scenic island in the Caribbean.

Participants may work with their home university to receive academic credit for their program. Each academic institution has a unique policy for granting internship, service-learning and experiential learning credit, thus students should inquire about receiving academic credit with their home university advisors, professors, and/or academic department heads. Many ISA Service-Learning participants have successfully received “Independent Study,” “Internship,” “Directed Studies,” or “Special Topics” credit for their program by presenting their Portfolio.

ISA Service-Learning has partnered with Carroll College in Helena, Montana, to offer a U.S. transcript and award lower division service-learning academic credits for ISA Service-Learning programs. Credit awarded will be based on the successful completion of the ISA Service-Learning Portfolio and the number of contact hours accrued at the host organization. 

Participants will be able to earn 3 credits for the following programs: 4 and 6-week full-time programs, ISA Semester/Summer + Service-Learning, ISA Intensive Month + Service-Learning.

Participants will be able to earn 6 credits for the following programs: 8 week (or more) full-time programs.

The additional cost of academic credit is $300, and includes a transcript with either a pass/fail or a letter grade from Carroll College.

ISA Service-Learning strongly recommends that students receive confirmation from their home institution that credit transfer will be accepted.

Each homestay has been carefully selected by our resident staff in order to accommodate participants' specific needs and to ensure a comfortable living situation. The majority of the host families do not speak English; however, some do. You will typically have your own individual bedroom. Some meals and laundry service are also included in the homestay option.

You may opt to secure housing independently. If you select this option, you will receive a discount equal to the housing portion of the program price. By choosing to opt out of ISA housing, you are solely responsible for researching and reserving housing, and paying all fees, deposits, and rent directly to the housing facility that you choose.

ISA participants will enter the Dominican Republic as tourists and will need to purchase a tourist card for approximately US$10 upon arrival at the airport in the Dominican Republic.

Please note that non-U.S. citizens should contact their Consulate to verify specific entry requirements. As these requirements vary based on citizenship, non-U.S. citizens may not be permitted to travel to the Dominican Republic without a visa or outside of their visa dates. Also, visa fees for non-U.S. citizens may differ so please be sure to check specific Consulate's website for the most up to date information.

Note: Embassy and Consulate contact information is subject to change without notice. Please refer to the website of the Embassy or Consulate to verify information.