Since the beginning of the 1990s, the government of the Dominican Republic has put in place a number of reforms aimed at ensuring universal access to primary and secondary education; achieving universal literacy; improving universal infrastructure in rural areas; expanding educational offerings in the areas of science and technology; increasing teacher training; and increasing the number of students that go on to pursue and complete degree programs at universities.

The educational reforms implemented in the 1990s had transformative effects, reducing the number of uneducated individuals from 20% in 1991 to 10% in 2002. The median number of years of education for persons between the ages of 20 and 29 was 8-9 years, while the median number of years of education for persons over the age of 50 was 3-4 years (2002 Encuesta Demográfica y de Salud).

In 2005, the government inaugurated the Presidential Forum for Excellence in Dominican Education. The Forum, led by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology and Instituto Nacional de Formación Técnico Profesional, shapes educational policy and programs designed to help the nation achieve international standards of excellence. Principal objectives of the Forum are: expanding access to education at all levels; decreasing secondary and university drop-out rates; and intensifying science and technology and English language programs.

Home to the first university in the Americas, Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD) – the largest public university in the Dominican Republic -- today the Dominican Republic boasts 19 private institutes of higher education that cater to the country’s student population.

Despite gains in improving education and democratizing access, inequities still exist. There is a lack of trained educators, resources and educational facilities and illiteracy still remains a problem – more than one million people in the Dominican Republic today are illiterate (dr1.com, 25 February 2009). Additionally, statistical data collected between 2000 and 2005 indicates that while rates of primary education enrollment are high, 13% of elementary-aged children do not attend school. These findings also confirm that disparities in terms of educational opportunity between the affluent and the poor represent challenges that still need to be addressed (“A Lot to Do: A Report Card on Education in Central America and the Dominican Republic.” PREAL 2007).

InteRDom has partnerships with prestigious non-profit foundations, public institutions and universities that conduct work in the areas of: improvement of basic and higher education; teacher training; increased use of technology and teaching and learning, curriculum design and university admissions. The Program offers internship opportunities related to: science instruction, technology education for adults, second language instruction in English and Spanish, pedagogy and evaluation systems.

Open Positions

Planning of events and implementation of projects related to leadership Position Open for students in international relations, education, journalism and related fields Read more about this opportunity Start and End Dates : To Be Determined

Implementation of an assessment of the services and staff training programs Position Open for Students of public health and administration Read more about this opportunity Start and End Dates : To Be Determined

Steps to apply 1 – Register! Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation e-mail. 2 - If you have already registered, fill out the application form and attach your resume. Resumes must be in word or pdf format. Questions? interdom@interdominternships.org

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