A Life-Changing Summer for High School Students in the Dominican Republic.
Real Impact.
College Credit.
Program Dates
July 6–17, 2026
July 18–29, 2027
Imagine spending two weeks in the Dominican Republic gaining hands-on experience in leadership, service, and global learning—while earning college credit and forming friendships that last long after the trip ends.
The Two-Week Leadership Service Expedition is a transformational experience with a selective application process for motivated high school students interested in:
- Youth Empowerment & Education
- Premed & Health Care Pathways
- Research & Community Health
Students don’t just observe—they serve, learn, explore, and lead, working alongside local partners while discovering their own strengths and passions.
Participants live, eat, and travel together as one community, creating powerful connections across interest areas while contributing meaningfully to locally identified priorities. All students can earn three college credits through an accredited course connected directly to their on-the-ground experience
Earn college credit for this experiential learning trip through Gratz College.
Highly Selective Application Process:
Our program is a unique opportunity for students who are rising 10th, 11th, 12th graders, and recent graduates who are committed to making a positive impact on the world. With only 35 spots available, our selection process is highly competitive. Applicants are required to submit an essay outlining their leadership aspirations, transcript, and a teacher recommendation to be considered.
How to Apply:
Acceptance to this program is highly selective. There is an application fee of $50. Priority deadline: Applications are accepted and admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis. All applications are due by February 27, 2026. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis after if there are available spots.
Want to learn more?
Contact us to learn more about this impactful adventure.
The following is required for applicants:
- Complete our application
- Upload transcript
- Provide a teacher recommendation
- Parents complete trip paperwork
- Complete an essay of 450-650 words using one of the following prompts:
1. This program involves leadership, collaboration, and teamwork. Share an example of a time you worked effectively within a team to achieve a common goal, and how you believe this experience will prepare you for this trip and year-long program.
2. Cultural diversity is a significant aspect of this program. Describe a situation where you had to adapt to a new cultural environment, and what did you learn from it that will help you navigate cultural differences during the trip?
3. This program seeks students with diverse career aspirations. Describe your long-term career goals and how this program aligns with your aspirations. How will the experiences gained here contribute to your future endeavors?
Accepted students: families will have ten business days after their notification of acceptance for a $500 non-refundable deposit. The balance will be split between two payments.
One Program. Three Tracks: Education, Premed & Research
Students apply to one of three clearly defined tracks—Youth Empowerment & Education, Premed & Health Care Pathways, or Research & Community Health— based on their interests. While service work differs by track, the experience is unified through shared housing, cultural excursions, reflection, and daily life.
Youth Empowerment & Education Track
Students in this track volunteer at a local elementary school, working alongside Dominican children, educators, and community leaders.
More Information on Youth Empowerment & Education Track
Focus areas include:
- Supporting classroom learning and enrichment activities
- Building relationships with Dominican students
- Understanding education through a global and cultural lens
- Providing Dominican children who live in extreme poverty a free summer camp of English instruction, sports, and art.
This track is ideal for students interested in education, leadership, social impact, and youth development.
Sample Itinerary: Youth Empowerment &Education Track
- Depart the hotel together and enjoy breakfast as a group
- Travel to the local partner school
- Welcome, icebreakers, and relationship-building with Dominican elementary students and teachers
- Rotate through classroom-based activities, including:
- Conversational English practice
- Sports, teamwork, and leadership games
- Art and creative expression projects
- Rejoin all tracks for a shared Dominican lunch
- Neighborhood visit with a school official to purchase basic food staples
- Distribution of groceries to food-insecure families living in extreme poverty
- Return to the school for continued classroom and enrichment activities
- Head back to the hotel to transition to the beach
- Beach time for swimming and relaxation
- Sunset on the beach followed by dinner
- Evening icebreakers, reflection circles, and group discussion
Premed & Health Care Pathways Track
Premed/health care track students participate in Community Health Outreach in partnership with the Office of the Mayor of Jamao al Norte. This group is working with a Dominican bilingual Director in navigating the community.
More Information on Premed and Health Care Pathways Track
Hands-on experiences on behalf of the Office of the Mayor of Jamao al Norte includes:
- Visiting Dominican homes and measuring blood pressure, weight, and BMI
- Administering a yes/no health questionnaire
- Working directly with community members under professional supervision
This track is designed for students exploring medicine, nursing, public health, or other health professions.The Premed & Health Care Pathways students work onsite with the students in the Research & Community Health Track. Students can participate in just the Premed Track or a combined Premed and Research Track.
Sample Itinerary: Premed & Health Care Pathways Track
- Depart the hotel and enjoy breakfast together
- Travel to Community Health outreach sites with Research Track
- Partner with a bilingual Dominican nurse and local health professionals
- Conduct community health outreach and home visits
- Take blood pressure, weight, and BMI measurements
- Administer a brief yes/no health questionnaire
- Practice culturally responsive communication in Spanish
- Discuss public health access and challenges with local professionals
- Rejoin all tracks for a shared lunch
- Tour the local public hospital
- Continue community health outreach activities
- Guided reflection on ethics, empathy, and professionalism in healthcare
- Return to the hotel to prepare for the beach
- Beach time for swimming and connection
- Sunset on the beach followed by dinner
- Evening group reflection connecting service and global health
Research & Community Health Track
This advanced track works alongside the Premed Track while focusing on research design, ethics, data collection, analysis, and publishing their work. This group is working with a Dominican bilingual Director in navigating the community.
More Information on Research & Community Health Track
Students will:
- Help design and refine research questions
- Learn about subjectivity, bias, and ethical research practices
- Evaluate necessary IRB steps for conducting research
- Obtain informed consent and collect community health data
- Analyze findings and discuss their significance
Publication & Mentorship
Students in this track are mentored by a college professor or administrator who provides sustained academic guidance and will:
- Prepare students before the trip in research design and ethics
- Work with them on-site during data collection
- Guide post-trip analysis, writing, and reflection
Research findings will be published on:
- A college-affiliated website
- The Jamao al Norte website
If findings are especially compelling, students may work with their professor on additional publication opportunities. The Research & Community Health students work onsite with the students in the Premed Track. Students can participate in just the Research Track or a combined Premed and Research Track.
Sample Itinerary: Research & Community Health Track
- Depart the hotel and share breakfast with the full group
- Travel to outreach sites alongside the Premed Track
- Review research questions, ethics, and informed consent protocols
- Observe and support community health screenings
- Evaluate informed consent in real-world settings
- Collect, organize, and log community health data
- Examine subjectivity, bias, and data reliability in the field
- Compare research models and discuss strengths and limitations
- Rejoin all tracks for a shared lunch
- Tour the local public hospital
- Continue data collection and field observation
- Analyze preliminary findings and discuss implications
- Reflect on how research informs community health decisions
- Return to the hotel to prepare for the beach
- Beach time and informal peer discussion
- Sunset dinner followed by evening reflection on research, responsibility, and impact
Which Track Is Right for Me?
All students in the Two-Week Dominican Leadership, Service & Health Expedition share housing, meals, excursions, and community life. The difference lies in how you spend your service and learning time.
Use this guide to see which track best fits your interests, goals, and learning style.
At-a-Glace Comparison
| Question | Youth Empowerment & Education | Premed & Health Care Pathways | Research & Community Health |
|---|---|---|---|
| What will I spend most of my days doing? | Working in a local school with Dominican students | Conducting hands-on community health outreach | Designing, collecting, and analyzing real-world health research |
| Who will I work with most closely? | Dominican students, teachers, and school leaders | Community members, nurses, and health professionals | Faculty mentor, premed peers, and community health teams |
| Primary focus | Education, leadership, and youth development | Medicine, public health, and patient interaction | Research design, ethics, and data-driven decision-making |
| Level of hands-on work | Very high | Very high | High, with an academic/research emphasis |
| Best for students who enjoy… | Teaching, mentoring, teamwork, creativity | Science, healthcare, and direct service | Analysis, critical thinking, and asking big questions |
Still Not Sure?
That’s okay. Many students are deciding between more than one track.
Here are a few final questions to ask yourself:
- Do I feel more energized by teaching and mentoring, patient interaction, or analysis and research?
- Do I prefer learning through relationships, hands-on service, or structured inquiry?
- Which experience would push me to grow in new ways?
- Students will have an option to apply to a combined premed-research track. Students accepted to combined tracks are expected to meet the demands of both tracks.
Only the Premed and Research tracks can be combined, but students who combine them are responsible for the expectations in both tracks. No matter which track you choose, you’ll be part of one shared cohort, one community, and one unforgettable experience in the Dominican Republic.
This balance of meaningful work and memorable experiences is central to the program.
Questions? We’re happy to help you think it through.
“My experience on the trip was life-changing, as I formed deep connections with the children and school principal, whose passion and dedication to her students inspired me deeply. From playing basketball with the community members to sports with the kids to touring small businesses to understand their challenges, I gained a profound appreciation for the resilience and unity of the community.”
Connor Stevens
Shared Experiences Beyond the Tracks
No matter their track, all students enjoy:
- Cultural excursions and beach time
- Group reflections and leadership workshops
- Spanish language exposure
- Time to relax, explore, and build lasting friendships
ILI Travel also emphasizes ethical tourism, including paying fair trade wages, staying in locally owned hotels, and partnering with organizations based on locally identified needs and priorities.
Who This Program Is For
This program is designed for motivated high school students who want:
- Real-world experience in service, health, or research
- Exposure to global perspectives and cultures
- Opportunities to grow in independence, responsibility, and leadership
Parents value this program for its intentional design, strong supervision, academic depth, and meaningful outcomes, all within a safe and well-supported international experience.
A Comprehensive Journey:
Our program is different from the typical service trip. Being accepted into this program is for unique and talented students who want to make an ongoing partnership with a community in which children live in extreme poverty. You will use develop your Spanish speaking skills by working side-by-side with Dominican leaders and local children.
“ILI Travel is the study abroad leader in the field – working side-by-side with local leaders in the DR, making lasting improvements in the schools, hand delivering groceries to families living in extreme poverty, meeting with local leaders in education, business, farming, and government. My son has gone twice, once as a participant than back in a leadership role as Ambassador, and it has changed how he sees the world.”
Josh Horenstein
Program Dates & Cost
Upcoming Dates
Trips are two weeks in duration.
- July 6–17, 2026
- July 18–29, 2027
Program Fees
Youth Empowerment & Education Track
$5,940, not including airfare, college tuition (optional), and spending money.
Premed & Health Care Pathways Track
$5,940, not including airfare, college tuition (optional), and spending money.
Research & Community Health Track
$6,940, not including airfare, college tuition (optional), and spending money.
* the higher cost of the Research Track reflects additional costs and support associated with the program.
Ili travel is doing amazing things! We are so proud to have our daughter be a part of a life changing trip! She was humbled to have the opportunity to help build a playground for a group of school children in Cabarete, Puerta Plata DR and help with a mural and basketball court. Most importantly she experienced a community with Dr Hall, his family and all of the Ili travel team! Well done!
Miley Bryson,
Our Approach to Safety
Student safety and well-being are the foundation of every ILI Travel program. We believe safety is not just a set of rules, but a culture built through relationships, preparation, supervision, and trusted local partnerships.
On-the-Ground Leadership
- A bilingual Dominican Program Director travels with the group daily and serves as the primary local point of contact
- A dedicated Dominican driver remains with the group throughout the program
- Both the director and driver eat meals with the group and stay at the same hotel, ensuring immediate support and continuity in the event of any emergency
Trusted Local Partnerships
- We work with long-standing community partners, schools, hospitals, and organizations that know our team and our expectations
- Programs are designed around locally identified needs, ensuring appropriate, respectful engagement
- Local professionals are present during school placements and community health outreach
Staffing & Supervision
- A high chaperone-to-student ratio allows for close supervision and individualized support
- All activities are fully supervised, including service work, transportation, excursions, and free time
- Clear expectations, daily check-ins, and structured schedules help students feel supported and confident
Ethical Operations & Fair Employment
- We pay fair trade wages to attract and retain the most qualified local staff
- Investing in talented, fairly compensated employees leads to stronger oversight, better communication, and safer programs
- Ethical tourism practices strengthen community trust and accountability
Preparation & Ongoing Care
- Students and families receive pre-departure preparation covering health, safety, cultural awareness, and expectations
- Staff remain attentive to students’ physical, emotional, and mental well-being throughout the program
- Our team is prepared to respond quickly, calmly, and effectively should any issue arise
Why This Matters
Parents trust us with what matters most. Our safety model is designed so students can fully engage—learning, serving, exploring, and growing—within a well-supported, carefully managed environment.
Safety isn’t an add-on at ILI Travel. It’s the starting point.
“My daughter recently took her second trip with Dr. Hall and ILI Travel. Another life changing experience. As a parent we felt she was safe traveling with the group, the experience once there working with the children and the school was fulfilling. The guides went out of their way to make it a great experience.”
Barry Jerome
Meet the Faculty & Mentors
Dr. David Hall, Program Director
President, ILI Travel
About Dr. David Hall
Dr. David Hall is a schoolteacher, global educator, and the founder and President of ILI Travel. With experience in more than 39 countries and extensive work in service learning and international education, Dr. Hall brings a deep commitment to cross-cultural growth and student leadership. He believes students are not just pupils in a classroom but members of the world, and he works to create experiences that help young people grow through meaningful engagement.
Dr. Hall’s leadership extends beyond travel—he serves on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Pennsylvania and has been recognized with numerous teaching and humanitarian awards, including Volunteer of the Year and Teacher of the Year. Dr. Hall has also published books and contributed to national conversations on inclusion, education, and community engagement.ILI Travel
Dr. Tabitha Dell’Angelo, Research Track Professor
Dean of the School of Education, The College of New Jersey — Research Track Professor
About Dr. Tabitha Dell’Angelo
Dr. Tabitha Dell’Angelo serves as Dean of the School of Education at The College of New Jersey, where she leads efforts to prepare educators who are reflective, equity-minded, and committed to positive social change. She holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Development from the University of Pennsylvania and has developed programs focused on addressing inequities in schools and elevating pathways for future educators.
Dr. Dell’Angelo also brings a unique blend of scholarship and creativity—she is a storyteller and playwright, and teaches improvisational acting, integrating arts and movement into educational practice. Her role on this program includes mentoring students before, during, and after the expedition as they engage in research design, ethical inquiry, data collection, analysis, and reflection that contributes to real-world community health understanding. Tabitha Dell’Angelo
Additional Mentors & Local Leaders
This expedition is also supported by a team of experienced educators and community professionals, including:
Local Dominican Program Director — bilingual, culturally grounded, and with deep roots in community engagement.
Dominican Health Professionals — who support premed and research track students during community health outreach.
Partner School Educators — working alongside Youth Empowerment & Education Track students to facilitate classroom and extracurricular activities.
Together, this faculty and mentor team ensures that students receive academic guidance, cultural support, supervision, and meaningful reflection opportunities throughout the program.
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