Fall Break in the Dominican Republic

During this one-week program, students will experience:

• Collaborate with engineering and education faculty to design a sustainable STEM learning lab.

• Travel to Higüey, Dominican Republic, to transform an elementary school classroom into a functional STEM space.

• Clean, assess, and organize the lab area to prepare for installation.

• Assemble and install hands-on STEM stations for engineering, math, and science learning.

• Develop and test low-power and no-power STEM activities tailored to the local context.

• Teach and facilitate interactive STEM lessons with K–6 students.

• Adapt and refine activities based on student engagement and teacher feedback.

• Design and paint outdoor math and science learning visuals in the school courtyard.

• Train local teachers on how to use and sustain the STEM lab and materials.

• Engage in daily reflection and team planning sessions to connect service, culture, and learning.

• Build cross-cultural awareness while developing leadership, teamwork, and global engineering and education skills.

*These activities are subject to change based on availability when booking.

To apply: Please click on the “Apply Now” button in the overview section and fill out all of the information requested.

Application deadline: July 1st
Decision date: July 2nd
Deposit: $575 (non-refundable) due by July 15th to hold your place in the program.
Final payment deadline: $2,340 by fall tuition and fees fall deadline

EDUC 421/EDUC 625 – Science for All Learners: Global Learning—Building Sustainable STEM Learning Environments in the Dominican Republic

3 credit hours

Course Description

This course provides undergraduate and graduate engineering students with a global, service-learning experience focused on the design and implementation of a sustainable STEM learning lab for an elementary school in the Dominican Republic. Students apply engineering design principles, systems thinking, and sustainability concepts to create STEM learning environments and activities that function under economic, environmental, and infrastructure constraints, including limited budgets and intermittent electrical power.

The course includes intensive pre-departure planning and design work, followed by a one-week international experience in the Dominican Republic during fall break. Engineering students collaborate with education majors and local partners to design low-power and no-power STEM learning activities for K–6 students, plan lab layouts, select durable materials, and support onsite implementation. Students also contribute to a school beautification project by designing and painting math and science learning visuals in the school’s outdoor concrete courtyard.

This course emphasizes ethical global engagement, appropriate technology, and engineering for social impact, preparing students to design effective solutions in resource-constrained environments.

Prerequisites:  Permission of Instructor. Full Teacher Candidacy admission status

EGR 295/ETM 595/IDM 495 – Global Learning: Building Sustainable STEM Learning Environments in the Dominican Republic

3 credit hours

Course Description

This course provides undergraduate and graduate engineering students with a global, service-learning experience focused on the design and implementation of a sustainable STEM learning lab for an elementary school in the Dominican Republic. Students apply engineering design principles, systems thinking, and sustainability concepts to create STEM learning environments and activities that function under economic, environmental, and infrastructure constraints, including limited budgets and intermittent electrical power.

The course includes intensive pre-departure planning and design work, followed by a one-week international experience in the Dominican Republic during fall break. Engineering students collaborate with education majors and local partners to design low-power and no-power STEM learning activities for K–6 students, plan lab layouts, select durable materials, and support onsite implementation. Students also contribute to a school beautification project by designing and painting math and science learning visuals in the school’s outdoor concrete courtyard.

This course emphasizes ethical global engagement, appropriate technology, and engineering for social impact, preparing students to design effective solutions in resource-constrained environments.

What is included in the program fee: 

• Airfare
• Meals
• Lodging
• Transportation in country
• Entry fees and required activities
• Study Abroad application fee
• International Insurance

What is not included in the program fee:

• Tuition*
• Souvenirs
• Snorkeling equipment
• Transportation to and from the ATL airport

*Tuition is dependent upon your current enrollment and your colleges tuition fees for the semester of your program. If you are enrolled as a traditional undergrad on the Macon campus, the 3 credits for this program will go towards your overall 12-18 credits for the semester and will not create an increase in tuition cost as long as your overall amount of credits (including this 3 credit course) does not go over 18 credits. If you are enrolled as a graduate in the College of Engineering or College of Education, the 3 credits for this program will be billed in accordance with the tuition rates for Fall 2026. For a current list of tuition costs, please visit the Bursar’s office at The Office of the Bursar.

Scholarship opportunities:

• Gilman Scholarship*
• Global Leader Scholarship
• ​​​​​​​Fund for Education Abroad

*Please contact Emily Dunn, the Assistant Director of Global Education, before applying to the asterisked scholarship opportunities at dunn_ea@mercer.edu.