Every year, Academy students and faculty members participate in a mission trip to the Dominican Republic to support local communities and provide aid to those in need. The trip is an important aspect of the school’s mission to instill values of compassion, service, and social justice in its students. This year, 12 students and 6 chaperones traveled to the Dominican Republic to serve.
The Campus Ministry department organizes the annual trip, which works closely with the local community leaders and organizations in the Dominican Republic. For this year, the trip took place during spring break. Before the departure of the trip, Academy students raised donations by running a shoe drive to give to the kids in the DR.
During the mission trip, students and faculty members stayed in a small village called La Victoria and worked on various projects like building houses, repairing schools, and providing healthcare services to the local community. As a team, they contributed to the community by filling family baskets with essential items, organizing shoe donations, serving lunch at a nutrition center/preschool, painting homes, and initiating a project to replant 200 plants.
Presley Keener (‘25) recounts her time in the Dominican Republic, saying, “On our last leg of the trip, we played with the little girls at the orphanage. It was such a wholesome experience to see these girls so happy and excited and so grateful for everything they received.”
The mission trip allows students to develop empathy and understand different cultures and lifestyles. It focuses on our core values at the Academy, especially dedication to women and children. It also helps them develop leadership skills, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities as they work together to complete their projects. For many students, the mission trip is a life-changing experience that inspires them to continue serving others and positively impacting their communities.
The mission trip to the Dominican Republic is a testament to the school’s mission and its dedication to shaping the next generation of leaders who will make a difference in the world.
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