Application Deadline: November 17th, 2010 (12AM EST)
Program Dates (tentative): Summer 1, 2011
Group Leader: Professor Dennis Shaughnessy
Course Description
The Field Study Program in the Dominican Republic is built on the principles of rural microfinance, village banking and the Grameen Bank model of solidarity, specific to rural "batey" communnities of the Dominican Republic. The academic portion of the program includes daily three hour classes Monday through Friday for two-three weeks with topics of study including social entrepreneurship, social enterprise development, micro-finance, business solutions to ending poverty and small business management. Classes are supplemented with site visits to social businesses in the capital city of Santo Domingo (DR), including microfinance networks and organizations such as ACCION International, as well as other Kiva field partners such as Espire.
In the afternoon, students spend at least 3-5 hours "in the field" daily from Monday-Friday (for two-three weeks as well) in batey communities where Haitian sugar plantation workers live in rural areas of La Romana and San Pedro de Marcolis. The purpose for this field exercise is to allow students to create oral/written surveys for Esperanza International, our field partner in the Dominican Republic. Students are given an assignment by Esperanza International, which is centered around designing a qualitative or quantative instrument in which the organization will measure social impact for the organization's 18,000 active borrowers with a loan portfolio of approximately $20 million USD. Students also create a final presentation which includes recommendations to management for best practices in the field of microfinance pertaining to rural communities. The fourth week of the program incorporates a week of service learning, where students work with Esperanza's Home Improvement or Education department to build homes for borrowers or primary schools.
Course Credits
You must choose between two of the following courses in order to receive 8 semester hours of academic credit for this program:
ENTR3316: Micro-finance and Economic Development in Latin America
ENTR3318: Business, Economics and the History of Hispaniola
INTL938: Global Corps Practicum
Cost of Program
$8,738 (or the same as Summer I/II tuition for two classes or 8 SH). Financial aid is applicable through your financial aid advisor. The Social Enterprise Institute awards private, need based scholarships for students with cases of financial hardship. Eligibility will be determined from the student’s financial aid counselor and through a separate application process with the Social Enterprise Institute.
Application Process
The program is open to students from any college or any major. You can find the application on this page.
Students will need to submit additional forms including the OISP enrollment form, and waiver form. Turn in two hardcopies of each completed form and two copies of your official transcript to the Social Enterprise Institute in 220 Hayden Hall to Esther Chou (e.chou@neu.edu)
Students whom have NOT completed ENTR2206: Social Entrepreneurship or ENTR2219: Business, Global Poverty & the Microfinance Revolution must complete an interview to be scheduled after the application process.
Eligibility
Please note this program is only open to sophomores or above with a minimum 2.8 GPA. Students who do not meet this requirement but still wish to apply must contact Dennis Shaughnessy (d.shaughnessy@neu.edu) to arrange for an interview.
Application Deadline
November 17, 2010
For more information about the Field Study Program, please contact sei@neu.edu or visit our office in 220 Hayden Hall.
Disclaimer
Some information posted here is tentative and subject to change based on costs and dates of available flights. The website is updated as current information becomes available.
Student-Made Trip Video