Teen Travel Programs in the Dominican Republic
Since Rustic Pathways started its first Dominican Republic programs in 2012, our goal has been to emphasize the people over the places. While our staff and students adore the pristine beaches and idyllic settings, our programs go much deeper than the average tourist’s trip. Each program in the Dominican Republic dives deep into service opportunities, whether through community development, environmental stewardship, or public health, and allows our students to connect with members of the communities where they serve.
Growing up between the Dominican Republic and New York has given me a unique perspective about what makes this country amazing. Most think of the Dominican Republic as a vacation destination with beautiful beaches, but it’s so much more complex with many layers of history and politics. I hope students leave with an understanding of Dominican life and a different view of this Caribbean paradise. — Harry Alvarez, Dominican Republic Country Director
Quote by: Born in New York City and raised in the Dominican Republic, Harry graduated from SUNY New Paltz with degrees in psychology and Spanish and completed pre-med coursework at Columbia University. Harry opened our programs in the Dominican Republic in 2012 and our Cuba programs in 2015. Harry enjoys cooking and hosting friends at his home in New Orleans.
Lidia Philippe
Program Manager
Lidia is a native of Santo Domingo Este and has been leading programs with Rustic Pathways since 2016. She is passionate about social and environmental activism and was a student favorite on our Marine Life programs. Fluent in English, Spanish and Creole, Lidia helps facilitate cross-cultural connections and community interaction on our programs. She now manages our Life in the Bateyes programs.
Manuel Del Villar
Program Manager
Manuel has a degree in chemical engineering from the University Pedro Henríquez Ureña and is currently pursuing a master’s in water treatment systems. He has two years of work experience in student travel with a Canadian company and started as a Rustic Program Leader in May of 2018. He has been a program leader on our Public Health in the Caribbean and was the leader on the inaugural program with our gap year partner Verto Education. Manuel is an enthusiastic, dynamic, and compassionate person. He loves traveling and teaching students about the culture and history of the Dominican Republic.
Pedro Valdez
Program Manager
Pedro joined Rustic in 2018. He’s native of Santo Domingo and is passionate about interculturalism, education, and social justice. As a social researcher for public and private institutions in the Dominican Republic and a volunteer of TECHO, an NGO that fights against poverty and disparity in Latin America, he’s worked with vulnerable communities in the Dominican Republic. He’s getting a degree in sociology from the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo and has been an exchange student in Taiwan and the United States. He loves reading, languages, dancing, traveling and being with his family and friends.