NHS Teacher on Mission Trip

An NHS teacher went on a mission trip to educate teachers and students about different learning tools over spring break. 

NHS Computer Science teacher Kristen Violette went on her second mission trip with her church to Constanza, Dominican Republic. Violette had previously gone last August. Though other members devoted their time to more faith-based works, Violette took this opportunity to strengthen the local education in any way she could. 

In the Dominican Republic, only about 18% of their whole population has a bachelors degree, and barely 1% have a masters. Knowing this, Violette dedicated her first trip in August to training teachers on the best practices and things like how to navigate a computer. Violette also trained the teachers on how to make lesson plans and use AI for assistance. 

“They have really challenging situations. There are all of these different abilities in one classroom, and some kids don’t even know how to read,” Violette said. 

Since her first trip, Violette has kept in touch with teachers in Constanza, and planned for a second trip in April. In the time between, Violette has fundraised for all sorts of school supplies and food for both the teachers and students. 

In Constanza, the education system only goes up to ninth grade because of how difficult it is to get the qualifications needed, but they are working towards opening a tenth grade class in the future. 

“The main accomplishment was with the ninth graders, to teach them how to make a resume and what goes on it,” Violette said. 

After a full day in the classroom with the kids, Violette spent the next few hours working with teachers and showing them interactive tools such as Ed Puzzles, Quizlets, and Gim Kit. 

“The problem is, everyday they can lose internet and electricity,” Violette said. “The town will shut off the electricity if a storm is coming.”

Some of Violette's travel companions were involved with the youth as well, teaching them things like how to play guitar, while others worked on plumbing within the buildings. 

“It’s really amazing that Ms. Violette has gone to the Dominican Republic and helped people, even if just one person at a time,” NHS Senior Annika Van Sickle said. 

Another obstacle Violette faced was the language barrier. The official language of the Dominican Republic is Spanish, so when a translator wasn’t available, it would be difficult to communicate with the teachers and their students. 

In Constanza, they also have what they call Ark, run by Kids Alive International, which is the equivalent of a safe haven or an orphanage. They are fortunate to have a nice campus, with four houses that can house about 20 children each. 

These houses are for children who have been abandoned or rescued from unsafe homes. However, the biggest struggle with this organization is finding parents to run each house. Currently, only two of these houses are active because of this. 

“When people think of the Dominican Republic, they think of Punta Cana, but the Dominican is a place that is suffering from poverty, and the people there have such amazing hearts,” Violette said. “One lady who I saw on my first trip took a motorcycle in the rain to come to my house the night before I was leaving and gave me my pairs of earrings, dinner, a piece of cake, and a rose.”

Violette is now fundraising for more supplies, but specifically for projectors so teachers can present their lessons to their class, and hopes to take lots of supplies with her when she returns to Constanza. 

“Thats really selfless of Ms. Violette and inspiring to help other communities,” NHS Senior Cara Daly said. 

Constanza is also a hub for agriculture in the Dominican Republic, producing over 80% of their own food. Everyday, truckloads of vegetables leave to be exported or sold. 

“It’s really interesting to be able to see a different side of how people in that culture really live,” Violette said. “Sometimes we should take a step back and search in our own hearts to see if there’s a way that we can lighten somebody else’s burden.”