Our Story

When it comes to giving back, everyone has a role and everyone has the capacity to help those in need. Finding out how is the hard part and that is why Vacation For Change exists…

The Montessori Preschool La Libertad is hidden away in a community, not unlike many Dominican communities on the north coast, where education before the age of 6 is simply not an option. Although hard working and capable, most of the residents find themselves living in some level of poverty or extreme poverty. Children learn quickly here as the pace of everyday life does not usually slow down for long lessons, but there is value placed on escaping poverty and building a better future.

The DREAM Montessori Preschool started with a land donation, then led to a community based effort to educate their youth. A beautiful structure was built, a garden and a playground to give the young learners pride in their refuge, and the mothers from that same community dedicated themselves to completing their education first, then certifying themselves in the world’s most recognisable methodology for early childhood development. All of this synergy lacked one critical piece, the financial resources to offer the teachers a fair living and continued training, maintain the facility and cover the cost of educational materials. Like most great success stories in life, that final piece walked in just at the right moment.

In the spring of 2009, Libertad had not been in session all year because of a lack of funds. The cost to operate the school, as efficient as it was at less than US$500 per student, per year, was simply too much as the world braced for a global recession. All of the 50 students from the previous year were sitting at home and the outlook was not bright. This all changed when a gentleman named Dean Grieder walked into the DREAM Project Office, listened to how their work was transforming lives and simply asked, “How can I help?”.

Within 2 months, the little school named “Freedom” was thriving again. There were over 100 students, 2 sessions, weekly Montessori training workshops for the local teachers and over 100 local volunteers helping offset costs through cleaning, food preparation and assisting the teachers. This time, an investment was made by Dean to ensure this critical resource would be sustained through the most important possession any of us have: his home.

Vacation for Change is a simple, yet completely innovative concept: Use your very limited free time to not only have the vacation and adventure of a lifetime, but give back through a sustainable vehicle for high quality education.

The proceeds for Dean’s luxurious villa rental, which include the absolute best from the North Coast of the Dominican Republic, all go towards the operating costs of La Libertad and the high quality education of more than 100 young learners. That means that 100% of your luxury vacation also fulfils your role in giving back. VFC assists all visionary guests in their stay, with excursions, tips and an afternoon meeting the community of La Libertad and seeing the change you are supporting first hand.

The DREAM Project

Poverty and the inability for so many families to escape it has a direct link to how much quality education they receive. Our solution is to provide all children with the educational tools they need to create a better future while supporting the work of the public school system. We believe that quality, early and continuing education is the most effective way to break the cycle of poverty and change destinies. Our mission is to run inclusive, sustainable education programs for children and youth in the Dominican Republic that can be replicated throughout impoverished global communities. The DREAM Project, a 501(c)3 US-based nonprofit organization, provides quality education for more than 3,500 children annually through 13 different programs across 15 communities, affecting the lives of more than 6,000 community members.