A team of Deerfield students will travel to the Dominican Republic to build a house for a family with the organization Cambiando Vidas. When work begins, the house will be one cinderblock high. The house will be finished on day five—complete with running water and electricity. Throughout the week, students will have time in the evenings to bond as a group and reflect on the meaning of service and global citizenship. On the final night, the team will share the first dinner in the house with the family and the 100+ members of the community who worked on the house. Students will spend the last night of the program in Santo Domingo exploring this historic city and considering ways in which they hope to bring the spirit of Cambiando Vidas back home as they begin their summer. Deerfield has been building houses with Cambiando Vidas since 2009.
May 25 – June 2, 2026
This program is open to current ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade students with a preference toward those with a demonstrated interest in service and community engagement. Financial Aid is available to all qualifying students.
Please note that this program overlaps with the following:
Students will need to have or obtain a Passport or Passport card for this program.
Accommodations: Hotels
Meals: Group meals at hotels & restaurants and with local community members
Activities: This program will include a high level of physical activity and manual labor in an outdoor setting and has a central focus on community engagement.
Bob Graves
All meals, transportation, accommodations, and activities during the program dates are included in the program fee.
*This itinerary is subject to change
This eight-day itinerary begins with travel to a hotel near the departure airport on day one to prepare for the trip. On day two, the group flies to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, then travels to San Juan de la Maguana, stopping to explore the island’s geography, history, and culture. From days two to six, participants will work on building a house and forming connections with the local community while learning about Dominican culture and history. On day seven, the group returns to Santo Domingo for a day of exploration in this historic city, capped off with a final team dinner.
We take student health and safety seriously. Please review the resources and information below as you consider applying for the program.
Travel Health & Risk Advisory
We encourage families to review the latest travel guidance for the Dominican Republic:
Travel Medicine Advisory Letter
A letter from Dr. Bryant Benson provides important guidance on health preparations for travel. View Letter
Please note that The Chen Health Center will provide all students with atovaquone-proguanil (Malarone) for malaria chemoprophylaxis and azithromycin (Z-pak) as a Traveler’s Diarrhea medication.
Vaccination Guidance
No vaccinations are required for entry to Tanzania. However, we strongly recommend reviewing the CDC’s list of recommended vaccines and consulting your healthcare provider.
Travel Insurance
All students are covered by Deerfield Academy’s International SOS travel insurance policy while on the program.
Students and parents are directly responsible for the student’s immigration status and/or visa application process to comply with local laws for participation in this program. Deerfield Academy and the CSGC office are here to assist and can provide specific supplemental documentation as required for the application.