SOURCE: IKO
From surfertoday.com:
Last Monday 31st of March 2008, the IKO, DREAM and IKO volunteer instructors successfully launched a new project aimed at teaching Dominican children how to kiteboard!
DREAM Project volunteer instructor Pablito has been teaching children how to swim for a few months so they would be ready to learn how to kite. More than 6 IKO instructors volunteered for the job. The kids have been split in small groups and the IKO instructors will take turns with them every week for 2 hours.
The volunteers are: Jonathan Robert, Cornelio Perez Burgos, Juan Carlos Morel, Miguel Soler, Lilo, Alex Soto, Jose Louis, and IKO Examiner Jon Dodds. The IKO will give out IKO Assistant Instructor packs for free for the kids that are over 15 so that they can train as Assistants in 6 months time (once they know how to kite), giving them the opportunity to get a job as assistant instructors in IKO affiliated centers in Cabarete.
Furthermore, members of the Cabarete Kiteboarding community, Kite Club, Dare 2 Fly, EH Kiteboarding and Starkites also agreed to lend equipment for the kids. The Dominican Republic Education And Mentoring (DREAM) Project, a US 501c3 nonprofit organization, provides quality education for all children born into poverty in rural areas and small communities of the Dominican Republic.
The DREAM Project fulfills its mission by: building educational facilities; securing supplies and materials for classrooms; soliciting international volunteers; running youth groups and summer camps; raising awareness within the international community; and empowering local communities by providing models, resources and training. DREAM partners with public schools as well as private institutions, and also operates its own preschool classrooms.
The newest phase of the DREAM Project focuses on training Dominican teachers and local community members in modern child centered teaching methodologies, in an effort to achieve program sustainability. DREAM is supported through the generous contribution of time, talent, funds, materials and supplies from individuals, foundations, government agencies and businesses.
The list of children that want to take part in the project is extensive and the IKO is looking forward to teach more children and give them the opportunity not only to do something fun, but also give them a job and the chance to come out of poverty.
IKO would like to thank the IKO volunteer instructors, as well as DREAM for giving us the opportunity to participate in this project. We are proud to be part of this initiative. And Thank you for the kids!