21247 LM Jan2022

2022 IASA Global Service Project

Dominican Republic October 2022

A P P L I C A T I O N S B E I N G A C C E P T E D

Click Here to Apply!

By Dr. Nick Polyak Superintendent of Leyden CHSD #212

When we arrived in the Dominican Republic in October for the inaugural IASA Global Service Project, most of us were strangers. Our group consisted of 25 superintendents, school board members, business partners and school leaders from as far south as Cairo and as far north as Zion. Over the course of six days, what we experienced was life changing. The IASA Global Service Project afforded us the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the lives of students in the Dominican Republic. And, in the process, each of us became close friends. IASA is now accepting applications for the 2022 Global Service Project in the Dominican Republic. Districts applying need to bring their Superintendent and one School Board member. The trip will be held between October 12th and 19th with the exact dates being announced closer to the trip. While I know everyone’s schedules are busy, I encourage you to watch the video highlighting our recent trip and visit the IASA website for more information. If you have any questions about this opportunity, feel free to reach out directly to me, Nick Polyak, at npolyak@leyden212.org.

Why Attend? The purpose of the IASA Global Service Project is three- fold. It is intended to bring together educational leaders from across our state in a common purpose for global-minded service learning. It is also intended to make a difference in the lives of those we serve in the Dominican Republic. Finally, the project aims to inspire school districts to create opportunities for the students and staff in their communities to give back locally, nationally and globally. Through the generous partnership of DLA Architects; International Contractors, Incorporated; and Hodges, Loizzi, Eisenhammer, Rodick & Kohn, each participant only paid $500. That cost is inclusive of travel, lodging, meals and more. All of the logistics and connections to local nonprofits were handled by Education First / EF Tours. Usually people travel to the Dominican Republic to visit the beaches and resorts in places like Punta Cana. That was not this trip. We landed in Santo Domingo and worked our way from the south coast, through the mountains to Jarabacoa, to

10 LM January 2022