Learning Beyond the Classroom: Students Discover Dominican History Firsthand Through INABIE
On a recent school day, learning didn’t begin with a textbook or a chalkboard. Instead, it started with curiosity—students stepping into museums, archives, and cultural spaces where history feels alive.
Through the Student Tourism Program, the National Institute of Student Welfare (INABIE) has given more than 700 public-school students the opportunity this year to learn beyond the classroom walls. The program brings primary and secondary students from across the country to places where the Dominican Republic’s history, culture, and identity can be experienced firsthand.
For many students, it is their first time visiting spaces like the Taíno Cultural Museum Casa del Cordón, the INDOTEL Telecommunications Museum, the Virtual Reality Room at the Banreservas Cultural Center, the National Botanical Garden, or the General Archive of the Nation. There, lessons they once read about come to life through tours, exhibits, and conversation.
“I had read about the Taínos in school,” said student Luis Rodríguez, “but seeing the pieces and hearing the explanations helped me understand better how they lived.” His words echo what many students feel during these visits: learning becomes more meaningful when it can be seen, touched, and felt.
Teachers also notice the difference. Back in the classroom, students return with questions, stories, and renewed enthusiasm. “These visits reinforce what we work on in class,” said primary school teacher María Rodríguez. “Students participate more, show greater interest, and connect more deeply with what they’re learning.”
Since its launch in 2022, the Student Tourism Program has reached 2,753 students nationwide. This year alone, more than 700 participated, as the current INABIE administration continues to strengthen the program as a way to link academic learning with real-life experiences.
For INABIE, the program is about more than visiting landmarks. It is about helping students recognize themselves in their country’s history, understand the value of preserving national heritage, and build a sense of belonging and pride that extends beyond the school day—into their homes, their communities, and their future.
Latina Republic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to documenting and amplifying stories from Latin America and the Caribbean. Through public-interest reporting, we provide updates on government and institutional initiatives that support social development and improve quality of life across the region, while also highlighting culture, identity, and community impact.
