DSO Timeline
A comprehensive look at how the Dominica School and Orphanage came to be
The mural outside the DSO preschool, painted by artists in the La Ureña community.
“Dominica School and Orphanage
Dominica Rosario returns to La Ureña after getting an American education to help her brother establish the DSO. When he died of complications due to AIDS, Dominica took it on herself to head the organization and build it from the ground up.
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“Blue House Effect
The Canadian grassroots charity is founded with a mission of relieving poverty in La Ureña. It was established with the mindset of having DSO as its primary beneficiary, but it didn’t begin to aid the institution until several years after its creation.”
“Teacher Training Programs
The DSO institutes a series of teacher training programs to prepare for the opening of the school 6 months later. Here, Dominica Rosario instituted her continued vision of “promoting innovative and creative teaching strategies” which she hoped would then be instilled in the children.
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“Formal Opening
The educational facilities formally open to over 400 students in La Ureña.”
“International Circle of Friends
The International Circle of Friends (ICOF) is founded by P.B. and Jane Dye to provide food and volunteer support for the DSO children and broader La Ureña community.”
“Earthquake Hits Haiti
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake ripples through Haiti and builds a death toll of over 100,000 people. Millions more were affected, a large number of whom chose to seek asylum near or across the Dominican border—the border was temporarliy opened in a humanitarian effort to ease the crisis. The final destination for many of these migrants was Santo Domingo, the Dominican capital province where DSO is located.”
“Constitutional Court Decision
The Constitutional Court of the Dominican Republic, established in 2010, issues a decision that effectively denationalizes as many as 200,000 people of Haitian decent. Protests erupt all over the Dominican Republic and the world—including New York City.”
“High School Closes
The DSO high school closes in the summer of 2014 due to diminished funding and complications with the Dominican Republic’s school system. Thanks to the First Community Church and reinvigorated involvement by partners in the U.S., the school is able to reopen the following year, and its financial standing continues to improve each year.”
“Dominica School and Orphanage Support Fund
The DSOSF is established with the help of the First Community Church and begins financially supporting the DSO.”
“DSOSF Raises $75k
From 2016 to 2017, the DSOSF raises $75,000 to increase the enrollment capacity of the school and orphanage by roughly 300 children.”
“New Classrooms
Exponentially increased support from the DSOSF leads to the acquisition of enough funding to build two new classrooms before the fall of 2018. These will ensure the availability of a complete high school education for DSO students, which is vital to improving the futures of hundreds of students. ”
“New Roof
The DSO acquires funding from a group of osteopathic physicians in Pittsfield, MA to build a roof over the school courtyard. The roof protects the students from extreme heat and dangerous storms that often affect the Dominican Republic.”
“Repairs
The DSOSF helps to fund extensive infrastructure repairs for the preschool and K-12 buildings, including new floors, ceilings, plumbing, and a security system.”