Certification Ceremony for Participants of 4th and 5th Educational Expeditions to Pico Duarte

Santo Domingo, June 13, 2013

Tomorrow on June 14, 2013, the DR Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), an initiative of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE), will host a certification ceremony for the students, educators and administrators that participated in the 4th and 5th Educational Expeditions to Pico Duarte. The event will take place between 10 am- 12 pm at FUNGLODE headquarters in Santo Domingo.

The celebration will include welcoming remarks from GFDD's New York Director and FUNGLODE Director of Formative Activities, Yamile Eusebio, and an address by professional mountaineer Karim Mella, which will highlight achievements, lessons learned, student accomplishments, and how students can continue to serve as multipliers.

Students will be awarded certificates of achievement and will have an opportunity to openly share and reflect upon what they learned and experienced during the four-day trek.

The event will also feature two short films produced by GFDD's Multimedia Department and Fundacion Siempre Mas, recounting the experiences undergone by each group. The shorts, which will be premiered at the event will also form part of the shorts program for the third edition of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival, scheduled to take place September 4-8, 2013.

About the expeditions
The 4th and 5th Educational Expeditions to Pico Duarte, which took place this past February 21-24 and March 14-17, provided the opportunity for a total of 126 high school from the communities of La Caleta, Tanquecitos, Los Guaricanos, San Pedro de Marcoris and Veron to trek the highest mountain range in the Antilles.

GFDD and FUNGLODE equipped students with gear consisting of backpacks, coats, gloves, hats, t-shirts and flashlights. Prior to ascending, the students were prepped by the expedition's official doctor on the importance of hydration, field maintenance and other important aspects related to hygiene and trail maintenance.

Under the efficient guidance of staff and volunteers from GFDD/FUNGLODE and Fundación Siempre Mas, headed by the Dominican professional mountaineer and seasoned Everest trekker, Karim Mella, the students learned about their natural heritage and were able to explore their connection to the environment.

During the four-day expedition tour, students received lectures on the mountains' geography, flora and fauna, national parks, climate, biodiversity, environment protection and conservation. The students also learned about the importance of personal strength, teamwork, comradeship, discipline and group awareness -- skills that will help them to achieve their present and future goals.

GFDD and FUNGLODE hope that the experience will live in the hearts and minds of the student participants long after the expedition, and will instill within them a profound respect for the natural environment and its resources.

The expeditions were made possible thanks to many collaborators including, Fundacion Siempre Mas, Children International, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources of the Dominican Republic, Fundacion Quiereme como Soy, Swanson Family Foundation, Fundación Futuro Posible and other private enterprises.

Related links:
http://www.dreff.org
http://www.children.org/
http://www.facebook.com/FundacionSiempreMas