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PUNTACANA Foundation: Social Projects
Type	Non-profit NGO
Focus	Developing the quality of local education, the community's health and culture, and youth sports.
Location	Punta Cana, Dominican Republic;
Area served	The communities in and surrounding Punta Cana (Verón, Bavaro, Friusa).
Product
Key people	Executive Director Paul Beswick ; Project Coordinator Margarita Pilier

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The PUNTACANA Foundation’s Social Projects, of the PUNTACANA Resort and Club, focuses on promoting and assisting in the sustainable human development of local education, health care, culture, sports and community organization of the underserved communities in and around the Punta Cana region of the Dominican Republic through a variety of activities, projects and collaborations.

Established in August 1998, the PUNTACANA Foundation’s Social Projects' current areas of action are with the Ann & Ted Kheel Polytechnic School in Verón, the PUNTACANA International School in Punta Cana and the Verón Rural Clinic. The Foundation also supports many local public schools, community medical missions, and other similar activities. The Foundation invests over three million US dollars annually to support corporate social and environmental responsibility initiatives.^[1] It has collaborated with development-focused entities such as Save The Children, USAID, the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM), the Punta Cana Rotary Club, La Altagracia Tourism Cluster, the Punta Cana Hotels Association, Universidad APEC, Instituto Ciencias Visuales de España, the Dominican Government's Ministries of Health and of Culture, the Verón Municipality, the United States Chamber of Commerce, Pack For a Purpose and others, and is part of both the Clinton Global Initiative and the United Nations Global Compact communities.

Education

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The Ann & Ted Kheel Polytechnic School was built by the PUNTACANA Foundation Social Projects in 2004. It is the only public high school within 50 square miles of the Punta Cana International Airport^[1] and offers basic high school education with training in computer science, hospitality, electricity, plumbing, refrigeration and the English language. The school is operated by the local Catholic Church (the Altagracia Diocese) and admission is merit-based with a minimal price of tuition.

The PUNTACANA International School- built and operated by the PUNTACANA Foundation Social Projects- is a private, modern bilingual school for children of the PUNTACANA Resort and Club employees. Acceptance into the school is merit-based with a sliding scale tuition fee based on their parents’ income. The school has 450 students representing more than 22 different cultures^[1] and features an academic program which benefits the local community through mandatory student volunteer work.

Also included in the PUNTACANA Foundation’s community development activities are the structural improvement and maintenance of local schools in the Punta Cana tourist region, the training of educational staff and the procurement of school material donations (i.e. sports equipment, computers and school furniture).

Health

As a result of the collaboration between the PUNTACANA Foundation and the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM), a complete rehabilitation of the Rural Clinic in Véron occurred in 2006. From 2006-2011, the Clinic received ultrasound equipment and an ambulance and constructed both a clinical laboratory and a pharmacy. The creation of a pediatric wing and the donation of a defibrillator occurred in 2012^[2] and the current co-management of the Clinic with VCOM allows an average of 90 patients a day^[3] and offers the only public health care in the Punta Cana region.^[4] Other health projects include medical training for local doctors in nearby community hospitals, classes and workshops focused on the health education of the community and student population in Véron^[5] and the medical missions of VCOM.^[3] Approximately two times a year, VCOM medical students set up a temporary general health clinic for one week in a Véron neighborhood and treat patients. Other health activities include free ophthalmological examinations and free HIV-AIDS education and treatment programs.

Culture

The PUNTACANA Foundation created the PUNTACANA Art Gallery, a small gallery supported by the Foundation, for the promotion of national and international cultures through exhibitions of both local and foreign artists.^[6] The Foundation also created the Punta Cana Carnaval in an effort to promote Dominican culture in the region. Started in 2008, this annual local event is held during the Dominican Republic’s Carnaval time of the year. For visitors and residents alike, the Punta Cana Carnaval presents an impressive display of Dominican culture via a Carnaval costume parade. The parade includes a large variety of Carnaval groups from other countries as well as a selection of the best costume troupes in the Dominican Republic.^[7] Each year in December, the Foundation hosts a symphonic orchestra and national choir concert at the Basilica in Higüey to initiate the holiday season. The event features over 70 musicians and 80 choir members.^[8] To further promote local culture, the Foundation has spearheaded the locating and rescuing of valuable underwater archeological pieces, which will be exhibited in the Punta Cana Archeological-Historic Museum, to be built in the future.

Sports

The Foundation supports the construction and maintenance of sport facilities in the region, including a softball and baseball field in Véron and a basketball and volleyball court at the Ann & Ted Kheel Polytechnic School. In addition, the Foundation provides funds to support sporting tournaments, activities and equipment in the local communities of Punta Cana and Higüey.

The Ecological Foundation

Established in 1994, this facet of the PUNTACANA Foundation is a non-profit entity, focusing on ecological preservation and research that consists of: a research and education facility (“The Center For Sustainability”); coastal marine projects in areas such as water quality management, coral reef restoration as well as long-term research and monitoring projects; an ecological park and reserve called “Indigenous Eyes” (a freshwater, lagoon-filled forest with over 500 species of plants); a sustainable agriculture farm with purchasable crop; a worm composting project, bee hive honey-farming and a fruit tree garden as well as “Zero Waste” an integrated waste management program for PUNTACANA Resort & Club.^[9]

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Awards

November, 2011 Global Vision award in Leadership in Grassroots Outreach from Travel and Leisure Magazine.^[1]
November 2010, PUNTACANA Foundation receives the Texaco Prize for Children’s Education jointly with Save the Children.^[2]
June 2009, PUNTACANA Resort & Club wins the Conde Nast Traveler’s “World Saver’s Award.”^[3]
January 2009, PUNTACANA Resort & Club wins the World Tourism and Travel Council “Tourism for Tomorrow” award in the category of Destination Stewardship.^[4]
May 2008, PUNTACANA Resort & Club listed in Island Magazine on the list of the 100 most socially responsible resorts in the world.^[2]
September 2007, the Ecological Foundation receives the annual prize for Corporate Social Responsibility from the American Chamber of Commerce in Dominican Republic.^[2]

References

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External Links

PUNTACANA Foundation
The Foundation's community activities
Our Facebook
Project donations via Global Giving
The PUNTACANA Group summary
PUNTACANA Resort and Club
The PUNTACANA Group

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