Quality high school education is scarce on the North Coast of the Dominican Republic, and it's still a rarity for a Dominican or Dominican-Haitian child to graduate with a high school diploma. The Mariposa DR Foundation is working to send six girls to a private, local high school for their sophomore year.
Until recently, only one in five children entering primary school in Cabarete completed fifth grade. Although more adolescents are currently graduating from eighth grade, very few are continuing their education. In fact, there is no public high school in the community. As a result, many children in Cabarete end their education early and aren't able to pursue higher learning or work as professionals. Worse, "out-of-school" teenage girls often end up pregnant and the cycle of poverty continues.
The Mariposa DR Foundation has established a relationship with a private high school and is currently sending 6 girls to CADIN for their freshmen year. These girls are receiving the best high school education in the area. However, their tuition has only been funded through the end of this school year, and without further funding they will be sent back into the public education system. This project will cover the cost of tuition for these girls to continue receiving their education at CADIN.
All Mariposa girls currently attending this private high school have GPAs of 3.4 or higher and are excelling in all areas of their education. As a result of these successes, we believe that each of these girls is college bound.
