Pursue Passionate Faith,
Discover Your Calling By Serving Others,
Invest In Your Future
One of our shining programs at Students International is Global Bridge. Sometimes called a “Gap Year”, Global Bridge is a full year of college accredited studies in the Dominican Republic. Students enroll in online classes while they are serving, ministering, and mentoring in the Dominican. It’s a great way to discover your passion, earn college credit, and find your calling, all while engaging in hands-on ministry.
The Global Bridge provides an opportunity for personal growth, cultural immersion, and meaningful service. Students who participate in the program often return with a deeper understanding of themselves, the world, and their place within it.
For students, it is a chance to step outside their comfort zone and engage with new cultures, languages, and perspectives. This exposure can foster empathy, resilience, and adaptability – skills that are invaluable in life. Moreover, students gain hands-on experience in fields like education, healthcare, community development, and more, experiences that guide their career paths.
The communities served by the Global Bridge also benefit. The work done by our students helps respond to critical needs, such as teaching English, building infrastructure, or providing healthcare. These contributions make a lasting community impact.
The Global Bridge is a unique opportunity for personal, professional, and spiritual growth while serving others
The Global Bridge helps you enter adulthood with your faith on a firm foundation.
You’ll grow through intensive discipleship, mentoring, hands-on ministry and living in Christian community.
You know God is calling you to make a difference in the world, but you’re not sure what that means. Which skills does God want you to use? What are your passions and interests? How can you serve others? These are important life questions that the Global Bridge will help you answer. Our mentors guide you through a variety of vocational ministry experiences. As you serve others in cross cultural contexts, we’ll help you process these experiences and figure out what they say about God’s calling for your life.
Your time in ministry helps you develop close relationships with Dominicans, learn about their dynamic communities and gain real hands-on vocational skills.
Examples of ministry opportunities include:
The Global Bridge gives you the time and experience you need to develop a clear direction while giving you an affordable head start on college.
On the Global Bridge you will:
As a Global Bridge student, enroll in online courses and earn college credit through Crown College’s School of Online Studies.
Crown College is:
Do you want to make the most of the Global Bridge? Participate in the program for two years and earn an Associates Degree from Crown College.
Crown’s fully-accredited degrees include:
Beginning in October: Rolling Admissions (Deposit due upon acceptance)
April 30: Application deadline
May:
June 1: Full deposit due
July: Virtual team orientation meetings
July 15: Flight booked & Pre-departure documents due
August 1: Payment due
August: Pre-departure tasks & packing
Mid-late August: Arrive in Santiago
Week 1: Orientation and Team building
September – December:
Early December: Debriefing
Early December – Mid-January: Christmas break; Return to the U.S.
Mid-January: Return to Santiago; Re-orientation
January – May:
Mid-Semester: Spring break
Mid-May:
What is Students International?
Students International (SI) is a mission and community development organization with operations in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. SI’s passion is to provide students with opportunities to volunteer in ministry and service sites that are related to their personal academic and vocational interests. These experiences are transformative spiritually, academically, vocationally and personally while simultaneously focusing on Christ-centered ministry through our long-standing presence within the local communities. SI currently has over 60 staff ministering in four different countries. We partner annually with around 100 groups to provide short-term mission opportunities to over 1,000 students and adults. Academically, we have worked for nearly 15 years providing semester study abroad programs in conjunction with Christian colleges across the country.
Where will I live?
You will live near Santiago for much of your time on the Global Bridge. You will live in community with other participants at the Global Bridge base house located on a nine-acre operating tropical farm. The base is within walking distance or short driving distance of most ministry sites. During language school weeks, you will stay in carefully-selected host homes in the town of Jarabacoa.
What are some examples of weekend excursions?
To broaden your experience of the DR as a country full of diverse communities, majestic natural beauty and fascinating historical and cultural landmarks, a number of excursions are built into the Global Bridge. Students are required to participate in group excursions. Our travel schedule is subject to change, but trips generally occur about once a month and frequent destinations include:
How will I pay for the program?
Airfare and in-country expenses are paid directly to Students International. You may raise support for this portion of your costs, and SI provides instruction in developing a team of financial and prayer supporters. Tuition is paid directly to Crown College. You may be eligible for federal and state aid, and Crown’s Financial Aid Office will guide you through the process. Because Crown offers competitively priced tuition (which is further reduced for the Global Bridge program), students are not eligible for institutional grants or scholarships.
Want to know more about Students International and how we’ve seen God transform students and communities? Send us a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
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