Volunteer with us!

We depend on the hard work and commitment of our volunteers. We are deeply connected to our community and protective of our children. All of our volunteers must go through a screening process and provide several references before they can engage in activities with the Mariposas. It is also essential that long-term and local volunteers have strong Spanish skills.

Community Engaged Learning

The staff at The Mariposa DR Foundation are expert trip leaders in the Dominican Republic. We offer community based learning trips designed around tackling the specific needs of our local communities. These trips are service oriented and predicated on the willingness and understanding of volunteer groups coming to offer their open minds and hands towards community building.

Group projects range from physical labor such as painting homes, remodeling schools and classrooms, building walls, playgrounds, sport areas and creating educational materials, to organized sports and activities with children.

Our experiences provide a unique opportunity for students to relate academics to real-life situations and foster a sense of civic responsibility. They are a powerful medium for cross-cultural exchanges and open up new horizons for students and the community members working alongside them.

Interested in organizing a community engaged learning trip? Learn more here. Or email info@mariposadrfoundation.org. We receive many requests and we will do our best to respond within 7 business days.

Local Volunteers

The Mariposa DR Foundation welcomes volunteers from the local community. We determine on an individual basis on how to best leverage the strengths of our volunteers to be effective in our programs depending on time commitment and Spanish language proficiency. Please note that we are not able to oversee volunteers that are available for less than 6 months. It is important for our programs and our students that there be consistency.

Skilled Volunteers

We are always looking for volunteers with special skills: doctors, artists, lawyers, accountants, educators, who may be able to help us with certain projects or offer training for our staff. If you are interested in sharing your skills with our organization we would love to hear from you! Please email info@mariposadrfoundation.org with your inquiry.

Year-Long Volunteers

WE ARE NOT CURRENTLY ACCEPTING YEAR-LONG OR SUMMER VOLUNTEERS. WE WILL BEGIN ACCEPTING VOLUNTEERS FOR 2025 IN OCTOBER 2024.

The Mariposa DR Foundation recruits volunteers from top international universities, graduate programs and professional careers for yearlong posts in communities where we work. Our volunteers are chosen through a rigorous selection process and are sustained by personal fundraising efforts or often outside scholarships, grants and fellowships through universities or private donors. Our volunteers live in the communities where we work and tailor our programs to meet the specific needs of the people. Long-term volunteers are critical in ensuring that we are deeply connected and that we have a full understanding of what the priorities should be in each area. Learn more about our volunteer programs here.