About the Author: Krystle Norman serves as Economic/ Environment, Science, Technology, and Health Officer at the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic.

On a blazing hot day, eager exhibitors hurried across the fairgrounds, where they were adding the final touches to the myriad of booths and displays. Flocks of anxious kids arrived proudly swinging their bag of recyclables in one hand and dragging their parents with the other hand to an eye-catching van used by storm chasers. After surveying the crowd and the layout of the fair, I was overwhelmed with a sense of relief; three months of planning had paid off for us. With no rain in the forecast and everything in place, the Green Fair was ready to begin on the grounds of the National University of Pedro Henriquez Urena (UNPHU) in the Dominican Republic.

Last summer, U.S. Embassy Santo Domingo’s “Green Team” celebrated the third annual Green Fair, which attracted more than 850 adults and children and brought together the public and private sector to address eco-friendly… more »

About the Author: Tara Sonenshine serves as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

On my visit to the Dominican Republic this week, I had the opportunity to meet with more than a dozen future Dominican leaders — all high school students, who were enrolled in an English immersion school in Santo Domingo. They spoke with depth and conviction about pressing matters in their country. Every one spoke of his or her desire to use their growing skills in English to study in U.S. universities.

That same day, I met with American college students who are taking college courses in the Dominican Republic. I asked why they’d chosen to study abroad and they shared what they’d learned, reflecting an impressive perspective and awareness about the region — and the world at large. They, too, recognized that, by becoming bilingual, they would open doors for better futures.

Even as I had these encouraging conversations, an annual report on academic exchange… more »

About the Author: Jeff Weinshenker serves as a Public Diplomacy Officer in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.

It all starts with one. One idea. One individual. One community. And one vision for a better future.

It starts with Juan Pablo in Bolivia teaching at-risk youth how to express themselves through sports and culture, developing their own identity so others won’t define it for them.

It starts with Martha in Costa Rica or Yelitza in Panama, who found ways to reach the “unreachable” — gang members, drug users, and school dropouts in whom others had given up hope.

Sometimes it begins with an idea — teaching robotics to 10-year-olds in a drug-ravaged community in Costa Rica. Piece by piece, with the support of dedicated adults, these boys and girls learn to construct something bigger — engines, cars, complex systems — and along the way, they rebuild themselves and their neighborhoods.

These moments of inspiration exist across… more »

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina in New York, New York on September 23, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

About the Author: Michael Hammer serves as Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs.

Today, leaders from 15 countries gathered in the Dominican Republic for the fourth Pathways to Prosperity Ministerial. Delegates from the Inter-American Development Bank, Organization of American States, and United Nations are also attending. This is the third Pathways meeting Secretary Clinton has attended, and one could clearly see her enthusiasm as we talked about the day ahead on our flight down from Washington.

Pathways is a policy-level dialogue in which Western Hemisphere countries committed to democracy and open markets learn from one another’s experiences and seeks to implement best practices so that economic prosperity can reach more and more people. The underlying goal of Pathways is to spread the benefits of economic growth more broadly to all of our hemisphere’s citizens.

The leaders of the countries assembled here recognize that more needs… more »

Trip Page | Interactive Travel Map

Secretary Clinton travels to the Dominican Republic for the fourth Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas ministerial on October 5, 2011. The government of the Dominican Republic will host the event, involving high-level government officials, policy makers, business leaders, academics, and representatives from international organizations from the Americas who will share best practices that promote inclusive economic growth and prosperity in the hemisphere.

During her visit to the Dominican Republic, Secretary Clinton will be accompanied by Under Secretary for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Business… more »