WHO WE ARE
About Us
Greenwood’s Holistic Learning Center is an education center located in Sosua, on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. It is a place where all students, regardless of social class, race, religion, or disabilities, are welcomed and accepted. At Greenwood’s we believe that every child is an individual, and all children have the potential to learn and succeed, for this reason, we use teaching practices that promote inclusion of all children. We accept school-aged children between 4 and 18 years old, and our Early Years unit ‘First Steps’ accepts children aged 2 to 4 years old.
Inclusive education
There are many benefits to inclusive education such as:
- Children feel that they are a part of their community whilst developing a sense of belonging, and as a result, they become better prepared for life in the community as children and adults.
- Inclusive education provides better opportunities for learning since children with varying abilities are often better motivated when they learn in classes surrounded by other children.
- The expectations of all the children are higher and an individual’s strengths and gifts are developed.
- It allows children to work on individual goals whilst being with other students their own age.
- It fosters a culture of respect and belonging as well as providing the opportunity to learn about and accept individual differences.
- Finally, inclusive education provides all children with opportunities to develop friendships with one another and these friendships provide role models and opportunities for growth.
- At Greenwood’s we are committed to providing the best possible education for your child. Every child matter to us, and our aim is to encourage pupils to achieve their full potential.
Supportive
As a non-profit foundation, we are committed to breaking down barriers to education. Many children here in the Dominican Republic are unable to access quality education. Without a quality education, the cycle of poverty continues into the next generations. In order to break this cycle, we offer full and part scholarships.
Holistic approach
Aside from promoting inclusiveness, we also use a holistic approach to education. This means that we focus on educating the child as a whole. Students don’t just learn academic skills; their physical, social, cognitive and emotional growth is also developed. There is a strong focus on providing students with academic and non-academic needs in a positive learning environment. Holistic education aims to help each student discover their unique path. There are many benefits to holistic learning such as:
- Improved academic achievement
- Enhanced mental & emotional well-being
- Development of strong critical thinking skills
- Promotes empathy and connection
- Fosters respect for diversity
- Helps children develop a sense of purpose.
A holistic approach to education can be called ‘whole child education’ and teaching the ‘whole child’ is critical to student development.