The Puente Model

We believe community development should be led by those with most at stake: the residents. Our community leadership training program gives Dominican residents the knowledge, experience, and tools they need to make a difference in their own backyards. Over the course of four weeks, program participants define community development, learn survey methodology, practice data collection, and understand how to plan and implement projects. Participants who demonstrate commitment to the cause and course proficiency graduate as Puente volunteers.

Armed with data collection knowledge, Puente volunteers use their newfound skills in their very own communities. Using the Puente application, volunteers survey residents in order to understand what needs and resources exist. Our standard Puente survey collects data about a household’s demographics, environmental conditions, such as access to water, and context within the community’s ecosystem. Our experts analyze the data volunteers collect to prioritize the greatest need, and we work alongside our Puente volunteers to create project ideas that address this need.

Once we finalize a clear project plan, Puente activates our mission-aligned partners to fund proposals to bring volunteers’ project ideas to life. Volunteers apply what they learned about project implementation in our training program to their very own project plans, making a real impact in local communities.