DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

The Ministry of Superior Education (Mescyt) announced the graduation of 20,000 students from the English Immersion Program.

The immersion program is available in more than 129 centers nationwide and so far has benefited more than 250,000 Dominicans.

The English Immersion Program for Competitiveness dates back to 2005 and was the initiative of Ileana de Castro, Rossana Haché, Guillermina Saiz and Ellen Ducy.

It is now available in all provinces and the National District. There are 90,000 applicants for the 27,000 slots for the program in 2026.

The intensive program was designed to significantly enhance the English language proficiency of Dominican citizens and aims to better position them in an increasingly globalized workforce. Its draw is that those who are chosen receive free education. Knowing English is regarded as essential for landing better jobs and entrepreneurial projects.

When the program began in 2005, it originally comprised 600 hours of instruction...