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Dominican Republic, Cabarete
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The school emphasizes happiness as a core goal of education and believes learning happens through experience, collaboration, and social interaction across ages. The school uses an exclusively inquiry-based method of learning and encourages learning in nature, teamwork, and understanding of self and world.
The Cabarete team has educators who provide curricular adaptations for children with educational support. Staff have experience with autism in regular classrooms, and there are workshops for parents and teachers on children's neurological, socio-emotional, and motor development.
The school teaches all classes primarily in English; in Preschool and Phase 1 there is always a Spanish language instructor on hand. The majority of staff are bilingual and most students speak more than one language; ESL is supported with demonstrated success.
A clinical psychologist (Cristina Ricart) is part of Cabarete's staff to support student wellbeing; she emphasizes creating a safe space for students and has training in areas including school dropout prevention and reintegration.
Discipline policies state that bullying or disrespect is not tolerated; students are encouraged to care for others and their belongings, and academic honesty is expected. There is guidance on safe and ethical use of technology.
ISLA Academy Cabarete is a private international school offering Pre-K through 12th grade with an American Curriculum and Advanced Placement options. The Cabarete campus (Playa Laguna) features extensive outdoor space, a dedicated sports facility, a garden, a treehouse, a rock wall, a zipline, a mud kitchen, and a breezy patio with lawn areas. Classes are taught primarily in English by internationally certified teachers, and the school operates an exclusively inquiry-based program that connects learning to real-world contexts. Each student follows an individualized learning plan shaped by their level, interests and learning style, with language support woven into daily lessons. An additional campus at Las Terrenas complements the program. Facilities include a library, a cafeteria serving meals from the on-site ISLA garden, and after‑school clubs from 3:00 to 6:30 PM. The Director and Co-founder is Sean Bennett, and the Founding Curriculum Coordinator is Franco Rodriguez. Real-world projects and outdoor learning opportunities.
