In 2023, the CLP Education Program (Campo Las Palmas) was implemented in partnership with CENAPEC in 2018. That same year, the Club’s Technology Department, under the initiative of Vice President of Technology Ralph Esquivel, donated approximately 120 laptops to the high school equivalency program.

This allowed players to participate in CENAPEC’s formal online education program both during and outside of the season. In 2019, the organization hired Dr. Catalina (Cathy) Lara as the new Education Coordinator to oversee not only the program in the Dominican Republic but also at all Dodgers affiliates.

Working closely with Mr. José Rosado and his English Learning and Acquisition Center (CENLA) since 2017, the educational program at Campo Las Palmas achieved its first goal by creating a structure that would help players transition to the different affiliate programs in the United States. Programs were implemented to help players acquire skills in both social and baseball-related English. With Dr. Lara’s oversight of the Club’s educational programming and the structure provided by CENLA in the Dominican Republic, the Dodgers are on the path to new success.

The DREAM Project and ANBARD held an enriching summer camp with a focus on environmental preservation. The camp, held from July 10 to 28, 2023, had the theme “Saving the Environment.” During this period, 115 children from the San Antonio de Guerra community participated in activities that promoted awareness about the importance of caring for and protecting our environment.

Activities included chess classes, art classes, a focus on the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle), environmental conservation, and sports activities. Professional baseball players taught the children valuable baseball techniques. Additionally, the children had the opportunity to visit the Botanical Garden in Santo Domingo, where they received informative talks on the preservation of the country’s natural resources.

This is a powerful example of how education, sports, and environmental awareness can come together to enrich the lives of young people and foster positive values.

Cultural Diversity Day at the National Amateur Baseball Academy (ANBARD) is a celebration that recognizes and values ​​the cultural richness and diversity of the team’s players, coaches, and staff. This initiative seeks to foster inclusion and respect for the different cultural identities represented within the organization.

ANBARD has established several strategies and programs to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within its community. Some of these initiatives include:

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committees
• Community Outreach Resource Groups

In short, Cultural Diversity Day at the Los Angeles Dodgers Academy is an opportunity to celebrate and honor the diverse cultures represented on the team, highlighting native cuisine and music, and promoting an inclusive and respectful environment for all. In total, we celebrate the cultures of the following countries:

Most of our Dominican players acquire a vehicle as soon as they receive their signing bonus and begin driving without a driver’s license. Sometimes, their parents turn a blind eye without asking their children to take the appropriate measures. For this reason, we have scheduled a workshop with INTRANT authorities for April 27th at 3:00 p.m. for our players in CLP. It is essential that our young Latino players receive proper education and training to ensure their safety on the road and to be responsible citizens.

The driver’s education workshop program will help our players acquire knowledge of traffic regulations and basic car control skills. These programs will also promote safe driving practices, such as seatbelt use and avoiding distractions while driving. The workshop will be followed by the opportunity for players to take the Dominican Republic driver’s test. To ensure they are prepared for the test, I have created a Kahoot quiz with 45 questions that players can practice during our education and English program several times a week.

In 2023, at the Los Angeles Dodgers Academy, we were able to assist several players in obtaining their driver’s licenses. Joendry Vargas, Daniel Mielcarek and Arnaldo Lantigua stood out by diligently preparing for their driving tests using the Kahoot platform. They successfully passed their tests and now serve as role models for their younger teammates.

This effort aims to foster road responsibility among young prospects who have just purchased their first car with the signing bonus. It is critical that they be aware of the high accident rate in the Dominican Republic and drive safely.

In conclusion, responsible driving classes are crucial to ensuring the safety of our Dominican youth on the roads.

To celebrate the success of the Campo Las Palmas DSL Dodgers Bautista team in 2023, we present a highlight of their season:

The DSL Dodgers Bautista closed out the year with a stellar performance, securing their spot as Dominican Summer League (DSL) champions. With an impressive record of 42 wins and 11 losses, they led the North Division with a .7921 winning percentage. Their run to the championship was punctuated by exciting moments, including a late rally and a game-winning home run by Blanco Jr. that propelled them to the final.

This team proved to be a dominant force in the league, notable for their skill and competitive spirit. The DSL is known as the “kindergarten of professional baseball,” but these young talents have shown they have the courage and skill to be considered for important Major League Baseball transactions. The DSL Dodgers’ victory not only represents another title in their history, but also the development and progress of their players, who are the future of professional baseball. A true finishing touch to the year 2023!

In 2022, we partnered again with the Dream Project Foundation to host an annual summer camp focused on fun and learning with students from the Futuro Vivo School in San Antonio de Guerra. The camp, centered on interactive science and art, welcomed 85 students from the community surrounding the school. Campers were introduced to innovative science lessons and taught to value the natural resources surrounding their homes. A special component of the camp was the DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) corner, where children’s curiosity was the focus and all reading levels were encouraged to work and read together. At the end of the camp, students left with incredible memories, valuable knowledge, a Dodgers baseball team, and books to build their OWN home library.

Nurys E. Berroa Flores, lead teacher at Futuro Vivo, shared that the camp was filled with joy and enthusiasm, especially after not being able to hold the camp during the pandemic: “There was great integration between the team and the children, and the students learned very well together. Everyone participated excellently, there was great order and respect, and an overall warm and welcoming atmosphere at the camp.”

Additionally, 300 baseball gloves were donated from Japan in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in Santo Domingo, specifically with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Hiroyuki Makiuchi.

At the same time, we collaborated by serving as a means of donation to install internet service with STARLINK for the Futuro Vivo School facilities with a speed of 10 Mbps. Finally, with the plan to improve the country’s education system, we have served as a channel through an agreement with CENAPEC and INFOTEP. We have managed to graduate around 30 players from the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, and we currently have 40 players enrolled to help them complete their high school diplomas, serving as an example for youth in the Dominican Republic.

In 2021, the annual donation and summer camp were held virtually.

In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were forced to discontinue summer camps with the DREAMS Project due to its restrictive measures.

In June 2019, a reading week was held, where students across the country participated virtually in LA Reads events with other students from the U.S. from the Academy’s Las Palmas campus. This program celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month and commemorated the third anniversary of the alliance between the foundations, which sought to promote literature internationally. With the support of their educational partner, DREAM Project, and the U.S. Embassy, ​​they joined forces to promote reading and creativity and change the lives of hundreds of children and young people in the San Antonio Guerra community and surrounding areas.

In the summer of 2017, the “My Own Library” program was created to provide public school students in low-income settings with 10 books each year to build a home library. That year, three book fairs were held, two of which also included a workshop with activities and games to promote a love of reading.

Currently, the program involves 2,000 students and distributes more than 25,000 books in seven communities each school year. The program has shown dramatic results, with 92% of students involved in the program reporting that they enjoy reading, according to DREAM. Their survey also showed that 96% of students in the program had read a book in the past two days, including 83% who had read with their parents.

In the summer of 2018, the second annual session took place, with 85 students receiving more than 50 hours of math and literacy instruction during the three-week camp. The students, ages 8 to 14, were selected for the camp after their teachers identified them as needing additional academic support.

During the program, the focus was on strengthening reading skills while providing students with new experiences, including art, sports, and science activities. As a result, nearly two-thirds of the 67 students achieved at least one reading level during the program, equivalent to half a year of academic growth.

Following the Academy’s thirtieth anniversary celebration, the extensive renovation of Las Palmas Field was inaugurated, with the presence of important figures, including the President of the Republic, Danilo Medina.

Throughout the year, the “Young Stars” extracurricular educational program supports local public school students. The program reaches students ages 8 to 15 through in-school reading intervention programs and Saturday extracurricular programming. It aims to significantly increase their practical educational skills, literacy, math, sociocultural development, critical thinking skills, and the ability to learn independently.

Since the Academy’s inception, it has trained and educated Pedro Martínez, the second Dominican to achieve the highest honor bestowed upon a former baseball player by being inducted into the Cooperstown Hall of Fame.

In addition, the following activities, among others, are regularly held:

• Athletic and sports training for baseball players through courses, seminars, competitions, exchanges, publications, and other appropriate means to achieve the comprehensive development of young prospects seeking to reach the professional level.
• Granting scholarships to pursue primary, secondary, university, and/or technical studies at educational centers of any kind in the Dominican Republic to prepare prospects for life after their careers as professional baseball players.
• Education on the Player Development philosophy and core beliefs of confidence, communication, and flexibility, with the implementation of a program based on the fundamentals of baseball that incorporates current technology. Classes focus on grammar, English speaking and listening skills, mathematical fundamentals, life skills, cultural acclimatization, and nutrition.
• School and sports activities for youth categories in the community, in the municipality of Guerra.

Considering its mission to contribute to the development of baseball professionals, strengthening the level of development of young prospects, by 2024, due to the positive impact the Academy has had on the community, players, their families, and the Dominican Republic, the Board of Directors has planned to continue its strategic alliances to further develop the main activities described above as well as promote new sports activities, always for the benefit of prospective players and the community.