TUI Academy 2 Dominican Republic SUMMARY 
This project builds on the successes of the TUI Academy approach developed by Plan International and TUI Care Foundation to provide life-changing opportunities for disadvantaged youth, especially young women, in the tourism sector in the Dominican Republic. In 2016, Plan and TUI Care Foundation launched the TUI Academy project, that aims to socially and economically empower 150 youth, especially girls, in Punta Cana. Besides enabling these youth to protect themselves from Commercial Sexual Exploitation, they are provided access to decent work in the TUI tourism chain. This innovative methodology, partnering with hotels in Punta Cana and the national vocational training institute INFOTEP has been transforming the youth’s lives, opening up career opportunities previously unattainable to them. This project builds on the successes of the former project and presents innovative strategies based on the lessons learned. In the Dominican Republic, tourism is important for economic growth. For many the country is a  Caribbean dream. In the past few years the Dominican Government has achieved progress on education for all, and on diminishing poverty, but Dominican youth still lack economic prospects. 29.4% of youth are unemployed, and 24% of youth are not in employment or education – with the rate for young women almost doubling that of young men. Of primary school children, 37.5% drops out before graduation, most of them (especially girls) for economic reasons. Of the
49% that transitions to secondary education, only 33% graduates. As a consequence, many youth enter into informal economic activities for their livelihoods, often subjected to unsafe working condition and low pay. Young women are even more at risk of ending up in exploitative situations, due to traditional gender roles and asymmetric power relations, as well as a sense of tolerance towards gender-based violence. Teenage pregnancy (36%) and child marriage rates are alarmingly high. Impact: By 2022, 150 disadvantaged youth, aged 18-24, (70% F/ 30% M) in 4 communities in Punta Cana are socially and economically empowered, able to protect themselves from exploitation and have opportunities for decent work.

Outcomes: 
-  Outcome 1:  Young people with strengthened personal and professional skills
-  Outcome 2: Safer and Protective Communities have developed capacities to enable and promote the exercise of youth's 
   rights
- Outcome 3: Engaging the private sector: companies provide decent work opportunities for youth, especially women The activities in this project are based on the experiences and lessons learnt in the TUI1 Academy project in the Dominican Republic to create job opportunities for vulnerable youth, especially young women that face early pregnancies, gender based violence and lack of access to decent work. The holistic analysis of TUI 1 and what challenges were encountered to be working with vulnerable youth, especially with regard to drop out of students, has been a driving force of formulating activities in this follow up project which tackle these underlying root causes.  TUI 1 has shown that in order to have a successful project, activities need to be developed with different actors (with the youth themselves, educators, institutions,  but also families, communities and the private sector) and in different spheres to have sustainable impact. 150 youth aged between 18-25 years-old, approximately 70% of them adolescent girls/ young women, to 30% adolescent boys/ young men, and inhabitants of the three surrounding communities of Royalton Resort of Blue Diamond (BDR) in Punta Cana. Participants are considered to be at-risk of exploitation and are able to make a full-time commitment to the program. Key criteria is that suitable participants should to show a willingness to learn and a desire for self-development. Candidates have limited or no opportunities to find decent, legitimate employment or continue in further education. 

Other beneficiaries of the program include the families of the participants, the communities they live in and the local private sector represented by the hotels. 1. Empowering Youth
Review of the TUI Academy criteria, curricula and postgraduate survey
Meetings with Community Based Organizations (CBO) and communities to identify students
Community campaign for promoting the TUI Academy
Selection of students in collaboration with TUI Care Foundation
Media event promoting the TUI Academy project
Training cycles (life skills, vocational training, etc.)
Coaching and guidance during training and internship (transportation, communication, etc.)
Daycare for students who are young mothers - training ECCD Facilitators
Evaluation of the training process

2. Safer and Protective Communities
Training surrounding communities on commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) of Blue Diamond Resorts / TUI Academy hotels

3. Engaging the private sector
Training and coaching of BDR staff and other (potential) employers on SRHR and decent work
Project visibility and outreach component This project has a particular focus on mitigating drop-out of students, as this has been a huge challenge in the previous TUI 1 program, undermining the sustainability of the program. Based on an analysis of root causes of early drop-out of students in the program (early pregnancy, lack of community support, lack of decent working conditions, care for participants' young children), TUI 2 will implement mitigation strategies and make sure the program is more sustainable, for example awareness raising on family planning and SRHR, forming alumni networks, orientation groups with families, promotion of decent work with the hotel and day care solutions.