In a landmark moment for inclusive digital education in the Dominican Republic, 53 deaf secondary school students from across the country gathered at the National Palace in Santo Domingo Thursday to meet with President Luis Abinader, following their successful completion of a groundbreaking artificial intelligence skills training program.
During the meeting, President Abinader offered enthusiastic praise for the cohort’s commitment and outstanding academic performance, emphasizing that the participating students posted results that outpaced the national average for similar digital skills training programs. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to partnering with young Dominicans across all demographic groups to remove barriers to high-quality education, expand entry points for meaningful employment, and create clear pathways for long-term professional growth.
In response, the students expressed gratitude to the president and his administration for prioritizing investment in the deaf community. They underscored that equitable access to cutting-edge technology and skills development opportunities is critical for empowering people with hearing impairments to build their capabilities, pursue their professional goals, and contribute more fully to all spheres of national life.
The cross-sector initiative was the product of collaborative development and implementation by three key stakeholders: the Dominican Republic’s General Directorate for Community Development (DGDC), domestic technology firm QVITAE, and the National School for the Deaf (Enapsor). From its launch, the program centered a core mission of expanding access to innovative digital tools and future-focused skills training for underrepresented groups in the country.
Rafael Pichardo, CEO of QVITAE, shared that the program exceeded initial performance expectations: 80 percent of all enrolled participants completed all required coursework and assessments, and like the overall cohort, their scores landed above the national average for comparable training. Pichardo also highlighted the standout work of David Pérez Soriano, one of the participating students, who designed and built a custom official website for the National School for the Deaf as a capstone project for his web design module of the program.