Outside of Moca, Dominican Republic, the rasping of sandpaper fills the air as students prepare the walls for painting. Part of a group of 90 high school students and leaders from across Canada, the youngsters are on a service trip to rehabilitate four schools in this rural area, which is known for its tobacco crops and cigar factories.

The projects -- think of them as extreme school makeovers -- are completed through Power Trips, an organization founded by Judy Warrington of the Rotary Club of Oakville, Ontario, that takes young people to the Dominican Republic to improve lives in that country, as well as their own.

"They are the ones who are going to go on to be professionals, hopefully Rotarians," Warrington says during a trip in March, her 22nd since 2000. "They can be exposed here to the needs of the poorest of the poor."

Fulfilling the Power Trips motto -- "Go. See. Do." -- participants tour other sites during their two-week trip, including a public hospital and a senior centre, to get a better understanding of the country’s needs.  

"For high school students to be able to do this is amazing because you can see how this is helping the community," says Katherine Wynne, 16, of Alberta, as she takes a break from her work at La Ermita school.  "They just don’t have access [to social services] like we do."

Rotarians help Warrington carry out the trips. Dominican Rotarians and Rotaractors who are familiar with the communities scope out worksites beforehand and pitch in when she arrives. Her own club collects donated items that she and the students bring with them, and contributes funds for projects.

In addition, the club has partnered on several Rotary Foundation Matching Grants in the communities where Power Trips has worked. And Rotarians from all over Canada have traveled to the Dominican Republic to mentor trip participants.

Says Fred Mandryk, a member of the Rotary Club of Bowmanville, Ontario, who accompanied the group in March: "Bringing these kids on trips like this helps create an interest in service and helps showcase what Rotary does."