In the early 1980s the administration of Parsons School of Design entered into an agreement with the Altos de Chavon Cultural Center Foundation to establish a unique educational partnership: The Altos de Chavon School of Design in La Romana, Dominican Republic.

The Altos de Chavon School of Design was conceived to be a pragmatic educational institution, one that would enable young designers of the Dominican Republic to find meaningful professions in the fields of art and design. The School was designed to meet the needs of a developing country and to address the role that designers play in that development. An underlying concept was that good design and well-trained designers foster industrial success and economic well-being.

During the years since that historic agreement was signed between the two institutions, the School of Design has fulfilled its promise. More than 800 students from twenty-three countries have studied at Altos de Chavon. More than 200 have gone on to complete their design education in New York. Many fill high-level design positions in the United States, the Dominican Republic, South America, and Europe.

The audacious international experiment has proved viable. Parsons has used it as a model for more recent affiliates in Japan and Korea. Most important, the School of Design has produced a successful generation of Dominican and international artists and illustrators, and has empowered a cadre of first-rate fashion, graphic, and interior design professionals.