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How long has the
program been running?
The YMCA Global Teens Program has been in existence since 1996.
Many of the host sites have been hosts since that time and we have
gone to sites such as South Korea, Thailand, and Costa Rica for
three years or more. South Dakota has also been a very successful
site for the past three summers.
How are sites selected?
Each of the host sites is a YMCA in the country we visit. Sites are
selected for their experience in working with youth and providing
strong leadership and community service opportunities. Each program
is carefully negotiated and in each case a visit takes place before
the travel begins. During each of
these visits, we cover safety and emergency procedures, and have
worked to effectively communicate the goals and objectives for our
partnerships.
Who are the advisors?
Advisors are chosen from a variety of sources. We look for
individuals over the age of 23 who have strong experiences working
with teens, have participated in travel abroad and are flexible
enough to meet the demands of this program. In the past, leaders
have included YMCA staff, teachers, and social workers.
When should we get a
passport? Who is responsible for the participant’s passport?Participants
should apply for a passport as soon as they are accepted if not
before. The process takes about 6 weeks and during the summer there
may be delays depending on how late the application is made. If a
participant is not an American citizen, a visa is often required.
This also takes time and applications should be made well in advance
of travel. Copies of participant passports are kept on file and
Leaders carry an extra copy with them. In most cases, the leaders
will keep the passports locked in a safe place until needed.
What type of travel
insurance do we provide and what should the participants have?
The International YMCA will carry evacuation insurance for each of
the Global Teens Groups. This will cover the costs for evacuating a
participant or the entire group outside of the country. It is
important to remember that the participant, the parents, or the YMCA
cannot determine when an evacuation is necessary. A committee
comprised of doctors and administrators from the Travel Insurance
Company will make that determination. This practice is an insurance
industry standard, and we have not been able to find an insurance
plan that would put those controls in our hands. If participants
need to see a doctor, arrangements will be made to seek appropriate
medical attention.
If there is something that we forgot to include on the health form,
what should we do?
Send an email to
acartwright@ymcanyc.org
and describe the health
concern. We will add the information to the health record. It is
critical that we have complete heath information on every form.
This is the only form that our leaders will have with them, and we
will respond much more effectively if we have information in
advance.
Who is responsible for
medication?
Advisors will keep all medications, both over-the-counter and
prescriptions required by participants and document its use.
Can you get refills for prescriptions
easily in host countries?
No. Make sure that the participant has enough medication to last
the entire program and also some extra just in case. Bring along
the doctor’s prescription for medication and glasses, but know that
it is easier to bring extra than to attain them in a different
country.
Can a vegetarian participant be
accommodated in host countries? What about other dietary
restrictions?
Yes. Make sure that you inform us BEFORE leaving so that we can
inform home stay families and our YMCA partners to avoid any
cultural misunderstandings. This is also true for any other food
issues including allergies.
What is your alcohol policy?
The orientation period will be used for group bonding and getting
prepared for the Global Teens adventure. Group and advisor goals
and expectations will be discussed along with issues of cultural
sensitivity and responsibility. Some non-negotiable rules will be
explained, including that the use of alcohol, tobacco, illegal
drugs, or sexual activity. Participants who fail to comply by these
rules will be dismissed from the program and sent home.
How can a
participant not drink alcohol if it is part of the culture?
We have had very direct conversations with our partners regarding
our policy around alcohol, and will include our policy and our
rationale behind it in our orientations with host families. It is
our belief that cultural sharing should go both ways, and that it is
inappropriate for our participants to adopt new behaviors that would
not be appropriate in their own culture. We expect our participants
to politely decline alcohol, and focus on other opportunities to
share in the host culture.
What is your policy on
swimming?
Swimming is only permitted when there is a certified lifeguard
present.
What is
appropriate dress in host countries?
Since you will be representing the International YMCA and the USA,
it is our recommendation that participants wear clean, comfortable
clothing that is fairly modest. At least one neat pair of long
pants and a long-sleeve shirt will be needed. In Thailand, women
should not wear shorts that are above the knee, or tank
tops.
What do you recommend
for luggage?
We recommend a large to medium internal frame backpack, to the
participants. The participants will be responsible for carrying
their own luggage and it is important to pack light and test your
pack out before leaving. We also recommend a small daypack for day
hikes and possible excursions.
What type of sleeping
bag do we need?
Sleeping bags with stuff sacks are easier to pack and usually can
fit right into your backpack. There is no need to buy the top of
the line, -100 degree bag unless you plan to do some serious camping
after the Global Teens Program. A –20 degree bag will do just
fine. In Thailand and Korea we also recommend a sheet sack for
those hot and humid nights.
What
type of camera should the participants bring?
While it is important to document this extraordinary experience,
families must also remember that anything expensive tends to draw
attention and may end up broken or missing. A small camera or
disposable cameras will work just fine for this program.
Participants can bring more expensive camera, but should keep in
mind that they will be responsible for this equipment and cope with
possible losses.
Are hiking boots a good idea?
Yes. A good lightweight boot can always be useful whether it is for
day hikes or trekking around a city.
Does the program
provide bottled water?
Yes, safe drinking water will always be available to the
participants.
Do you allow participants to bring an iPod or a cell phone?
No, we feel that walkmans and cell phones will separate participants
from the rest of the group. We encourage participants to bring CDs
in order to share favorite music.
How much money should a participant bring?
What do they have to spend money on?
You may bring up to $250 in spending money. The program covers all
meals and program expenses, so all of your needs will be met during
the trip. Your spending money can be used for souvenirs, snacks or
anything extra you may wish to purchases.
Are traveler’s checks the best currency or ATM’s?
Traveler’s checks can be used in any of the destinations we travel
to. It is our recommendation that traveler’s checks be purchased in
smaller denominations. Parents/guardians should discuss spending
money with participants. At no time should extra money be sent.
Waiting for money transfers can cause delays and teaches young
people nothing about the finer art of budgeting.
How long is
the flight to each destination?
While our sites change from year to year, below is a quick list of
our recent host sites and the approximate travel time to each:
|
Hong
Kong,
Thailand, South Korea, & The Gambia |
Approximately 20 hours |
|
Ecuador
& Spain |
Approximately 7 hours |
|
Costa
Rica |
Approximately 5 hours |
|
South
Dakota |
Approximately 2 ½ hours |
What is the
communication with participants?
ll
participants will make an initial telephone call to let
parents/guardians know that they have arrived safely. After that,
we request that direct communication occur only halfway through the
trip, and the night before returning home. Based on our experience,
this is the best way to get the maximum benefit from the program.
In addition, we will communicate by email or the regular mail
system. We will also ask each participant to write home at least
once. Please remember the in case of a family emergency, the
International YMCA has a 24 hour emergency telephone system and we
can get in touch with any group member at all times.
How much
“free” time will they have in cities?
The Global Teens Program is essentially a group experience, with
structured activities that are supervised by our leaders.
Participants will be involved with group decision-making, and will
be given opportunities to join small group activities on their own
with clear parameters. Participants will also be on the “Buddy
System”. Four teens will be linked together so that if something
happens to one participant, another stays behind, and the other two
go for help.
What
is the screening process for home stay families?
Our
YMCA hosts will help us to identify families that are members of
their YMCA, or are personally known by their staff or volunteers.
Many of our home stay families have been hosting our groups year
after year, so they are very well versed in how to make our
participants feel at home.
What will they do when they are with the home stay families?
This is the part of the program that differentiates our program from
a tourist experience, where participants get to experience the daily
lives of families in another culture. Meal times, short hikes, and
personal tours of your host family’s favorite part of their
community is where you will learn the “real” culture of the
country. It is important that participants actively join in, and be
willing to make a sincere effort to try new things, especially the
language of the country you are visiting. The host family
experience will vary with each country. Sometimes participants will
stay with the families in the evenings and for breakfast and then
meet up with the entire group during the daytime periods, others
will stay with the families for the entire experience. Home stays
vary from 2-3 days or longer. It is important to note that while we
make every effort to include the home stay experience in each of our
trips, it is not always possible. Each group will however have
interactions with peers and meet groups of people in a variety of
settings in the host culture.
Do the home stay
families speak English?
That is not a requirement for the program and there will be families
that do not speak English. Since we are visiting their country it
is important for participants to try to speak the host country
language. We recommend buying a phrase book and practicing before
your arrival to camp. Each group will go over some useful phrases
helpful in to them in the countries they visit.
Do they
meet during the day on their home stay?
Global Teen Participants will get together some of the days to do
group activities. Based on past itineraries, it is reasonable to
assume that participants will get together at least every third day
during a home stay, and usually more frequently.
How many hours of community
service are there in each destination?
The length of service projects varies in each country, but our goal
is to have service projects for 5-7 days of the trip.
What are
the service projects in each destination?
The service projects for this summer are currently under
construction. We work with our partners to provide a service to the
host community that changes every year depending on the need of the
community. Some past service projects have included visiting and
cleaning orphanages in Thailand, running a summer camp program for
young children in Mexico, working with seniors in Korea, and
re-foresting in Venezuela. A more detailed description of this
summer’s service projects will be sent out in future mailings.
Will we get a detailed
itinerary?
Each participant’s parent(s) will receive a Parent Packet filled
with important information, including the itinerary, packing list,
departure/arrival procedures, and emergency contact information.
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