Informational Packet Costa Rica Trip. April 9-17, 2016

Transcription

1 Informational Packet Costa Rica Trip April 9-17, 2016 Courts for Kids : PO Box , Vancouver, WA 98687: : derek@courtsforkids.org:

2 Welcome to Courts for Kids. Most likely, this is your first trip with our organiza on and we are confident that this trip will impact you in ways you cannot even imagine. We work closely with our incountry partner to make sure your basic needs are met, so we can all focus on the task at hand, crea ng a mul -purpose sports court with the ini a ve, help and support of the community. A sports court is a great project because it requires the help of many community members, provides plenty of work for everyone, and becomes an asset that provides not only safe places for children to play, but also various other benefits. The hard work of our team will be a great bridge between us and the community and we will develop a mutual respect that will help provide inroads into a rich crosscultural experience and first-hand insight into a developing world community. We are looking for great cultural ambassadors, so please only sign up for this trip if you are willing to step outside of your comfort zone. You will need to work hard, you will be ea ng different foods, sleeping and bathing in less comfortable environments. But, as they say, if you want to live like you re in America, why leave! Most importantly, we ask that you enter into this with a great sense of humility. We want you to be eager to learn and grow in this process as we are entering into a different culture with different values and norms. We want you be quick to listen and slow to speak. We will not be giving you a detailed i nerary as things are very prone to change with this sort of construc on project. But your me will be spent working on the court, taking part in various cultural ac- vi es and doing a camp on the court when it is all finished. Please look through this informa onal packet and feel free to contact me with any ques ons you may have. If you choose to go, I can almost guarantee you will look back on this trip as a life-changing experience. You will grow so much in a week it will make you wish you could stay for longer. In fact, you will probably say this was the best week of your year, maybe life! Hope you can come! Derek Nesland President Courts for Kids

3 Site Details Costa Rica is situated in Central America, in between Nicaragua and Panama. It is widely known in the United States as a popular tourist des na on due to the rainforests, volcanoes, beaches and other natural beauty. The Ticos (How Costa Ricans refer to themselves) are gracious, hospitable and carry a laid back vibe, known as Pura Vida. The country has a long-term stable democracy and no military. It has been a staunch ally of the US and a major recipient of US aid. Most American travelers stay in hotels, eco-resorts or luxury villas. They see the tourist side to Costa Rica, which is not the en re country. There are many communi es, predominately rural, that s ll suffer from various degrees of poverty. It is in some of these communi es that Courts for Kids has built almost 20 courts since We will choose your specific community in the fall. We are currently ve ng the applica ons and ensuring local sustainability and ownership. You will be staying in the heart of the community, as we strive to take on an equal status rela onship with local community members. Please be prepared to 'rough it,' which will most likely mean sleeping on a ma ress on the floor and possibly taking bucket baths instead of showers. The building will locked and your belongings will be safe; however, we s ll will recommend you not to bring any valuables. You will be ea ng food prepared by Tica mothers which will ensure a truly authen c ea ng experience! Courts for Kids makes your safety our number one priority. Being in a community with strong local awareness and ownership of the project will provide an en re town of people who will be personally invested in the safety of the team. We will have transporta on available to medical facili es in the case of injuries and we also will cover all volunteers under our travel insurance policy which will provide evacua on out of the country in a worst case scenario.

4 Trip Costs Total trip cost per person= $2,000 The price includes airfare, food, lodging, all transportation, travel insurance and special activities. It also includes a significant portion of the court construction materials (cement, sand, gravel, etc.) It does not include- passport, immunizations, food at airports and spending money for things like souvenirs, calling cards. *All donations are non-refundable. If you raise/donate more than the above amount, you can choose to apply the excess to your passport or immunization costs, the court construction costs, sports equipment, the balance of another trip participant or towards Courts for Kids in general. Flight I nerary Flight Itinerary United Airlines Date Flight # Airport Dep. Airport Arrival 4/916 UA 1121 SEA 8:15 am Houston 2:32 pm 4/9/16 UA 1565 Houston 5:40 pm San Jose, CR 8:27 pm 4/17/16 UA 1269 San Jose 11:02 am Houston 3:57 pm 4/17/16 UA 1977 Houston 5:35 pm Seattle 8:20 pm *You will be eligible for frequent flier miles on United. To enroll, go to

5 Trip Checklist 1. Passport - Make sure you have a passport that will not expire before October 16, If you need a passport, go to the nearest post office for assistance. In order to avoid the headache and stress, make sure you get your passport on time, do it ASAP. 2. Payments - Complete this registration process and submit your non-refundable deposit of $200 ASAP to reserve your spot (pay online by credit card, bank transfer or turn in a check). The deposit will go towards the total cost. Amounts Due: Turn in your deposit of $200 ASAP Turn in the first amount of $600 by October 15, 2015 Turn in the second amount of $600 by December 15, 2015 Turn in the final amount of $600 by February 15, 2015 * All donations are non-refundable unless the entire project is canceled. 3. Vaccinations - The recommended vaccinations for travel to Costa Rica according to the Center for Disease Control are the following (keep in mind these are recommended, not required. Check with your local doctor and make the decision best for you): Routine (DPT, MMR, Polio) (recommended for ALL travelers) Hepatitis A (recommended for MOST travelers) Typhoid (recommended for MOST travelers) Hepatitis B (recommended for SOME travelers) Addi onal Info Social Guidelines Each participant will agree to abide by Courts for Kids code of conduct, which includes no drugs or alcohol. For the safety of the participants, our relationship with the community, as well as the reputation of all organizations and institutions involved, we have a zero tolerance policy. Courts for Kids Representative A representative from Courts for Kids will accompany the team and facilitate trip logistics. Questions/concerns Please do not hesitate to contact Derek with any questions regarding the trip. Contact information is found on the cover page.

6 Sign-up form To ensure your spot on our Kamiak Costa Rica trip, please return this form with a $200 nonrefundable deposit made out to Courts for Kids that will go towards your trip costs to: Coach Alex Lee Name (IMPORTANT spelling must match your passport/birth certificate including middle name (s)) Secondary (Parent s if a minor) Phone Address City State Zip Date of Birth High School and grade Emergency Contact Name Emergency Contact Number By signing below, I understand that in order to participate on this trip, the following are requirements: Submitting trip payments on due dates, securing passport and necessary immunizations. Signing a release of liability form prior to trip (To view the verbiage of the form, please contact Courts for Kids). Attend mandatory pre-trip training(s). Also adults 18 years or older will be subject to a criminal and sex offender background check. Signature of participant