Health Form

When you receive your welcome package from People to People, one of the items you’ll find in the three-ring binder is a blue booklet entitled “Student Protocol.” Inside that booklet you’ll find the “2008 STUDENT AMBASSADOR FORMS: HEALTH FORM." Please take a moment to complete this form right away, as I must collect all of the forms by January.

Please answer all of the questions carefully. The form is NOT used as part of the selection process. It is only used to ensure your student’s health and safety on the program. Failure to properly disclose any information on the form may hamper or delay proper medical attention while we are on the program. For example, I’ve had students lose their medications, and not having a list of medications taken by the student hindered their ability to replace them.

You may bring the form to our first meeting in January, or mail the completed form to me at:

Charles Hall
8019 33rd St NW
Gig Harbor, WA 98335

Thank you for helping us with this all important information! If you have any questions, please email me at charleshall@yahoo.com.

Fund Raising tips

Just a couple of tips on raising funds for your adventure. Remember, when you ask for something, create value for the person you are asking. For example, if you were asking a group to help sponser your trip, explain that you would give them a special presentation about what you learned when you return. You might even prepare them a meal, or put together a cookbook of recipies from your travels.

Also, remember that friends and family members who might not be able to help you financially with their money, might be able to give you assistance in a fund raising activity. For example, they might not be able to make a cash donation, but might be willing to bake some goodies for a bake sale, or help wash cars at a car wash. By the way, feel free to ask me for advice on the best time to have a car wash, and some reasons why a "Free" car wash might make you even more money.

Remember there are some prime babysitting opportunities coming up soon. Many families with young children would really appreciate the opportunity to do some Christmas shopping without their children. Consider taking in a group on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon! Also, holiday parties and New Years Eve celebrations provide opportunities for babysitting.

There are a lot more tips for fund raising in your information packet. Just remember to be creative!

Louvre

We'll be spending some time at one of the most famous art museums in the world, the Louvre. I can guarantee we won't see everything there is to see there. I've been many times, and still haven't seen it all. In fact, I've been told that if you spent just 30 seconds looking at each piece of artwork at the Louvre, it would still take you three weeks to see everything! However, you will see some fantastic pieces, that I can assure you. In the mean time, you may find this link to the musuem interesting:http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?bmLocale=en

Money

Yes, you'll want to spend some money while on the program. The question is, in what form?France, Italy, and Greece use the European currency called the Euro. You'll want to have some before you leave. If you or your parents bank with a commercial bank, such as Key Bank or Columbia, they provide foreign exchange services free of charge to their customers. Credit Unions do not provide that service, in which case you may need to visit a bank and pay a fee.

In either case, you'll want to have some cash when we land at the airport. Yes, you could use an ATM as soon as we arrive, but that means taking the time to find one when everybody in the group is excited to get started on our adventure! Not everyone accepts credit cards, and in Europe it is very common that shops will demand a minimum purchase amount, say 5 or 10 Euros, before they'll take your "plastic." That's because their bank charges them a fee for providing the service, typically 1-3%. I've seen students buy $10.00 worth of junk food at convenience stores, when all they wanted was a Coke, simply because they didn't have any cash and had to use a card.

If you don't have your own credit card, speak with your parents about "Visa Buxx." It is very similar to a credit card, and allows your parents back home to give you more money. You can also use a Visa or Mastercard logo debit card tied to your bank account. Check with your bank about this. For more information, here is a link to Visa Buxx: http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/prepaid/visa_buxx.html

One final word about debit and credit cards: please call your financial institution before you leave, and let them know where and when you are going and that you plan to use your card. Card issuers are very concerned about credit card theft, and often will refuse to let a merchant process a transaction if the use is outside the normal pattern. As I doubt you use your card in Europe on a frequent basis, it might not be accepted.

Please don't take traveler's checks. Yes, they are secure. However, if you do lose them, it takes time to get replacements, usually a day or two. Plus, you need to make arrangments to meet with the representative to obtain your replacements. More importantly, hardly anybody in Europe accepts them, which means you have to take time to go to a bank, stand in line, and cash your traveler's checks. That's time you should be spending experiencing Europe! For the same reason, please don't take only US dollars; you'll also have to exchange those. How much money to take is an individual matter. All of our meals are covered on the trip, but you'll probably want extras for a soda or ice cream cone occasionally. You'll also want to buy some souvenirs for you and your friends and family. Most students typically consider $25 per day as an average.

For more information on Euros, check out this site: http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/euro/our_currency_en.htm
It has links to images of the various notes and coins, so you can practice getting used to what they look like.

How much is a Euro in dollars? Here is a link to a currency converter:http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=1&from=USD&to=EUR&submit=Convert

Mona Lisa

Probably one of the most famous paintings in the world, the Mona Lisa, is one of the works of art we are scheduled to see on our trip. There is some new information about waht makes the painting so unique, especially her smile. Check out this article, 25 Secrets of Mona Lisa Revealed.

Eiffel Tower

During the interviews, many of you told us you were really looking forward to seeing the Eiffel Tower. Want to see a live shot of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame (no, not the one with the football team), or the Champs Elysees? Check out this site:http://www.paris-live.com/

Passports

You will need a passport for this trip, and with the new requirements for passports it may take quite some time to obtain one. Accordingly, please take care of this right away! Here are some links you might find handy:

The State Department issues passports, and here is their passports home page:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html
There are links on the page describing where to go, what you'll need (pictures, birth certificate, etc.), and much more. And yes, you can apply in person, with an appointment.

If you are under age 14 you will need to have a notorized parent permission form. Here is a link to that form:
http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds3053/ds3053_846.html

Parents: if you do not have a passport, you might want to have your own passport anyway, just in case something were to happen to your son or daughter. If you wanted to travel overseas to be with them, you would need a passport. I've lead many student trips overseas, and have never ever had a parent need this, but just in case...

Welcome!

This blog site is designed for use by the Kitsap/Pierce Middle School People to People Student Ambassador delegation heading to Europe in summer 2008. For more information on the program, please follow this link:

http://www.studentambassadors.org/students-programs-details-tj.asp

For information on last year's trip to Europe, follow this link:

http://exploringwesterneurope2007.blogspot.com/

As we prepare for our adventure, more details will be posted, so keep checking back!