Travel Guidelines: Education and Culture
Below are general guidelines on Partners’ international volunteer travel program. All Partners chapters’ officers, volunteers and staff should be familiar with these guidelines. Prospective travelers should read this document before filling out the Partners Travel Application. The following sections are included in this document:
- The Purpose of Partners Volunteer Travel
- How Travelers are Selected
- How to Apply for a Travel Grant
- Traveler Responsibilities
- Partners and its Travel Agent
- Travel Grant Restrictions
1. THE PURPOSE OF PARTNERS VOLUNTEER TRAVEL
Travel Grants must address the goals and objectives of the program. For example, requests for travel exchange grants from the Education and Culture program must have purposes and objectives which fit under the Guidance for the Education and Culture program.
Travel grants are resources available to assist partnerships in educational, cultural and social development. Travel grants are requested when both sides of a partnership determine that an on-site visit is the best way to accomplish their goal.
A Partners’ travel grant for qualified professionals normally consists of economy round-trip airfare plus up to US$100 in eligible travel-related expenses. In addition, fees for required visas will be reimbursed.
2. HOW TRAVELERS ARE SELECTED
Individuals are nominated by a Partners chapter based on their qualifications, to carry out mutually agreed-on professional activities in the counterpart Partners chapter. They must be willing to travel on a volunteer basis, adhere to the established regulations regarding Partners travel, and comply with all reporting requirements upon their return home.
Travelers should also be fully committed to implementing the mutually agreed-on activities, remaining active in continuing their activities, and their participation in the partnership.
It is the responsibility of the nominating Partners chapter to make certain that the selected volunteer is professionally qualified, fully briefed on the goals and objectives of the activity as well as on other activities of the partnership.
The hosting chapter is required to provide a letter of invitation, confirmation of home stays and a day-to-day agenda of activities.
3. HOW TO APPLY FOR A TRAVEL GRANT
Step 1: Preparing to apply
Discuss with the chapter leadership its long-range plan and the availability of existing Partners resources.
Discussions regarding programs and travel grant approvals should be held two months before proposed travel dates with the local Partners chapter president and then with the hosting chapter. After this, travelers must submit applications and supporting documents to Partners of the Americas in Washington, DC, to arrive 30 days before travel. Travelers wishing to discuss details regarding airline reservations and ticketing should communicate directly with our travel agent.
Travel grant approval is subject to various criteria from funding sources as well as Partners general travel guidelines. Consult the Partners WebPage or refer to the latest Partners Resource Information and Opportunities regarding the availability and/or special conditions of travel funds for particular program areas.
Careful advance planning between sending and hosting Partners chapters can increase the likelihood of grant approval and the success of the visit.
Confirm home stay and other logistical arrangements.
Travel will be approved only for activities that are clearly defined. There must be counterpart individuals or institutions in the host chapter area designated to make local arrangements and provide board and lodging, in-country travel, general support and follow up of activities after the volunteer has left. Home stays are required to provide cultural understanding.
The prospective travelers are responsible for ensuring that their passport is up to date (valid for at least six months after travel commences) and that they have the necessary visas for country entry if required. The traveler is also responsible for any immunizations required by the country of destination.
Step 2: Submit Application and supporting documents
Prospective travelers and their Partners chapter president or executive director must complete and sign the travel grant application.
The itinerary must include a minimum stay of 10 full days in the counterpart chapter, excluding travel days.
The completed application must be approved by the nominating and the hosting Partners chapters prior to submission to the Partners Washington office.
Attach a letter of invitation from the hosting Partners chapter.
In this letter, the host chapter states its support for the visit, offers proposed dates for the visit and outlines a tentative schedule of activities, including places, institutions, and persons to be visited, and the purpose for each visit. A meeting with the traveler and chapter’s members should be included as part of the program. This information helps the traveler and sending Partners chapter to prepare--and have reasonable expectations--for the visit. Other supporting correspondence may also be attached to the travel grant application.
Send the completed application with the traveler’s curriculum vitae, letter of invitation, confirmation of home stays and agenda to the Partners Washington, D.C. office – attention: Membership Services or to the Program to Fund the Trip.
The application and supporting documents must be received by the Partners Washington, D.C. office at least one month prior to the proposed departure date to permit us to obtain most reasonable airfares and to provide time to obtain the required interviews for visas for travelers from Latin America and the Caribbean.
Step 3: Confirm Itinerary Made by Travel Agent
After Partners Approves Travel, Partners travel agent will make tentative flight reservations.
Upon receiving a completed travel grant request with documentation, including all necessary signatures, Partners of the Americas Washington Office will review it and, if finds that it meets all requirements, will notify the traveler and our travel agent of its approval.
Partners will send travelers an e-mail and/or letter informing them that their travel has been approved, and outlining the trip requirements. After approval of a grant, our travel agent will make a travel itinerary and submit it to the traveler for approval. This may not deviate from the approved dates and itinerary.
If under special circumstances, travelers have arranged their own travel, they must obtain Partners approval prior to purchasing of airline tickets if they wish the trip to be paid and expenses reimbursed by Partners of the Americas. Occasionally, travelers eligible for Partners funding escort groups in which case it is efficient for them to purchase their ticket to ensure the identical flights.
Note: Partners of the Americas purchases private insurance to cover medical costs incurred during travel.
Partners of the Americas offers “Medical Insurance Coverage for Partners Travelers” on approved Partners-funded travel at no cost to the traveler. An I.D. card will be sent to the traveler by the insurance company. There is a US$50 deductible and certain exclusions, which are explained in an information sheet which Partners sends to travelers.
4. TRAVELER RESPONSIBILITIES
A letter confirming travel authorized by Partners of the Americas will be sent to each traveler with detailed information about the traveler’s responsibilities.
To ensure that travelers receive their ticket on time and to enable Partners to get the lowest air fares, completely documented travel grant applications with all supporting documentation must be received at least 30 days in advance of the date of departure.
Approved Partners travelers agree to submit a trip report and an expense report within 30 days of their return home. Travelers failing to fulfill these reporting requirements will not be funded for further travel until they have done so nor will Partners be able to reimburse travel expenses and visa fees.
Publicity
Whenever publicity is generated as a result of an activity sponsored totally or in part by Partners of the Americas, the volunteer traveler has the responsibility of making sure that the local Partners chapter, the Partners of the Americas organization, and especially the private organization or government agency sponsoring the travel (named in the travel confirmation letter), receive due credit for their sponsorship of, and role in, the activity. Host chapters should send photos and media reports to both the sending chapter and Partners Washington office as these are invaluable in reports to members and donors.
Trip Report
Travelers should submit a completed trip report no later than 30 days after their return home.
Trip reports provide the partnership with valuable feedback about their activities and are extremely helpful as models for future activity and for public information purposes, including the
Partners newsletter. In addition, trip reports are the basis for reporting to our donors that their money has been well spent. A major part of our work at Partners of the Americas is to raise new funds and renew previous grants. We rely on feedback from volunteer travelers to make our case.
The trip report should concentrate on the impact of the experience on the traveler, the communities and institutions that they visited and those in their home area. Detailed schedules of activities carried out by the traveler may be attached to the trip report, but do not constitute a complete report.
Expense Report
Partners will reimburse authorized travel-related expenses up to US$100 and additional visa fee if the trip report and reimbursement expense form have been received by the Partners of the Americas in Washington, DC within 30 days of the date of return.
Travelers must submit this expense report (a form will be provided) itemizing those expenses incurred, with all relevant receipts attached. Partners of the Americas cannot reimburse expenses of US$25 and over without the corresponding receipt. Unless previously authorized, the following expenses are non-reimbursable, but are not limited to: excess baggage, lodging costs, entertainment, tips, gifts, passport, inoculations, traveler's checks, medical expenses, photographic supplies and equipment, telephone calls/phone cards, and automobile rentals.
5. PARTNERS AND ITS TRAVEL AGENT
Our travel agent makes tentative flight reservations for the approved travel and advises travelers by e-mail of the flights and itineraries that are booked. Any discussions or changes of flights and times are made directly between the traveler and travel agency via email or telephone. Changes from the original itinerary must be approved by the Partners Washington office. After receiving authorization by Partners of the Americas, our travel agency will reconfirm itineraries with the traveler, issue and send the ticket to the traveler.
Our travel agent is Premiere Travel Services.
Toll Free in the United States: (800) 458-8670
Outside the U.S. (and callers not using toll-free number): (703) 893-2288
Fax: (703) 893-6542
Email: Pilar Sindler Hill, Senior Account Manager, psindler@premieretravel.com
Melissa Negri, Account Manager, melissa@premieretravel.com
Website: www.premieretravel.com
24-hour Emergency Service- Toll Free: (888) 344-5137 OR (303) 801-2174
Personal Travel: If, for personal reasons, travelers wishing to go to places other than those on the authorized Partners itinerary either before or after completing the required 10-days in the designated counterpart chapter area, they may book and must pay for those reservations and additional costs directly through our travel agent by major credit card only.
Extra charges incurred due to cancellation or changes for personal reasons are the responsibility of the traveler and must be paid to the Partners travel agent in advance of travel.
6. TRAVEL GRANT RESTRICTIONS
Due to limited resources, specific grant restrictions or other reasons, Partners of the Americas cannot approve travel:
- For more than one traveler for a given purpose. If two Partners-sponsored travelers travel together, each traveler must have an individual objective and a separate, clearly identifiable program.
- For transactions of business for the traveler's personal gain.
- For spouses, significant others or other immediate relatives traveling concurrently.
- For the sole purpose of attending professional conferences or conventions.
- For less than 10 days in the chapter, not including the days of travel. If extenuating circumstances (not personal convenience) arise, shorter periods may be considered by the Partners Washington Office.
- For research activities.
- For students.
- For travel which has already taken place, or which has been requested without a completed application.
- For persons living in, or about to move to a state or country outside of the relevant Partners chapter.
- For a trip for which the traveler has not sent the signed Travel Agreement page (page 5) of the travel application before the date of departure.
- For persons who still have not submitted all trip reports from previous Partners-sponsored trips.
- For Partners business during Carnival or holiday seasons (Christmas, New Year's, Thanksgiving, Easter) except in those cases where it is clearly demonstrated that substantive and cooperative Partners activities will be conducted.
- For more than one trip by the same person to his/her Partner area in a given 12-month period.
- For volunteers from chapters that have not paid their annual membership dues or have not been rechartered.
- For travel to a Partners Convention if the applicant was funded the year before to travel to the Convention and to make a Partnership visit.
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