Delegation Reports

As of right now, according to the report we currently have 14 of our 22 delegates completed with all on-line learning and Certification Quizzes. These are well worth your time to complete as well as the Certification Quizzes. There is a lot of good information in both, possibly some that has not been covered in our meetings. Next week is our last general meeting and we still have quite a few items to bring to a closure. This is our last big push to get our Tasks and Assignments completed.

You will be receiving another update of Tasks and Assignments soon. Please take a look at items that still might be missing.

Air Itinerary Information

The air itinerary information has been received by the Waterloo Delegation. Of course we do not yet have ours posted and neither does Sharon Bartlett who is with the Southeast delegation. We continue to be excited to see our itinerary posted as well as our daily activities. It could be any day.

I would put the itinerary of the Waterloo delegation in here but there is no reason to believe that we will be leaving with them from the Cedar Rapids airport. My guess is we will not meet up with them or maybe not even the other delegation until we get to Chicago. Then we will get on the international flight together.

Are you getting excited yet??????

Be prepared for some possible layover times coming and going!!!!!!!!!! Card games, books, music, etc. :)

Hand Warmer Pack

Just wanted to let everyone know that Wall Mart has Hand warmer packs on sale now. The weather can be cool in the evening in some of the places we will be going. On the itinerary from last summer there was an outside overnight encampment outside of a castle in pavilions. It states not to forget warm clothes. You may need warmer clothes while we are this part of our journey. Now I am not talking winter parkas but maybe a pair of long underwear, lightweight. Just wanted to let everyone know the availability of these warmers. :)

Weather in Vienna in June

With June, proper summer starts in Vienna: Temperatures rise in a manner that correlates with the number of tourists that populate the city. The average daily maximum temperature reaches an impressive 22 degrees Celsius (71 degrees F.) and the minimum does not go below 14 degrees (57 degrees F). There can even be periods that are hot and humid. With an average of eight hours of sunshine per day, June hits the record mark in this respect.

°F to °C	Deduct 32, then multiply by 5, then divide by 9
°C to °F	Multiply by 9, then divide by 5, then add 32

Tasks & Assignments Orientation Meeting #4

1. Any missing assignments (see Tasks & Assignment Sheet)

• Will be sent out early the week of March 28th

2. Journal Article #2

• List of topics is on the Google Site

3. Please bring your journal with you.

4. T-Shirt Design for t-shirt design contest.

5. Please be prepared to pay for t-shirt.

• Intended to be distributed at the BonVoyage gathering

6. Presentation, if you are a presenter at the April meeting.

7. Volunteer hours unless e-mailed to Sue Witte.

8. One good question for Scott Olson, written in your journal.

9. Phone Tree printed off Google site - for another trial run of our phone tree

• Wait and print it off close to the meeting. We do not have it updated as of yet.

10. Conversion Money to give to Pauline Herb

Keep checking this spot. Updated 3.23.2011

Project Fair Presentations! March Meeting/April Meeting

The presentations were great at our last meeting. They certainly exceeded my goal, exactly what I wanted. The topics were appropriate and to the point. Good information for us to think about before our journey. I know that the rest of them will be excellent as well. I will be sending note out to those that presented at the last meeting. Thanks for blazing the trail. :)

I have the following Ambassadors up for presentation at our next meeting:

1. Whitney Christiansen

2. Brittany Clark

3. Lilian Coelho

4. Ryan Cole

5. Emily Dye

6. Sam Hansen

7. Brennyn Hawbaker

8. Alexis Heims

9. Alex Herb

10.Natoshia Kennedy

11.Curtis Litow

12.Oskar Martin

13.Toni Martins

14.David Mathis

15.Lean Miller

16.Carissa Siddell

17.Greg Sloan

18.Mitchell Witte

See you there.

Service Hours

We are continually looking for those service hours. Please do not forget that we are attempting to clock (6) hours per delegate. Sue Witte is taking those hours and has created a method of keeping track of hours we are contributing in service.

I just filled out my form electronically and sent it off to her. This may be the way you might want to do it as opposed to trying to get it done at our meetings, there is so much other stuff going on sometime it is easy to not get done.

You can find the service hours form on Google Sites. Fill it out, save as _____, and then add as attachment to an e-mail. Quick and easy.

Sue's e-mail is: suzanne-witte@uiowa.edu

Thanks all. We will hopefully have some sort of TOTAL number of hours we have spent in service so far and see how far we still have to go.... :)

European Discovery Itinerary (2010)

The itinerary for the 2010 journey has been posted on the Google sites: https://sites.google.com/site/austriatoswitzerland/.

Keep in mind that this is last year's journey so our journey will not necessarily be the same but I am sure there will be many similarities. Enjoy the excitement as we move in on our travel date. T - minus 80 days! :)

This will also be posted on our FACEBOOK Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/People-to-People-Cedar-Rapids/175121802525255

Updated Response to Japan Crisis

March 16, 2011 Not sure if this was anything that our Ambassadors received but thought it is good information. rh Dear Ambassador family, With the uncertain conditions plaguing Japan in the wake of last week's earthquake, we have determined that we will not be sending 25 delegations of Student Ambassadors to Japan this summer as originally planned. The reports from our friends and partners in Japan confirm what you're seeing in the news—that the challenges of shoring up nuclear reactors and caring for thousands of newly homeless citizens will be the primary focus of the nation for the foreseeable future. All Japan delegations will be reassigned to another destination. Our dedicated travel team and our experienced partners overseas are working hard to arrange new Student Ambassador experiences in other parts of the world. New home stays, service projects, school visits, and unique-access activities are being scheduled as we speak. We are proud to have the global resources to still be able to provide these students with a life-changing adventure in 2011. Our hearts go out to the Japanese people. Their strength and resilience is truly amazing, and I trust that we will be able to offer Ambassadors another opportunity to experience this beautiful country for themselves in 2012. Thank you for working to build friendship and understanding all over the world. It's events like this prove the true value of those relationships. Peg Thomas President, People to People Ambassador Programs

March 14, 2011 Dear Ambassador family, Like you, I have been saddened by the devastation that struck Japan last week after the 8.9 earthquake. We are hearing from our friends and contacts in Japan, and much of the news is encouraging. Our program partners have escaped without harm. Families who host our Ambassadors in the south of Japan have also been spared in the destruction. We continue to monitor events as they unfold, including rolling blackouts, the threat of damage to nuclear reactors, and the possibility of aftershocks. (Mike Bowers' safety blog will supply you with regular updates about what's happening in Japan.) With our proven experience in navigating natural disasters all over the globe, we know that the best course is to gather as much information as we can before we declare an area safe for our students. We will have made an informed decision about this summer's programs to Japan and be ready to share a concrete plan with students, leaders, and families by April 1. There are three main things you should know about the planned programs to Japan: We will do whatever is necessary to keep our participants safe. We know that infrastructure is in place to run the programs safely because our destinations are concentrated south of the impact zone, but if we discover any concerns for student safety, we will not hesitate to re-route all Japan delegations to other countries for their Student Ambassador adventures. Our Ambassadors and their families will not be asked to absorb any additional costs or surrender program quality. While you wait with us for the April 1 decision, your withdrawal penalties will be frozen where they are. And of course if any activities are changed, they will be replaced with ones of comparable value. We will base our decision on good information and strong connections. Our intelligence comes from high-level sources like the U.S. State Department, the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC), the Federal Aviation Administration, and the National Transportation Safety Board, as well as our friends who are in Japan. We will draw on all of this information in evaluating the safety of the programs this summer. It is my sincere hope that we will be in a position to travel to Japan this year as planned and lend the benefit of our community-service hours to the Japanese people, acting as true Ambassadors of peace. Thank you for watching and waiting with us. Please join me in keeping the people of Japan in your thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks. Peg Thomas President, People to People Ambassador Programs

Fantastic News!!!! Task and Jobs Completed

***We have 14 of our 23 delegates that have completed the on-line learning modules. We are getting close. Keep up the great work.

***We have 23 out of 23 Shirt sizes on-line!!!!!! Kudos.

***We are standing at 22 out of 23 Emergency sheets. Almost there!

***We are at 23 out of 23 Health Forms!!! Fantastic!

***We are 22 out of 23 Passport No. entered on line, one is still waiting for their passport, to arrive any day. Very, Very Close on this one. :)

***We have sent in 20 out of 23 Passport Copies to the home office. 3 to go!!! Our goal is March 26th to have this done at least for two of the three we can get.

Japan Information

I thought that everyone might like to know the following information regarding delegations going to Japan this summer for their journey. This note and other information was sent to all leaders and families of ambassadors heading to Japan next summer. It is just for your information. In case some things may be a bit slow getting handled this may be some of the issue. I can only imagine the work that lies ahead to reassign that many delegates.

Thanks for your understanding.

With the uncertain conditions plaguing Japan in the wake of last week’s earthquake, we have determined that we will not be sending the 25 delegations of Student Ambassadors to Japan this summer as originally planned. The reports from our friends and partners in Japan confirm what you’re seeing in the news—that the challenges of shoring up nuclear reactors and caring for thousands of newly homeless citizens will be the primary focus of the nation for the foreseeable future.

All 25 delegations will be reassigned to another destination. Our dedicated travel team and our experienced partners overseas are working hard to arrange your Student Ambassador experience in another part of the world. New home stays, service projects, school visits, and unique-access activities are being scheduled for you as we speak. We are proud to have the global resources to still be able to provide you and your students with a life-changing adventure in 2011.

Hotels Safety

Be Smart:

• Know the name and address of each hotel you stay in. Include a section in your travel journal to write down this information.
• Never give your hotel room number to local citizens.
• Open the door only after you are sure that you know the person on the other side.
• Use a travel alarm clock. You can't rely on wake-up calls or hotel alarms.
• Room service is expensive and brings a stranger to your door. Avoid room service.

Be Cautious:

• Watch your luggage at all times, even in the lobby.
• Keep your door locked at all times, especially when you are in the room.
• Every time you leave the room, lock your belongings in your luggage, and bring all valuables with you.

Be Courteous:

• Respect elders. Allow others to enter elevators and rooms first.
• Keep the noise level down. Close door softly.
• Speak quietly in the halls. Other guests may be sleeping.
• Walk, don't run!
• There must be absolutely no throwing of objects or shouting from windows/balconies, and there must be no moving from balcony to balcony or standing on furniture.
• Utilize all hotels properly for their intended use.

Be Clean:

• Check your room carefully immediately upon arrival. Report any damage to both the leaders and the front desk. You will be responsible for any damage to your room. Payment will be on the spot!
• Laundry is to be hung up in the bathroom only.

Be a Good Ambassador:

• Respect all rights of guests.
• Take a "souvenir" from a hotel is considered stealing.
• Take the stairs - you're young and healthy.
• Males are never permitted in a female's room, nor are females ever permitted in male rooms. Use the social norm of the hotel for gatherings. Ask your leader for suggestions regarding locations for group gatherings if non appear available.
• Swimsuits may be worn only in hotel rooms, or at the pool, not in hallways or lobbies. No bare feet out of your room.

Staying Healthy on Program

This may be a repeat of something published earlier but it doesn't hurt to mention these things again.

Medications:

• You, not your leaders, will be responsible for administering any medications you need.
• Keep any medication you need with you in your carry-on, not in checked luggage, in case it gets lost.
• Don't stop medication you take regularly just prior to travel or during travel.
• If you are prone to headaches or upset stomach, keep medication for these ailments with you.

Dehydration:

• Dehydration is the most common health condition during the program, especially if your itinerary includes hot regions.
• It's important for you to pay attention to how much water you are drinking - drink lots of it!
• Keep water bottle with you at all times. Find out ahead of time if tap water is safe for each country.
• It it is, refill your water bottle regularly. If tap water is not safe, be prepared with some extra money to buy bottled water if you need to.
• Water will be provided with meals. Always make a point of drinking a glass (or two or three, or four) of water at meals.
• Avoid caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea or soda. They can make dehydration worse.

Eating Well

• Sometimes travel can affect the appetite. You may not feel hungry or might eat less than usual because you aren't used to different kinds of foods.
• To stay healthy, you need to eat well, even if you find you don't feel hungry at meal times.
• Look at meal times as nourishment times; ask yourself what you can put in your body to keep your energy up.
• Try to eat a balanced diet of protein-rich foods as well as whole-grain bread, pasta or rice, and fruits and vegetables.

Homesickness

• Homesickness is a natural response to being away from home for any length of time.
• Always remind yourself that homesickness passes. You will usually feel better the next morning.
• Participate in all activities; the more fun you have, the less time you will have to feel homesick.
• Reach out to others in your delegation; you're probably not the only one who is homesick.
• Talk to your leaders; they are there to support you.
• Avoid calling home; calling home makes homesickness worse.

BonVoyage/Reunion Committee

At this time we only have one individual working on both of these committees. At lease that is to my knowledge. Maybe there are other people but I am not aware of them at this time. Realistically one person is probably not enough to get these two events off the ground. That does not mean that Scott Kennedy is not fully capable of making decisions, etc. to get things going but the more parents that we have involved with either one of these committees the better.

If anyone might be interested in becoming a part of either/both of these committees please let me know. Thank you. I just sent Scott some information on Reunion ideas.

I am certainly willing to help plan and set the agenda for either or both of these meetings but just need a bit of help with place, eats, etc.

Thanks. Roger

Journal Assignment #2

Journal Assignment #2:

Select from the following recommended journal prompts:

• Describe life in your hometown. Note all details as if you were a foreigner visiting and every detail was new to you.
• Describe in detail the community service project you did or one of them. What happened? What did you learn? How did this prepare you for your role as a Student Ambassador?
• Describe in detail your school community.
• Describe in detail your home or room.
• Describe in detail your favorite place.

Assignments & Tasks April 10th Orientation Meeting

Assignments & Tasks April:

• Loose Ends

• Any missing assignments, tasks, etc.

• Presentations
• Journal Assignment # 2

• See following page:

• Journal Assignments #1 & #2 will be checked for completion in Huddle Groups. Will be read at beginning of journey!

Committee Reports - Marach 13th Meeting

Committee Reports:

(Will be updated in near future)

• Food Committee
• Phone Tree Committee
• Activity Booklet
• Secret Project
• Fundraising
• Communications –
• BonVoyage
• Reunion (TBA)
• Photography

• Official Visit: Guest Speaker Tyler Olson, April Meeting, 1:00

• Service Learning

One Less Ambassador

I am sad to have to inform everyone that we will not be having Michelle Grauberger traveling with us next summer on our journey. She had some things come up and so unfortunately she will not be on our journey. We wish her the best and hope that she may be able to participate sometime in the future.

Greg and Leah, please note that your numbers have changed in our huddle group. :) Now we stand at 11 in Roger's Angels.

Money Matter

Tips:

• Make a budget and follow it! This will help avoid spending all of your money in the first couple of days.
• Carry any money or ATM/credit cards with you at all times.
• Cary in a waist belt or neck pouch.
• Think twice about using traveler's checks on the program. They aren't always accepted and traveling to a bank to cash them is time-consuming and problematic.

Cash:

• Carry a small amount of U.S. Currency ($20.00) for use at domestic airports.
• Carry some cash for small purchases and for cases where credit cards aren't accepted.

Cards:

• Use ATM cards and credit cards instead of carrying large amounts of cash.
• Check with your local bank about the use of your ATM card in the countries to which you'll be traveling.
• Memorize your four-digit pin.
• Remember that withdrawing cash from an ATM in a foreign country can cost from $2 to $5. Take a little more out instead of needing to go back often.

Foreign Currency:

• You can order foreign currency ahead of time through the OnBoard site. Of course Mrs. Herb, Alex Herb's mother is helping us with the conversion process. If you would like to handle it at your own bank that is fine. I believe that she will continue to accept money for conversion at our April meeting and then be able to get it to our delegates at the BonVoyage meeting.
• Avoid exchanging currency; it takes time and costs money
• Find the most current exchange rate at xe.com

Do NOT:

• Leave money in your room or on the motor coach.
• Carry all of your money in one place.
• Carry a wallet in your back pocket.
• Expect money to be wired to you. The program schedule does not allow for picking up money.
• Spend all your money the first few days of the program.

Certifications/Explore Before You Go On-Line Curriculum

This information has been listed before but just in case someone does not know how to get to the information regarding on-line learning here it is:

Certification Quizzes:

1). Log into the OnBoard site

2) Go to Learning Center (bar across the top)

3) Go to Certification

4) Take Quiz 1, 2 and 3

Country Specific (Explore Before You Go)

1) Log into OnBoard site

2) Go to Learning Center

3) Go to Destination Learning

4) Go to Explore Before You Go

5) Watch the video on Austria, France, and Italy. Switzerland does not have an on-line learning module.

6) At the bottom are Quizzes on each of the destination countries except Switzerland.

Enjoy! It is good information.

Top Priorities

Items that you should move to the top of your things to do in the next week if you have not already addressed them!!! :) It is the Ceasar in me that is making me do this.

1. Complete your t-shirt design, of course it can be brought to the April meeting as well.
2. Keep/start working the on-line quizzes.
3. Complete your presentation if you will be presenting at the March meeting.
4. Make sure your passport information on-line is complete and that you have given copies of passport or sent them to Roger/providing you have your passport.
5. Check the blog posting to make sure you have signed up for a presentation date. If you do not find your name and you do not let me know I will assume that you will be presenting at the last meeting, April 10th. If you would want to present at the March 13th meeting I would appreciate knowing that I can set aside time for it.

Wow!

We have 19 of 24 delegates completing work on their on-line quizzes. Keep it up!!!!! No much more time left. Our travel time will come sooner than you think. :)

New Leader Assigned

Congratulations Tracy Halstead!!!

Tracy was just formally assigned as the second leader on the European Discovery Program. Now I can officially put her to work.......:) Not that she wasn't already.