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How does Me to We ensure the safety of trip participants?Top
Safety of our participants is the first priority for all trips. All trip facilitators are First Aid and CPR certified, and trained in standard emergency procedures. Lead facilitators also have significant travel experience and are familiar with the locations they will visit.
Me to We Trips works closely with trusted on-the-ground staff and in-country partners. Our partners speak the local language and accompany the group on selected excursions.
All accommodations are secure within reason and have access to medical facilities. Western-style hospitals are available near most sites, and more remote destinations have airlift evacuation plans in place in case of a serious medical emergency. All participants must visit a travel doctor for his or her recommended immunizations at least six weeks before departure.
While trips are in progress, lead facilitators and our trips director in Canada carry emergency contact and medical information for all participants, and maintain frequent contact.
We will contact parents immediately if there are any matters of concern, and have a 24-hour cell phone in use for emergencies only: 1.416.526.8450.
Any further questions about safety procedures may be directed to The Director of International Trips at trips@metowe.com.
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Who can go on a Me to We trip?Top
Me to We Trips welcomes participants from all over the world.
Our sign-up trips are focused on youth leadership and are limited to participants 21 and under. We also have university trips for young adults between the ages of 18-26. School groups are encouraged to arrange trips for groups of 10 or more. And we welcome adults to organize trips to the Kenya School of the Savannah with their company, family, or association.
As a minimum age (school groups excluded) we recommend that participants be 13 years of age for the Arizona trip, and 14 for the Kenya, India, Ecuador or China trips.
Younger participants who would like to get involved with Me to We before embarking on an overseas trip should look into attending the Take Action! Academy, a week-long leadership camp in Toronto, Ontario, Vancouver, B.C., Sackville, New Brunswick, or in Beijing, China.
Applications from people outside these age ranges will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
School groups of all levels (no age requirement) are welcome to organize trips to Kenya, China, Ecuador, India and Arizona. These trips can be of any length, and we work closely with groups to tailor our programs to their specific needs. To book a school group trip, please contact trips@metowe.com.
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What kind of volunteer experience can I expect?Top
Participants spend a significant amount of time at their volunteer placements, which may include building a school, volunteering in an orphanage or hospice, teaching English, or a number of other activities. The nature of volunteer placements, number of hours spent volunteering, and number of people at a given placement vary from trip to trip.
Volunteering is only one component of the trip; the rest of your time will be dedicated to leadership training and cultural experiences.
Please notify your facilitator at the start of the trip if you would like him or her to track or certify volunteer hours for school graduation requirements or extra-curricular award programs.
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What do you mean by leadership training?Top
Me to We trips include a number of leadership training sessions on effective public speaking, teambuilding, or fundraising that will help participants build their knowledge base to facilitate their world-changing efforts.
Most trips include an end-of-trip retreat where participants can reflect on their experience, assemble action plans, and fully develop the skills they need to make change in their schools and communities.
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Do you offer leadership training in Canada and the United States as well?Top
Yes! Me to We Leadership holds the annual Take Action! Academy, a leadership academy in Toronto, Ontario, Canada held during the second week of August. There is also an annual academy in Vancouver, B.C., hosted by a local secondary school.
The Academy is a week-long camp for North American youth aged 8-21 to gather and share their ideas and passions for addressing issues they care about. The Academy is interactive and focused on leadership development and long-term learning.
Me to We can also come to your school and host a program for students tailored to their specific leadership needs.
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What is the cost of your sign-up trips for 2010?Top
All costs are in US Dollars.
Kenya, India & China - $4,995
Ecuador - $3,595
Arizona - $2300* Cost does not include travel to/from Tucson, AZ
Please note that this does not include: spending money, visas, immunizations, transportation to and from originating airport, passport/consular related costs or travel insurance.
Costs above do include: all in-country transportation, 24 hour facilitation team, accommodations and excursions, all meals and purified drinking water during trip, and flights from originating airport (except for Arizona trip).
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Do you provide any scholarships?Top
Yes we do.
The loss of Joe Opatowski, our mentor, brother, friend and colleague, is one of the greatest hardships that we have ever had to face. We lost an amazing world leader. Among Joe Opatowski’s many, many dreams was a scholarship fund to provide accessible opportunities for young people to volunteer overseas, learn from new friends around the world, explore their leadership potential and realize their dreams. We carry on Joe’s love by making these dreams a reality!
The goal of Free The Children and Me to We is to keep Joe’s legacy alive through a scholarship fund. The Scholarship fund will enable youth who would not otherwise be able to participate in the Me to We annual Take Action! Academy and international volunteer trips. These programs were very important to Joe as they equip youth with the tools they require to be the leaders of today.
Free The Children and Me to We, like Joe, believe that education plays a large role in solving the problems that exist in the world today. We hope that you will help us to realize Joe’s dream. Please e-mail scholarship@metowe.com for any further information or for an application package.
Please note registration is now closed for 2009.
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Can I fly separately from the group?Top
We prefer, and highly recommend, that you travel with the group from Toronto, but if you will be travelling from outside the United States or Canada, you may make your own travel arrangements and meet up with the group at the destination city.
Volunteer & Leadership Arizona participants need to arrange their own transportation to Tucson, Arizona. However, transportation from the Tucson airport to the Wind-Song Center will be provided.
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Should I bring an iPod/expensive camera, etc?Top
A good rule of thumb: bring only what you can stand to lose. You must take full responsibility for your items and we will not inconvenience the group if anything gets lost.
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Can I bring gifts for the kids?Top
Please do not bring candy or toys to give away as presents for any Me to We overseas trip. Me to We and Free the Children work together in solidarity with our partner communities, and request that our trip participants also carry on this relationship of respect. We work to be as equitable as we can with communities, and strive not to create conflict or the feeling of want. That is why we believe in giving them a helping hand, not a hand out.
Please note: A portion of your trip cost goes to in-country communities, the donations helping to support basic needs.
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Should I bring cash, traveler’s cheques or a credit card?Top
For Kenya, it is necessary to bring at least $100 (US) in cash to purchase the travel visa and Flying Doctors insurance. For all other trips you may want to bring some cash for snacks during transit. An extra $100 (US) in cash for emergencies and $100-200 (US) for spending money is appropriate, but traveler’s cheques are safer.
Canadian and American money can be changed into local currency upon arrival at the airport. On most trips, there are limited opportunities for participants to use money, which is why we recommend bringing a limited amount of cash. In Kenya it is quite hard to cash traveler’s cheques and only a few places accept credit cards.
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What happens after I sign-up for a trip?Top
After you submit your application and deposit, Me to We will arrange a phone interview with you and your parents (if under 18), and may request additional documentation.
Once you have secured a space on the program, our office will stay in touch and send you additional information including flight details, a specialized itinerary, a contact list of other participants, letters for fundraising (if requested), a packing list and other updates.
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Will Me to We help me to fundraise?Top
We understand that some participants will need financial assistance. We encourage all participants to fundraise to subsidize the cost of their trip and we are committed to helping you in this effort. We have a fundraising package available online and we are more than happy to send you a copy!
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As a parent, how can I talk to my child while they are abroad?Top
Upon arrival, participants will be able to call or e-mail their parents to let them know they have arrived safely. All of our destinations are relatively remote, so participants will be unreachable again until their return to the main city at the end of the trip.
This means no news is good news! We will be sending weekly updates on the group from our Toronto office to the main contact person as indicated in the registration forms.
Our policy is to strictly limit contact back home: trip participants are very busy and we have found that contact with back home tends to detract from the trip experience. However, in the event of an emergency please call our emergency cell phone number, 1.416.526.8450, which is accessible 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Our Toronto office will then contact the in-country team on their emergency satellite phone.
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Does Me to We Trips have any partners?Top
EF Educational Tours has been helping students break down geographic, cultural and language barriers for over 40 years. With unparalleled personal service, quality and prices, EF Educational Tours is the BEST choice to bring your lessons to life and inspire your students.
Why Me to We?
