Where There Be Dragons Custom Programming

Vietnam Today: An Independent Journey

3200 Carbon Place Unit 102 Boulder, CO 80301 | [email protected] | 800.982.9203 |www.wheretherebedragons.com

an overview of international education

programming

where there be

dragons

Custom PartnershiPs


Partnering to advance your institution’s international capacity………………………………p.3

Dragons custom courses at a glance………………………………………………….…………..p.4

Dragons Educational Philosophy ………………………………………………….……………......p.5

Design and Development…………………………………………………………………….….…...p.6

Sample Itineraries ………………………………………………………………………………………p.8

Frequently Asked Questions about Dragons………………………………………………………p.18

General Terms and Conditions ………………………………………………………………………p.32

table of Contents


Founded in 1993, Where There Be Dragons has been a pioneer in the field of overseas experiential education. We have built hundreds of singularly unique small-group and intimate educational programs in developing Asia, Latin American and Africa. Dragons hires passionate and experienced educators, providing them with exceptional professional training and support to develop carefully crafted and expertly managed courses that consistently address the needs and goals of each participant. No other organization approaches Dragons’ quality of programming, attention to safety, and on-site resources.

Drawing from over twenty years of experience, Dragons collaborates with an institution on innovate and strategic ways to sup-port and enhance international student programming. Our co-authored initiatives will fit with a home institution’s curriculum, desired learning outcomes, and specific academic goals. Ultimately a partnership with Dragons will result in higher quality pro-gramming, lower associated risk, less effort, and lower long-term cost in building and managing international programs.

Dragons knows Risk Management:

• Tried and trued comprehensive and integrated communication and risk management systems.

• 24/7 emergency response team available to deal with problems in the field.

• Extensive experience working with insurance providers and emergency response services.

• Regular presentations at risk management conferences and seminars.

Dragons understands student-centered learning:

• 21 years, and over 250,000 student-days of successful educational programming for students 15-22.

• Dragons core curriculum is designed specifically for young adults on cultural immersion programs, emphasizing self-awareness and global leadership skills through intentional preparation and integration.

Dragons instructors set the industry standard

• Mature, responsible, passionate educators well versed in key global issues.

Partnering to advance your institution’s international capacity

“Dragons demonstrates, at every level, a profound commitment to creating the very best student experience abroad. The caliber of their on-site staff, their tireless attention to risk management, and their truly innovative approach to experiential learning make them a valued program partner.”

-John Luria, Director, Bridge Year Program, Princeton University

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• All instructors have completed at least two weeks of professional training in risk management, leadership, and student- centered education.

• Backgrounds in education, development studies, cultural studies, and extensive in-country experience.

• Training in wilderness medicine.

Dragons partners with individuals, schools and universities:

• Experience training and supporting over 900 diverse professional field instructors.

• We host professional seminars and customized trainings for global educators.

• Developed in-house curriculum training skills in Risk Management, Student Engagement, Leadership and Team Building, and Experiential Education.

• 20 years of collaboration with schools to provide custom programing.

• 4 year partnership with Princeton University to facilitate Bridge Year program, singularly chosen amongst all partners to expand Bridge Year programming

dragons Custom Courses at a glance

• Dragonsoffers: 21 years of experience, Exceptional instructors, rugged and intimate cultural immersion, comprehensive risk management systems, flexible, personable partnership.

• ProgramsInclude: All food, lodging, transportation, and activity fees; service learning project costs; local guide fees; international evacuation insurance; comprehensive reading materials; pre-course preparation and post-course integration communication and support; equipment rental.

• IdealGroupSize: 10-14 students with 1-2 chaperons and 2-3 Dragons instructors.

• IdealTripLength: 14 days to 6 weeks any time throughout the year.

• KeyProgramComponents: Language immersion/study, home-stays, rugged travel, service-learning, survey of relevant development studies, comparative religion, trekking and wilderness exploration

• Themes:Programs are built around a particular theme – “Indigenous Renaissance in Guatemala,” “Peace, Conflict, and Community Development in Cambodia,” “Chinese Language South of the Clouds,” but all programs are holistic in their design, emphasizing a comprehensive local immersion and a student-centered approach to learning.

• EstimatedCost: Program costs are calculated by an estimated ground cost of travel, including food, lodging, transportation and activities, the cost of instructor pay, and the cost of chaperon and instructor travel. Dragons administration adds an additional forty percent of this amount to the total cost to cover “back-end” expenses, including program area management, training, administrative and risk management systems.

• ScholarshipFunds: Scholarship funds can be built into the cost of any custom program upon request.

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dragons educational Philosophy

The mission of Where There Be Dragons is to inspire self-starting leadership, self-awareness and global citizenship through tradi-tional and experiential educational paradigms. We provide life skills to students who are transitioning into adult roles, inculcate personal fortitude and an empowered sense of self, and engender lives that are built on presence, intention and authenticity.

HowDowEDEFInESuCCESS?

Dragons engages the whole student in experiences that facilitate deeper understandings of global citizenship, exercises in self awareness, and the development of leadership skills. A course is successful when…

…our students develop a curiosity in finding truths and inspiration beyond conventional, Western paradigms; when our stu-dents consider alternative models of thought and ways of framing goals, and values.

….our students become self-aware and confident, when they have learned not only about the place they have traveled, but also about themselves.

…we empower students to lead themselves. A successful course produces students who are glowing with the self-confi-dence achieved by taking leadership responsibility in a challenging environment.

…we design student-centered experiences, giving priority to particular goals and needs of each student, allowing them to be active participants granted the choice to engage and thereby the opportunity to truly participate in the process.

CrEaTInGaSPaCEForGrowTH–THESTuDEnTConTaInEr

Dragons instructors facilitate the safest and most profound learning possible by employing exceptional regional knowledge and by implementing Dragons core curriculum. By placing students in environments of extreme difference, we remove them from points of reference that have come to define who they are and what they stand for. In this place of void and potential, the instructor creates the parameters that defines the potential for the experience, for learning, stretching and growth; a space in which students can encounter themselves more broadly. At Dragons, we don’t want to define our students; rather we want to define the parameters that open spaces for our students to develop a personally-realized definition of self.

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design and development

In collaboration with your school, Where There Be Dragons will design a well-intentioned, themed program for approximately 10-14 students, 2 teacher chaperones, and 2 to 3 Dragons field instructors. Our Boulder-based staff will work with your vision and needs to create a program that is more educational, better organized, safer, and more economical than you could find else-where. Our Director of Custom Partnerships, Simon Hart will work with you throughout the year to plan, prepare, and debrief your custom program.

Designing a custom program with Where There Be Dragons is a dynamic process, one that requires collaboration through numer-ous conversations between sponsors and our administrative and field staff. Through twenty years of programming, Where There Be Dragons has amassed a plethora of expertise, local contacts, and educational resources that provide opportunities for an endlessly profound educational experience. In the pages that follow, you will find a few sample itineraries for possible custom programs. These are by no means comprehensive of what we can offer, but suggest a starting point to start thinking about what kinds of themes, places, and components you would like to explore with your faculty and students.

CHaPEronES–ParTnErSInFaCILITaTInGaTranSFormaTIvEExPErIEnCE

A custom program should have approximately one teacher chaperone for every six students. Chaperones will work with Dragons administration to shape the course experience and also participate on the program with students. Once teacher chap-erones have a clear sense of where they would like to travel, and what kinds of themes they would like to explore, we match them with the appropriate Program Director here in the Boulder office, who will work with them throughout the year to plan their course. All teacher chaperone expenses are paid for by Dragons, including the teachers’ international airfare. We seek chaper-ons who are not just along for the ride, but who are passionate educators dedicated to supporting students through the impor-tant physical and intellectual challenges to come.

We ask that chaperones recruit 10-14 students to participate on their course. Chaperones serve as a liaison between Dragons and the students throughout the year, distributing and collecting important paperwork, and course-related tuition fees. Dragons will provide all the necessary forms, preparation materials, and pre-course information. We will of course always be available to speak with students or their parents about the custom program to answer any questions they may have.

CoST

The cost for each custom program varies depending on where it is, for how long, and what the itinerary looks like. In order to cal-culate the cost, Dragons estimates the cost per student, per day based on the itinerary, the cost of the instructors, of in-country travel expenses, and the cost of the chaperones expenses. Dragons then adds an additional 40% in order to cover back-end and pre-trip costs of putting together and running a custom course.

TImInG

Over the years, we’ve found that custom courses are the most successful when students sign up for them early. Ideally, we like to have all 10-14 students signed up for the course (with their deposits paid) three to six months prior to the course start date so that we have adequate time to plan the course itinerary based on varying student needs, to prepare the students, and often to allow time for the teacher chaperones to introduce custom course themes into their school curriculum. 6


sample itineraries

Below you will find a number of sample itineraries. These are not comprehensive of what we do, but will give you an idea of the kinds of courses we are able to run. In addition to the countries you see highlighted below, we are willing to run custom programs in any of the areas in which we currently run catalogue courses.

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China: rise of the dragonan exploration of China’s ancient traditions and rapid modernization

Travel back in time to a traditional Chinese village where students will take part in home-stays and authentic rural living. With a trek through western China’s untouched mountains and forests, students will see China’s unique bio-diversity before making their way to the manufacturing hub and world’s biggest municipality of Chongqing. Here a boat waits on the banks of the Yangtze to take them on a downstream journey past soaring cliffs, ancient won-ders and the world’s biggest dam. Students will join locals on a day’s train ride from Wu Han to the futuristic city of Shanghai, where the group will spend 3 days exploring China’s chief city of commerce and trade. Here students will meet with local and expatriate businessmen and take part in field trips to explore the concept of doing busi-ness in modern day China. One of the world’s fastest trains will then whisk students past the Chinese countryside at 200 miles per hour to the capital Beijing. Here students will learn about the people and policies that are shap-ing the world’s future, meet with guest speakers and continue to explore places such as the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. The final night will be under a starry night sky as the group camps in a watchtower at a remote section of The Great Wall. Here students will sleep with 2000 years of history under their heads as they reflect on China’s rapid changes, its future, and their own journey.

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Proposed Itinerary — Duration 19 days

Days1–5 Experience life in a traditional Chinese village in through living and working with locals. Each day students share in daily meals with their homestay family, while learning about Chinese history and culture. During this time there will be an opportunity to take part in a short group service project.

Days6&7 Students will take part in a 2 day trek through China’s untouched mountains and forests. Small lessons will focus on the increasing pressure placed on China’s wilderness regions.

Days8–11 Over 4 days students will learn about China’s rich history and language on our floating classroom as we pass by some of China’s most incredible scenery. This section of the program will also take us past the largest dam in the world where we will begin to look at China’s modernization.

Days12–14 The futuristic metropolis of Shanghai would act as the backdrop for a deeper exploration of China’s progress towards modernization. Through meetings with the local business community and site visits, students would start to build a strong understanding of the economics behind China’s rise.

Day15 Ride through China’s rich agricultural landscape at 200 miles per hour on one of the world’s fastest trains. This 5 hour trip will showcase China’s latest technology as we head towards our final stop.

Days16–18 In between bowls of steaming dumplings and roast duck, students will explore the capital of China. Through guest speakers and experiential lessons, students will gain an understanding of the policies that brought about sharp growth in the economic sector. Beijing also offers the group a glimpse into the past with such sites as Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. On the afternoon of the third day the group will travel to a remote section of the great wall where they’ll spend the night camping in a guard tower reflecting on China and their journey through it.

Day19 After watching the sunrise over The Great Wall, the students will return to Beijing and board their flight back to the US.

Extra Mandarin Study Option

Add an extra 1 to 3 hours a day of Mandarin lessons from professional experiential language teachers who travel with the group.

Extra Travel Options

Add 2 days for a visit to the Panda centre in Chengdu.

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Cambodia: a new generationthe rebuilding of culture and society thirty-plus years

after the fall of the Khmer rouge.

Known throughout the world for the incomparable ruins of Angkor Wat and for having endured decades of recent hardship, Cambodia is a little understood country. Faced with the challenges of development and rapid urban modernization, Cambodia is simultaneously working to retain its cultural identity and redefine its society in the 21st century. With approximately 60% of the population under the age of 25, the young generation seeks to move past the dark history of their parents and grandparents, rediscover its cultural identity, and find a voice in the develop-ment of the nation.

Our itinerary follows an intentional progression beginning with an introduction to the recent history and current issues of Cambodia, providing a contextual foundation from which to begin exploration of the course themes. Following this orientation, students connect with schools and local organizations working with youth and the arts in the capital Phnom Penh, the northwestern city of Battambang, and Siem Reap, learning from Khmer students about their daily life and cultural traditions. In Siem Reap, students explore the iconic temples of Angkor and the ancient civilization of Cambodia before moving to a small riverside community outside of Phnom Penh for rural homestays. Living with local families, students experience rural life first-hand and engage with Cambodian stu-dents, learning about their personal dreams, and hopes for Cambodia’s future. As the course comes to a close, students reflect on their experience, considering what they have learned from our Cambodian hosts, and what it means to be a global citizen.

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Day1 Arrival in Phnom Penh and course orientation

Days2-3 Students open their discussions of Khmer history and humanity with visits to the genocide museum and former Khmer Rouge torture center S-21 (Tuol Sleng), as well as the Killing Fields (Cheoung Ek) memorial. Tempering these emotionally challenging activities, is the opportunity to connect with the master and apprentice students of Cambodian Living Arts, an orga-nization dedicated to transforming Cambodia’s cultural identity through the arts.

Days4-7 The group travels to Battambang and settles into group homestays in an artisan community. Linking with Phare Ponleu Selpak (PPS) an organization also dedicated to reviving the arts, Dragons students connect students of PPS’s schools of visual arts, performing arts, and music. This interaction provides further opportunity to learn more about Khmer youth and how PPS is promoting the arts as a channel for Cambodians to rediscover and reclaim their cultural practices, knowledge and iden-tity.

Days8-10 The course shifts north to Siem Reap, the hub of the ancient Khmer empire and home to the magical temples of Angkor. Here, students explore the temple complex, learning more about Cambodia’s history and the roots of its cultural and artistic traditions. Students also meet with the staff of PEPY, an organization promoting educational development, to learn more about the challenges of rebuilding of the education system in Cambodia. On the final evening in Siem Reap, the group watches a performance of the Reamker, the Khmer version of the Ramayana, by a local arts troupe.

Days11-14 In the course’s final segment, the group travels to Prek Pdao, an agricultural and fishing village about an hour from Phnom Penh, and home of veteran Dragons’ instructor Mara Pho. Here, students experience daily life in homestays and connect with local Khmer youth for a language camp and collaborative art project. The time in Prek Pdao culminates with and evening of Cambodian music, dancing and food with our homestay hosts.

Day15 The group returns to Phnom Penh to explore the lively and colorful markets and a final afternoon of reflection, providing a space for students to share what they have learned and what they will take away from their Cambodian experi-ence.

Day16 Departure

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rwanda: a survey of service and developmentan exploration of society and development in a post-conflict nation,

focusing on the meaning of service and citizenship.

Rwanda. Marked by a tragic past, this land of innate beauty is one of stark ironies. On our journey through “The Land of a Thousand Hills”, we discover that despite the genocide that made this country known to the world in the early ‘90s, Rwanda is comprised of an easy-going people who are working towards making their motherland into a model of development leading the way for nations throughout the continent.

This course provides a platform for diving into themes of service, development, and citizenship. The progres-sion of our itinerary begins with an orientation to Rwanda’s recent history and current efforts to rebuild its society. Connecting with international and grassroots organizations in Kigali, students open discussions of development, the role of international aid, and the meaning of service. Moving away from the capital, we travel to the town of Ngarama to settle into rural home-stays, learn more about daily life in rural Rwanda, and delve further into service by engaging with a center for handicapped students, schools, local leaders, Peace Corps volunteers, Congolese refugees, and community-action groups. Through interaction with the community, the group continues its explo-ration of the meaning of citizenship and our responsibilities as individuals, both locally and abroad. Homestays provide opportunities for cultural immersion, a window to a different way of life, and the chance to learn about Rwandans’ hopes for the future of their nation. In the final segment of the course, the group returns to Kigali for sev-eral day excursions to experience the natural beauty of Rwanda. As the course comes to a close, students reflect on their experience, considering what they have learned from our Rwandan hosts, and what it means to be global citizens.

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Day1 Arrival in Kigali and orientation to the course

Day2-4 Students open their discussions of Rwanda’s history with a visit to the the harrowing and informative genocide museum in Kigali. The group also meets with guest speakers from international and local organizations to learn more about development efforts in Rwanda and the rebuilding of society.

Day5-6 The group travels to the town of Ngarama and settles into rural homestays. Learning more about daily life, stu-dents also meeting with local leaders to discuss the role of community and citizenship in Rwandan society.

Day7-9 Students break into groups to engage in service projects with a center for handicapped students and a tech-nical high school.

Day10-11 Students continue their exploration of the meaning of service, meeting with Peace Corp volunteers, and com-munity action groups.

Day12-13 The group returns to Kigali for day excursions, including a day safari to Akagera National Park and continued exploration of urban Arica and the capital’s colorful markets.

Day14 As the course comes to close, students and instructors create a transference space to share reflections, lessons learned, and what it means to be a global citizen.

Day15 Departure from Kigali

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Peru: service and sustainability in the andes and amazon basin

Cultural and environmental conservation, service learning,

development and ecology

Few countries in the Americas evoke as much mystery and wonder as Peru – with its soaring Andean peaks, thick blankets of Amazon jungle, rapidly expanding economy, history of strife and struggle in the face of poverty and inequality, and the memories of ancient and high civilizations in ruins scattered throughout the country. The Andes stretch the length of the country, reaching heights of over 22,000 feet, and the Amazon on the eastern half of the country contains some of the best preserved tracts of tropical ecosystems in the world. This natural diversity is equally matched by the regions’ cultures, with nearly 60 distinct ethnic groups, most found in remote corners of the Upper Amazon as well as approximately 5 million indigenous Quechua people, descendants of the ancient Incan civilization, living throughout the highlands. In this program, students will dive into the complex issues facing our southern neighbors, specifically the realities of conservation in a diverse and ever adapting cultural landscape. Through first-hand exposure to grass roots NGOs and sustainability projects, students will return with a deeper awareness of the global environmental issues and local responses that are so important to the health of our planet.

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Proposed Itinerary — Duration 2 Weeks

Days1-3 Our program begins in Puerto Maldonado, the bustling capital of the Madre de Dios Department in the Amazon basin. Wiping the sweat from our foreheads, we travel up the Madre de Dios River to a research station where we begin our student orientation. At Los Amigos Research and Conservation Station, we will be able to chat with local and foreign researchers that are tirelessly working to unveil the mysteries of Amazon ecology and biology, gaining a perspective on the com-plexities of life in this region. This is a restful place to begin the trip, with delicious meals, comfortable beds, and space for us to talk as a group and orient ourselves to Peru. The station also has an impressive network of trails and excursions throughout their expertly managed preserve. During the orientation, we will become familiar with some basic survival Spanish and other impor-tant cultural and safety points.

Days4-7 After orientation and exploring the surrounding forests and lakes we will move across the Madre de Dios River to the town of Boca Amigo, where the renowned Peruvian NGO, Associacion Para la Niñez y su Ambiente, is working with local children on conservation and sustainable development projects known as Bosque de los Niños (BoNi), or “Children’s Forest.” Here we will spend three days working in the community with a variety of service opportunities. The main areas of emphasis in this community are forest preservation, gardens, sustainable agriculture, and local artisan projects. This area is becoming increasingly vulnerable to threats from gold mining and the majority of the work of BoNi is to provide alternative modes of devel-opment to local communities. Through our work here we will gain a perspective on threats to Amazon conservation, prospects for cultural preservation and models of sustainable development.

Day8 From the Amazon we will travel up to the highlands near Cuzco, witnessing the most drastic of ecological tran-sitions; from lowland tropical rainforest to a high alpine environment. Cuzco was the capital of the Inca Empire and continues to be a hub for tourism and commerce in Southern Peru, mainly for its proximity to the array of archeological sites in the area and thriving Andean culture. Cuzco is a maze of staircases, old Incan stones woven in to Spanish churches and plazas, diverse mar-kets, and, inevitably, a plethora of tourist opportunities. We will spend a day resting and exploring the city before moving to the Sacred Valley and the town of Pisac.

Days9–12 Pisac sits at the upper end of the Vilcanota River valley (which defines the “Sacred Valley”) and in the sur-rounding mountains we will settle into a network of communities known collectively as the Potato Park for immersion into Andean life and a village to village hike. Our time in the Potato Park will be defined by our exposure to local weavings and music, the diversity of Andean agriculture and community life as well as hikes through the high mountains. Service opportunities will be found in the traditional Andean concept of ayni or reciprocity. In this type of work, villagers exchange services and workloads in a web of relationships that has defined Andean community organization since well before the arrival of the Spanish.

Day13 We finish our course with a visit to Machu Picchu, passing through the sacred valley and hiking in the early morning to the famous ruins, perched high on a jungle-clad cliff and without a doubt one of the most spectacular constructions in the world. We will spend a day with a local guide exploring the ruins, hiking the amazing staircases to Huayna Picchu and the Temple of the Moon while learning about Incan culture, architecture, and worldview, as well as the effects of tourism on the region. In the afternoon we will hike back down the mountain before returning to Cuzco.

Day14 Spending one last night in Cuzco, we will have a final ceremony and celebration and reflect on our experi-ence together before departing the next day.

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guatemala: women and educationeducation, gender roles, globalization, cultural heritage, human rights

Known throughout the world for its vibrant Maya culture, breathtaking landscapes and soft hospitality, today’s Guatemala is a deeply layered country with a profound and complex history. After 36 years of internal conflict, institutional changes aimed at alleviating the troubling human rights record, sharp economic inequalities and deeply embedded racism are afoot. On this program, participants will spend their time in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, a region known for its rich indigenous culture, strong communities and colorful markets. While immers-ing in the world renowned textiles, handmade tortillas, and relaxed pace of life amongst the Kaqchikel and K’iche’ Maya peoples, our group will explore the complexity of gender roles in a machista society and the challenges young women face in their attempt to access education. While Mayan philosophy and indigenous culture strongly value education, the obstacles facing young inquiring minds, especially girls, are considerable. On this program, students will engage in authentic cultural exchange with local teen-age girls focused on the challenges and suc-cesses of achieving a formal education with limited means and access.

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Day1 Our program begins in Antigua, where we explore the rich cultural heritage and modern challenges facing Guatemalans today. From an avocado farm high above the city, we’ll gape at a stunning view of fiery volcanoes and the pic-turesque colonial city below.

Days2&3 With our program introduced, and our minds attentive to the journey ahead, we descend to the cobbled streets of Antigua to explore the ruins of this UNESCO World Heritage site. Busy markets, elegant colonial architecture, and green parks are our backdrop as we orient ourselves to this colorful country. In Antigua we’ll also visit the offices of important NGOs focused on global development issues, as well as the pivotal role of women’s education in alleviating cycles of poverty in Guatemala. We’ll also have a chance to sample some of Guatemala’s best traditional cuisine.

Day4 Students will then travel by private vehicles (for about 2 hours) to the village of San Antonio Palopo, to be welcomed into the home of Rosario Raconcoj, who will prepare a beautiful feast to be shared with a local girls’ group as we exchange stories of women’s education in Guatemala.

Day5 As the sun rises over Lake Atitlan – known to be the most beautiful lake in the world – we’ll motor across the placid waters to San Marcos, passing fisherman who cast their nets in hopes of a bountiful catch. In San Marcos, Gabriela Cordon will receive our group and share with us her alternative education project, La Cambalacha. For over a decade, Gaby has pioneered an alternative curriculum focused on individual expression, arts, and human development. Alongside several of Gaby’s teenage girls, we’ll learn about their important work and share in a full day of education and celebration. In the after-noon we’ll explore the verdant volcanoes and swim in Lake Atitlan’s turquoise waters.

Days6-8 Returning back towards Antigua, we’ll deviate on our path into the ancient city of Ciudad Vieja – Guatemala’s first capital. Here we will make our way to the campus of EducArte, where Alejandra and a group of her female students will receive us with open arms. For the next three days we’ll work together with her group of girls to exchange workshops on self-esteem, women’s issues, and community development. Alegria – the Latin American cultural expression of happiness and opti-mism will characterize our interactions with the girls at EducArte as we build community, exchange skills, and share in activities. As we work together with this empowering institution, we’ll set our sights on preparing a presentation for the National Day of Nonviolence against Women.

Day9 Our time together will culminate in a collaborative effort to promote the development and fair treatment of women in Guatemala and around the world.

Day10 With fond memories and strong friendships fresh in our minds, we’ll find a quiet spot to debrief our experience and celebrate our successes before returning home to Los Angeles.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Core Mission of Where There Be Dragons?

The mission of Where There Be Dragons is to inspire self-starting leadership and global citizenship. Through traditional and experiential educational paradigms, we provide life skills to students who are transitioning into adult roles, we inculcate personal fortitude and an empowered sense of self, and we engender lives that are built on presence, intention and authenticity. Our medium is cross-cultural exchange and learning through service.

How long has Dragons been operating?

We have been operating in developing countries since 1993.

How many participants have you served over time and on an annual basis?

We have served over 3,500 students, with each participant on-course for approximately 40 days; in 2011 we enrolled 295 summer students (30-42 days in the field,) and 168 semester students (92 days in the field).

What is your organization’s experience working with different age ranges within student bodies?

Synopsis:

• Dragons is dedicated to working with student populations. 98% of our participants have been between the ages of 15 and 21; 70% of our participants have been between the ages of 17-19

Since 1999, Dragons has employed a staff of nine to twelve full-time administrators dedicated solely to the work of creating educational programming for pre-college students.

While our semester courses are advertised as gap-year programs, some of our semester students are enrolled in college and are doing our courses for credit. Occasionally we work on a contract basis with select adult groups, amounting to fewer than 2% of our clients. The difference between our summer programming, which caters to stu-dents 15-20 and amounts to half of our yearly student field-days, and our semester programming, for students 17-21, is the semester courses’ focus on long-term investigation of a narrower range of topics: each semester provides an especially deep inspection of service, development, politics, economy and culture. Our courses geared towards college-aged youth hold students to a much higher standard of personal accountability and achievement.

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In which countries does your organization currently operate, and how long have you been operating there? What criteria do you use to determine where you work? How have you established your presence in those locations? How often do you add or eliminate countries or programs, and for what reasons?

Synopsis:

• Dragons has a twenty-year work history in developing Asia.

• Since 2001, Dragons has developed courses in Latin America and West Africa.

• Dragons criteria regarding where to work is entirely framed by risk management issues.

• Dragons approaches work in each country with an eye towards the most provocative and educational experiences available; Dragons does not have a formulaic approach to curriculum or program development, but rather strives to evince the most rewarding experience each country has to offer.

• Dragons has developed a sustained site presence in five locales, with our own cadre of dedicated field staff and on-site offices and Program Houses.

• Dragons excises programs when safety issues become untenable, and initiates programs when phenomenal learning opportunities can be safely accessed.

We currently operate in the following countries:

China (since 1993) Thailand (since 1993) Laos (since 1998) Cambodia (since 2005)

Burma (since 2011) Indonesia (since 2010) Nepal (since 1994) India (since 1994)

Guatemala (since 2003) Nicaragua (since 2010) Peru (since 2003) Bolivia (since 2005)

Senegal (since 2005) Morocco (since 2007) Rwanda (since 2009) Jordan (since 2010)

In addition, we have operated in the following countries during the following years

Pakistan (1997-98) Vietnam (1998-‘07) Mongolia (2000-‘05) Mexico (2002-’05)

Brazil (2009-‘11)

When considering where to work, we consider safety: examining the country’s political stability and the country’s ability to provide for participant’s health and transportation safety as well as ease of egress in the event of an emergency. When considering what to do in a country, we consider the most provocative, powerful instruments of “otherness” that are worth exploring: examining the topics that offer the richest area of learning and contrast. In Tibet, we build our programs around issues in cultural survival and comparative religion; in Cambodia, we build our programs around Peace Studies; in China, we build our programs around political history and development. When considering where in a country we should do our work, we go directly to our program staff. When setting up service projects and home-stays, our contracted staff and full-time employees liaise with personal contacts in the

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communities in which they once lived or in which they currently reside, placing students in projects that they helped to initiate or had at one time managed, and coordinating home-stays and mentor-relationships with peo-ple who are known personally as former colleagues and friends. This assures us the greatest level of intimacy and accountability. It also assures us the most success with the least amount of risk. Where we do most of our work - in China, India, Nepal, Guatemala, Bolivia and Senegal - we have a year-round on-site presence, with both Western and local staff living in and working out of leased Program Houses that also serve as classrooms and gathering areas for our students.

How do you approach development? What considerations do you take into account when you intervene in communities? How do you evaluate the impact your organization has on communities?

Synopsis:

• Dragons takes a human-centered approach to development.

• Dragons defines “progress” in relative terms.

• Dragons contributions to development projects are most always initiated and managed by our on-site personnel who have a personal history with the project.

• Dragons believes that cultivating understanding and respect for local culture and traditions is a crucial component to the success of any development project.

Dragons takes a human-centered procedural approach to development that emphasizes individual interactions within a particular cultural context.

Human-centered: At the nexus of the development concept is the individual human experience. Ultimately, any development project should seek to improve the quality of life for human beings. A high quality of life hinges upon a human-nature relationship that allows for the climax of the ecosystem as a whole. Development, or the improve-ment upon the human condition, is therefore a continuous reflection of self in relation to “otherness.” By asking students to repeatedly reflect upon their place in the larger universe through writing, discussion, service work and other forms of direct interaction, we believe that a rich and fully pronounced concept of the word “development” can be reached.

A procedural approach: Projects that attempt to impose a static and often foreign model on local reality tend to produce mixed results. Dragons believes that development projects that are invested in the process itself – proj-ects that demonstrate a dedication to the members of the community within which they operate through continu-ous negotiation and communication – will have the greatest success. Operating under this assumption, we pre-pare students to be involved in a long-term process and on a well-defined project. Understanding that progress is imperative to the enthusiasm and success of development, we examine different notions of progress and how it is measured across diverse cultures. Students are encouraged to invest in the overall experience of their service work as well as focus on the richness of the individual day-to-day interactions that are constituent to the work.

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Individual interactions: If the individuals involved operate on personal relations based on respect and trust they are more likely to be able to understand each other, accommodate the needs of constantly shifting conditions, and work cooperatively towards a better quality of life. By practicing humility, open and honest communication, and adhering to the cultural mores of the host culture, Dragons instructors and students engage in a mutually sup-portive dynamic across vastly different cultures. Dragons course instructors act as cultural intermediaries and are present to mentor students. Our instructors help provide students with opportunities for profound cultural exchange through long-term home stays, language immersion, and focused study in comparative religion, development, and political history.

How do you evaluate the impact your organization has on a community?

By communicating regularly with instructors and students through intentionally developed systems of planning, exe-cution and feedback, Dragons courses are effectively able to gauge their impact on local communities. Before courses start, students and instructors are asked to express their goals and aspirations for the quality and type of experience they expect. While on course, students and instructors alike are repeatedly asked to express the rich-ness and satisfaction of their experience through one-on-one feedback sessions with Course Directors and through once-monthly downloaded questionnaires that are accessed through the students’ “My Dragons” web-page. Students who report meaningful and profound interactions with home-stays, who express admiration and curiosity with local cultures, and who articulate an appreciation for sophisticated and diverse worldviews are likely to be engaged in a mutually beneficial relationship with the communities within which they operate. When participant feedback indicates on-site issues, our US-based administrative staff works with our on-site personnel to create an action plan to realign the students’ project as needed.

In consideration of our footprint on the local community, our on-site Course Director and Site Coordinator(s) are responsible for maintaining open communication with the project. On-site staff assess the safety and quality of each project throughout the students’ experience, and continuously check in with project and community leaders to assure the integrity and continuity of the work being done. Dragons’ on-site staff draw upon personal as well as institutional knowledge and experience to assure that the relationship between Dragons, various intermediaries and local actors is positive, productive, and transmits model citizenship across cultures.

How many students do you typically have on a Dragons program?

Synopsis:

• Dragons has always kept group size to 12 or fewer participants, and it is a hallmark of Dragons that we provide intimate student experiences with a minimum of cultural impact; we will never over-populate an area or over-extend our ability to provide the most meaningful experience possible.

We have successfully worked with up to 15 students on custom programs because we have a greater adult pres-ence with both teacher chaperones and Dragons instructors; and we have more flexibility in terms of itinerary.

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What is the composition and experience of the administrative staff in your home office?

Synopsis:

• Dragons employs a year-round staff of program administrators

• Dragons administrative staff have backgrounds in education and cultural studies

• Dragons administrative staff have field experience as guides and are specially trained in emergency response

• Dragons has one administrator for every seven field-instructors

• Dragons has one administrator, a Program Director, who is responsible for eight to ten field courses per year

The following people work in our home office. Full profiles of these individuals as well as profiles of our on-site per-sonnel and field staff can be found on our web-site: www.wheretherebedragons.com

FounderExecutiveDirector:ChrisYager—background in Chinese History and Tibetan Studies; speaks Mandarin and Spanish; founder with twenty-one years experience in overseas experiential education,

Director:Susierinehart—background in French, Education and Environmental Studies. After teaching for 18 years and acting as Director of the Mountain School, Susie now leads the administrative team at Dragons. She has expe-rience in West Africa and speaks fluent French and conversational Spanish. Two years with Dragons.

LatinamericaProgramDirector:aaronSlosberg— background in Religion and History, Aaron has spent extensive time in Indonesia and Latin America. Speaks Bahasa Indonesian and Spanish. Three years with Dragons Admin.

ChinaProgramDirector:mattBurton—background in education and communication, Matt has lived and traveled extensively in China with interest in minority rights. Fluent in Chinese. Four years with Dragons Admin

HimalayaandafricaProgramDirector:michaelwoodard—background in Asian studies and business. Return Peace Corps volunteer in Panama, instructed in Cambodia, Laos, and China. Fluent in Spanish, conversant in Japanese and Khmer. Four years with Dragons Admin.

CustomPartnershipsProfessionalProgramming:SimonHart—background in Anthropology, Environmental studies and Latin American Studies. Speaks French, Spanish and Portuguese. Has worked with college-level and high-school experiential cultural immersion programming for ten years. Five years at Dragons Admin.

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PrincetonBridgeYearProgramDirector:Christinarivera—background in social media and cultural studies, speaks Spanish and Hindi, interests in writing, communication, and service learning. Seven years with Dragons Admin.

admissionsDirector:Evavanek—background in rural development and education, Eva has worked coordinating volunteer work and guiding students in Guatemala, Bolivia and Peru. Fluent in Spanish. Four years with Dragons Admin.

admissionsassociate:Shannonokane—background in economics and sustainable development, particular expe-rience in Cambodia. Conversational in Khmer. Three years with Dragons.

accreditedCurriculumDirector:ShannonHarriman—background in education, anthropology, Shannon has worked with students in Nepal and India for the past fourteen years and has developed extensive student curricu-lum with Dragons. Fluent in Nepali. Ten years with Dragons.

CurriculumDevelopment:TimHare—background in Latin American studies and experiential education, Tim has led instructor trainings for over seven years with professional guides and educators in cross-cultural and wilderness settings. Over six years experience living and working with students in Bolivia. Fluent in Spanish. Eight years with Dragons.

CommunicationsDirector:JaneKlein—background in cultural studies and communications, Jane lifted a custom travel company to new heights through fourteen years of committed work before joining Dragons on a personal mission to help spread the word about global education. First year with Dragons.

We would contract a dedicated employee to oversee our relationship with your school. We want our organization to be a model of communication and collaboration.

What is the composition and experience of your staff on-site? How do you determine the ratio of in-field staff (either locally or regionally) to students in programs, and how is your program supervision structured?

Synopsis:

• Each program area is managed by a Western-educated “Course Director”

• The Course Director manages our on-site staff

• Dragons on-site staff include a local site director, local support staff, and additional Western instructors

• Dragons maintains an instructor-to-student ratio of 1:4

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• Course Directors are always on site when students are in the field

Dragons has a tiered management structure: all courses are supervised by a US-based Program Director who works out of our Boulder, Colorado office. The Program Director manages an on-site Course Director, who in turn man-ages the Site Coordinator, the course instructors, and the support staff.

Director

Executive Program Director

Program Director

Course Director

Site Coordinator

Course Instructor(s)

Course support staff (language instructors, mentors, etc.)

Since our founding, we have consistently provided a student to instructor ratio of 4:1. All instructors are carefully vetted and run through rigorous background checks. Once hired, Dragons trains all instructors in our pedagogy, risk management and emergency response. In addition to our instructors - who work extensively with the students through all phases of their overseas experience - we employ on-site staff to help facilitate logistics. An important distinction between Dragons and other organizations is that our on-site staff are contracted year-round by Dragons exclusively; Dragons does not sub-contract local ground-operators who then farm out on-site work. All on-site per-sonnel working for Dragons are hired, trained and managed by Dragons.

How do you ensure the health and well-being of your program participants, including access to general practitioners, specialists, and emergency care? Can you give any examples of crises experienced by participants in your program and how you dealt with them? Do you have any specific programs or policies regarding issues of participant mental health? Are you able to accommodate students with disabilities? How is program site safety monitored and evaluated in terms of crime, potential for natural disaster, political unrest, and other major disruptions?

Synopsis:

• Dragons provides all field staff with independently produced and bi-annually updated Course Area Guides which catalogue our local emergency response partners

• Dragons has a comprehensive and carefully vetted emergency evacuation policy with International SOS

• Dragons has an extensive screening process that is carefully managed by our Admissions Director

• Through a regular regimen of checking on-line news sources and by reviewing weekly reports that are produced by our 24


on-site Course Directors, Dragons Program Directors stay informed on each locale’s risk issues

• We are especially cognizant of risk issues concerning female students

We have done an extraordinarily thorough job in addressing health and safety issues. For every country and pro-gram area in which we operate, we maintain Course Area Guides which are updated every fall and spring. These guides contain detailed information on regional medical facilities and medical practitioners. Among other notes that we keep, we log recommended specialists who are capable of dealing with a gamut of issues: GI specialists, hand-surgeons, infectious disease specialists, eye-doctors, etc. We have a working relationship with a Denver-based ER doctor and a Physician’s Assistant, and we have a year-long contract with International SOS which has a fleet of private planes, on-call nurses and physicians, and regional medical facilities under their own management. We have had to deal with four flight-assisted evacuations: appendicitis in Morocco, Senegal and Vietnam, and a student with malaria in Senegal, all requiring evacuation by private jet. We have worked through numerous dog-bites, a few broken bones, and a lot of gastro-intestinal problems. To mitigate recurring issues, we have produced lesson plans, work-sheets and check-off lists which we require each group to work through during their first day of program orientation.

Regarding mental health, we assess this during our admissions process: if a student has been in counseling at any time in the preceding three years, we ask for details and follow up with an extensive questionnaire sent to the stu-dent’s therapist. In consultation with the therapist, we make an informed decision as to the student’s ability to safely complete the course. On-site staff are briefed on all participants’ medical histories and are given copies of all rel-evant supporting documentation. We can work with a number of disabilities though we would need to approach this on a case by case basis.

Within our home office, our Program Directors monitor site-safety on a daily basis. In the field, our on-site Course Directors prepare weekly reports that also address site safety. We have built relationships with local officials and members of the police force.

One of our biggest safety concerns is women’s safety. We address this with a curriculum that we prescribe to every group and which we require in the first day of orientation. We further address women’s safety when vetting all of our home-stays. We have all home-stay families, mentors and service work facilitators sign a document that we have prepared and translated, our “Lost in Translation,” which enumerates in detail all of our safety expectations.

How do you ensure appropriate conduct among program participants? How do you deal with infractions, such as drug or alcohol violations?

Synopsis:

• Dragons maintains inviolate rules designed to keep students safe

• Dragons communicates these rules in it’s promotional literature, in it’s admissions process, in its correspondence with 25


parents, and in on-site orientations

• Students who violate our core “Red Rules” are dismissed

All students and parents must sign a “Red-Rules Contract” which clearly state inviolate rules and which clearly states that students will be dismissed for breaking them. These rules are reinforced on the first day of the course and throughout the program. Students who violate these rules are sent home. Accordingly, students are not allowed to engage in the following:

• Sexual intimacy and inappropriate exclusive relationships

• Any activity which brings the participant into contact with things that may poison her/his blood (piercing, tattoos, etc.)

• The use of any recreational drug

• The use of alcohol

• The use of forbidden modes of transportation (i.e. motorcycles)

• Abuse (physical, emotional, verbal) of self, other students or leaders

Describe your organization’s relationship with home-stay host families. How are home-stay host families identified and screened, and what basic standards are expected? How many students are normally placed in one host family? How are host families prepared for incoming students? What ongoing monitoring and evaluation does your organization do regarding the quality of home-stays? What systems are in place to deal with problems between hosts and students, including protocols for changing housing assignments when necessary?

Synopsis:

• Host families are chosen due to longstanding relationships with our on-site staff

• Households are held to standards of security, cleanliness and privacy

• Dragons places one student in one household

• Through manuals and translated documents, Dragons communicates home-stay policies and expectations to field staff and to the households

• Instructors make regular site-visits to each house

We place one student in each home-stay, and we require that the student have his/her own room that can be locked. In our Instructor Manual and in our training process, we provide our Course Directors, Site Directors, and Course Instructors detailed prescriptions for how to work with home-stay families, (see Instructor Manual pp. 49-55; Safety Manual p. 10). Home-stay families are initially selected by Dragons’ on-site personnel for having a direct connection with the perspective family – as relatives, colleagues, professional associates, etc. The Course Director and the Site Director then visit the homes to assess safety and suitability. Once an appropriate number of homes are prepared, our Admissions Director compiles a student profile that is sent to the on-site staff, and they pair up 26


the students and home-stay families according to interest. Before students arrive, on-site personnel again visit each host family and review Dragons rules and procedures, particularly in regard to food safety, female safety, and communication protocols. At that time, we have all families sign a “Lost in Translation” document which clearly states Dragons expectations and includes an agreement by the host family not to serve alcohol to the host stu-dent. On-site staff visit the student in the home several times during the first week of home-stay, and they maintain an open dialogue regarding home-stay issues. At the end of each course, students fill out a home-stay evaluation which informs future home-stay placements. Details on past home-stays go into Dragons’ Course Area Guides, and are drawn on when considering the next round of home-stays.

Home-stay families are considered true partners in the students’ experience and are brought into the Dragons community. If a student is not satisfied with a home-stay, we will move the student to another home; we have done so on occasion in the past, and this does not present a problem for us or the community.

Describe the other services typically provided by your organization to program participants (e.g., pre-departure, on-site, and re-entry orientation, enrichment activities, assistance with travel and work documentation, and communication with families and sending institutions).

Synopsis:

• Pre-Course: Dragons provides extensive information both on-line and in the form of printed materials; we address pre- course inoculations, clothing and equipment, suggested readings, etc. We distribute a “Parent Support Kit”, offer a lot of hand-holding, and process students’ visas and arrange international travel

• On-course: Dragons provides exceptional leadership and mentorship. We run two distinct orientations. We provide language instruction as well as instruction in the arts. We coordinate numerous off-site, intimate learning opportunities

• Post-course: Dragons has a transference curriculum which begins before the student departs and carries through the student’s return home

Pre-course Communication:

o All Dragons students are given hard-copies of our country-specific preparation materials and a “Parent Support Kit”, which helps answer questions parents may have about what to expect. We also send out a Program Reader with recently published articles that address the country’s most germane development issues.

o We begin an on-line blog catered to each specific group in which instructors and support person nel post letters-of-introduction and provide useful program updates

o Dragons books all international flights out of a gateway city.

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o Dragons facilitates all visas or provides full instructions when it is necessary for students to obtain visas on their own.

On-course Structure:

o Dragons runs a student orientation for each course at the start of the course in which we conduct a one-on-one health interview and we go over a safety curriculum with a check list to address gender issues, GI problems, lost and alone procedures, and Dragons Red Rules. Students are also introduced to cultural dos and don’ts and are given further lessons on how to stay healthy and safe.

o If completing a service project, Dragons liaises with the local community to get students involved in suitable work projects. Dragons’ personnel work closely with the students and with the project man agers to ensure that the students are actively engaged in meaningful and fulfilling work.

o If staying in a homestay, Dragons liaises with the local community to provide safe, engaging, and meaningful homestay experiences for all the students. Dragons sets up a relationship with the homestay families prior to the course. Dragons instructors visit each homestay family both before and during the homestay experience to ensure safety.

o Dragons provides daily instruction on language and on themed topics: art, history, anthropology, religion, development issues, etc.

o Dragons provides guest lectures throughout the course with local experts covering a range of development issues.

o Dragons facilitates all in-country travel.

o Dragons’ program staff meet regularly with students and chaperones to discuss adjustment issues, project work, etc. On birthdays and festival days, Dragons on-site staff bring together the commu nity of students for special celebrations

o Throughout the program, students and administrators post notes onto the program blog, keeping parents and loved-ones appropriately updated. (This significantly reduces parent stress.)

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Post Course Transference

o Dragons has developed a “transference” curriculum to prepare students for their reentry, and to enable students to carry forward the work that they have done on-course. There is a course wind- down that begins prior to the course conclusion and sometimes involves travel to a retreat space outside of the main program area.

o Dragons has also prepared transference documents that are mailed to participants and to their parents.

o Dragons has initiated a web-site with Community Shared Resources to connect alumni with each other and with instructors in the Dragons community.

What kind of ongoing monitoring and evaluation do you have in place to ensure the continued quality of your programs, including participants’ effectiveness in their given project assignments? What feedback do you solicit from participants after their engagement in your programs?

Synopsis:

• Dragons cultivates a culture of communication and trains field staff in communication strategies

• Dragons admission process is designed to get students to open up and discuss their personal histories as well as their goals and fears for the course

• Dragons has developed a “safety curriculum check list” which all groups must attend to at the beginning of their experience

• All courses begin with a group contract in which students reaffirm their goals and recommit to the success of their program by identifying acceptable and unacceptable behaviors: green (I’ll try a new food each day;) yellow (I won’t whine;) and red (I won’t violate a rule which will get me expelled.)

• Course instructors meet with students one-on-one at regular intervals, using the admissions process feedback and group contract as a point of contrast to evaluate the students’ progress

• Students fill out on-line feedback that goes directly to our administration (at end-of-program)

Dragons cultivates a culture of open communication and feedback. On each program, we gather students together for regular sharing and debriefing. We provide our field staff with specific training and instructional materi-als to enable them to most effectively communicate with their students, to evince their students’ needs, to properly assess their students’ progress, and to provide useful feedback for growth and further success. In addition we pre-scribe the following formal feedback:

• A Group Contract that is written during the students in-country orientation; this document articulates the group’s collective goals and establishes preferred and unacceptable personal and collective behaviors during the experience. 29


• One-on-one meetings with Dragons course instructors; if necessary field-staff then prepare and send to the Boulder office an action plan in which they identify key issues and discuss their strategy for moving forward. The Boulder office responds, and if the situation warrants, the Boulder office gets in touch with family or others who may be able to help redress any particular issue.

• End of program feedback

o Students fill out individual forms to evaluate the quality of their experience, the performance of each instructor, their personal performance, and the quality of their home-stays

o Instructors fill out forms to evaluate the students’ performance

o Parents are solicited for their feedback, with a form that speaks directly to the needs and concerns of parents

Duplicate copies of all feedback are kept on-site and in the Dragons office. All feedback is carefully reviewed by Dragons administrative Program Directors and informs the staffing, content and structure of subsequent courses.

Has your organization offered customized programming for partner organizations?

Synopsis:

• We have a nineteen year history of collaborative work with academic institutions

o Princeton University, Bridge Year Program, India ‘09/’10, ‘10/’11, ‘11/’12

o Hawken School, custom course in Sikkim ‘11

o Nueva School, custom courses in NE India, Senegal, Cambodia, Peru, NW India ’06-‘11

o Choate Rosemary Hall, custom program in NW India ‘10

o Archer School for Girls, custom course in India ’06, ’08, ’10; Guatemala ‘11

o St. Mark’s School of Dallas, custom program in Thailand ‘07

o Lowell Whiteman School, custom course in Bolivia ‘06

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o Seattle Academy, custom course in India ’04, ’05, ‘06

o Wild Women Workshops, custom course in Tibet/India ’03, ‘06

o Greenhill Academy, custom course in China ’03, ’04, ‘05

o Santa Barbara Middle School, custom course in India ‘03

o Los Gatos High School, custom course in Vietnam ‘01

o Baylor School, custom course in India ‘01

o Northfield Mount Herman, custom course in India ‘00

o Sidwell Friends School, custom course in China ’00, ‘01

o Westminster School, custom course in Nepal ‘00

o Branson School, custom course in Tibet ‘99

o Urban School of San Francisco, custom course in Nepal ‘96

o Thacher School, custom course in Nepal ’96, ’98, ‘99

o Cate School, custom course in China ‘93

Shauna Callahan; Marlborough School [email protected]

Kari Morioka; Archer School [email protected]

Liza Raynal; Nueva School [email protected]

Laurel Waterhouse; Choate Rosemary [email protected]

John Luria; Princeton University [email protected]; 609-258-1019

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general terms and Conditions

rESErvaTIonSanDFInanCES

Space on a custom program is secured once we receive an $850 deposit, payable by check only. The application must be signed by the applicant and his/her parent or guardian. We will invoice you for the balance, which is due 80 days prior to departure. Applications filed within 80 days of departure must be accompanied by full payment. There is no final deadline for submitting applications.

Our intention is to create a course that addresses the goals and program elements as outlined by our communica-tion with our partner school. All participants and families are advised to note that course itineraries will change. When changes are made to incorporate student goals and interests, adjust to the health of the group, or made necessary because of foul weather, problems with transportation, political unrest or any other unforeseen problem, we will work to structure the course so that it stays true to its original intent.

CourSETuITIonInCLuDES

1. All hotel accommodation

2. All meals

3. All surface transportation

4. Museum, park, and temple entrance fees

5. Journal packet and comprehensive reading materials

6. Donations to charitable causes in the host country

7. Instructor and extra guide fees

8. On-site equipment rental (e.g. bike rental, snorkel rental etc.)

noTInCLuDED

Personal expenses such as the cost of obtaining passports, visa fees, laundry, medical fees, cost of evacuation, air-port taxes, e-mail, health and travel insurance, extra baggage fees, phone calls, etc.

PLEaSEnoTE

Along with the final program invoice, we will invoice families for the cost of plane tickets. Participants and their families are responsible for any increase in air fares levied by the airlines. All participants are responsible for arrang-ing their own transportation to the port of departure.

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rEFunDPoLICY

There is a $200 non-refundable application processing fee. Once a participant is accepted, there is no refund of deposit. If notice of cancellation is received within 80 days of departure, and if the spot cannot be filled, the participant will forfeit the entire tuition. Any participant who returns home early will not receive a refund. Because Dragons makes over-seas commitments that require non-refundable deposits, the participant deposit of $850 is non-refundable in the event that acts beyond our control intercede with our ability to travel safely overseas.

mEDICaLanDEvaCuaTIonExPEnSES

It is the responsibility of the student and the students’ family to understand the limits of any medical and evacua-tion policy, and to provide up-front payment of emergency services when required.

DraGonSruLESanDrEGuLaTIonS

If a participant acts in a way that is injurious to himself or herself, people of the host country, other participants on the trip, or generally conducts himself or herself in a way that is disruptive to the trip, we reserve the right to send the participant home without refund. Underage use of alcohol and the use of illegal drugs are cause for dismissal. Participants sent home early or who choose to return for any reason, including sickness, personal emergencies or injury, will be responsible for all medical costs, and will absorb travel and related costs associated with an unsched-uled departure.

CanCELEDTrIPS

Dragons reserves the right to cancel any trip if there are insufficient registrations and the trip is not economically feasible. A full refund will be granted for canceled trips that arise out of insufficient registration, though Dragons is not responsible for other costs incurred by clients preparing for the trip. For trips that are canceled due to any other event that is beyond our control, Dragons will refund all tuition less the original deposit of $850.

TravELDoCumEnTS

Applicant must be in possession of a valid passport for international travel, complete with usable visa pages. The date of expiry must be beyond 6 months from the date of course departure. Upon admission to the program, detailed instructions for acquiring appropriate visas will be mailed to the applicant.

HEaLTHrEQuIrEmEnTSanDSaFETYConSIDEraTIonS

Dragons trips are rugged and require good physical conditioning. If you have any questions regarding the physical demands of a program, please call. All participants are responsible for submitting to us a completed health form that is signed by a physician, and that completely and accurately represents the current mental and physical well-being of the participant. Dragons instructors have the right to disqualify any member from the group if considered medically necessary, and will do so if a participant or family member falsely represents the student in interviews, the application, the participant’s health form, or any other required paperwork. In the event of a medical emer-

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gency, Dragons will attempt to procure medical treatment; however, we assume no liability regarding provision of medical care. Applicants are urged to check their insurance coverage for its adequacy when outside of their own country, or to purchase travel health insurance. While Dragons offers a pro-rated evacuation policy there is no cov-erage for hospitalization, and all course participants are advised to have procure catastrophic overseas medical insurance if not covered by their current policy.

LImITaTIonSoFLIaBILITY

Participants and their parents will be required to read and sign an “Acknowledgment and Assumption of Risk and Release and Indemnity Agreement” prior to participating in our program.

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“If you ever find yourself wondering if you made the right decision going on your trip, stand true. If you come into this program with integrity, intention, and a desire to be immersed in the culture you are visiting... Dragons is right for you. You will be pushed and not everything with fit, but when you come to the end of your course you will find that you have changed. You will find yourself a new person, a person that can adapt to any situ-ation, talk to any person, and can find beauty in anything. Along with deepening your senses for sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell, you will find you have gained an extra sense. The sense for that of the human heart. You will be able to express and experience everything you do for the rest of your life with your heart, the true universal language.”

-Seann, student on the Mekong Semester ‘11

thank you for your interest in custom programs!

Simon Hart

Director of Custom Partnerships and Professional Programming

[email protected]

303-413-0822 ext 13

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Documents

Where There Be Dragons Custom Programming