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Applications for the next round (summer 2008)
are due Nov. 16, 2007.

GEM awards cover all project costs including transportation, room and board,
supplies, and medical insurance -- typically $3,000 - $4,000.

Click here to download an application form.

 Application

 Eligibility

 Health issues

 Language

 More on countries

 News & other info

 Obligations

  - Assignments

  - Conduct

 Passports & visas

 Proposal writing

 Projects

  - Sustainability

 Safety & crises

 Timeline

 Travel & budgets

  - Carbon offsets

  - Electricity

  - Exchange rates

 Weather

ELIGIBILITY:

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GEM Student Ambassadors must:

·        be students in good standing at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) with declared majors in the College of Natural Resources (CNR);

·        participate in orientation sessions the semester before the ambassadorship is to take place;

·        enroll at UWSP during the semester(s) in which the ambassadorship takes place, generally with at least one independent study or internship credit, which is typically assigned an incomplete until all assignments are completed and turned in at least 2 weeks prior to the end of the semester following the ambassadorship;

·        enroll at UWSP the semester following the ambassadorship.

Note: If you do not meet the above criteria, but still wish to learn more about the program and/or the projects, please feel free to contact GEM Communications Coordinator Ron Tschida.

TIMELINE:

·        Application deadline:  Nov. 16, 2007. 

·        Time commitment: Ambassadorships of 2 months or more are encouraged, but may last anywhere from a minimum of about 8 weeks to several months or more depending on the destination, specific projects, actual costs, and student schedules. 

·        Ambassadorship schedule: Although ambassadorships may take place any semester, the actual dates depend on project particulars and student schedules; most ambassadorships take place during the summer months.

·        Completion: Students must complete and submit all project deliverables two weeks prior to the end of the semester following the field experience.

PROJECTS:

GEM Ambassadorships are designed around the GEM mission of pioneering and applying practical learning methods and technology to solve natural resource problems by linking faculty, students, and citizens worldwide. For more information on the GEM concept, please review the introductory material HERE and HERE.

Note that "sustainability" is a major theme throughout the GEM literature. GEM and its partners have forged alliances based on their common and complementary commitments to building more livable and durable societies through sustainable, equitable resource management. Students will typically work with GEM's foreign partners with the priority locations shifting somewhat each funding cycle according to GEM's changing project needs.

In 2007, GEM sent students to China, India, Kenya, Guatemala, and South Africa. In 2008, GEM plans to send students to India and Kenya.

Once a student is admitted into the program and a project has been defined, GEM will determine the most appropriate advising arrangements.

• For more details on GEM's foreign opportunities click HERE

• For examples of previously funded projects click HERE.

• For additional information contact GEM Communications Coordinator Ron Tschida via EMAIL, by telephone at 715-346-4266, or in room 269 CNR.

PASSPORTS & VISAS: 

GEM Student Ambassadorships will require a passport and perhaps a visa, which is simply a stamp in the passport issued by the host country’s diplomatic office (Consulate or Embassy) in the U.S. or at the airport upon arrival. Because obtaining a passport can take up to six weeks, you should begin the process well in advance of your scheduled departure, if you do not already have one. Visas may add even more time to the process, so act quickly. For advice on obtaining a passport, contact CNR International Programs Coordinator Bobbi Kubish.

• To obtain a passport through the U.S. State Department click HERE.

• To locate governmental passport service centers by zip code click HERE.

• For online private-sector passport services with additional fees click HERE or HERE.

To obtain a visa for China, you must deliver your passport in person through a courier service, which GEM will facilitate, along with an application, appropriate photos (see below), evidence of your international transportation, and a processing fee.

Visas for Kenya are issued at the airport in Nairobi.

·         Note: historically some countries did not require passports for Americans to enter, but with tighter security today all GEM Student Ambassadors are required to carry a passport for foreign travel. Some countries also require a visa regardless of the length of stay, while others require visas for extended stays (e.g., over 90 days), while still others require a "tourist document" of some form (often called a "tourist card," typically issued at the airport) for shorter stays (e.g., of less than 30 or 90 days depending on the country).

·         If applying for your first passport or to replace a lost, stolen, or mutilated passport, your application will require a copy of a certified birth certificate that can be acquired from the courthouse in the county of your birth.

·         If you have a passport, be sure that it will be valid for the duration of your stay abroad and for even longer (up to six months after the end of your planned trip), if a visa will also be required.

·         Current fees for obtaining a passport are as follows:

o        $67 for a renewal by mail with an expired passport that is in good condition

o        $97 for a first passport or to replace a lost, stolen, or mutilated passport

o        $60 in addition to the above fees are required for expedited services from the U.S. government

o        Renewals by mail also require that you supply return express postage

o        Private sector firms charge the government fees plus additional fees.

·         Click HERE for information by country on entry requirements (including passports, visas, and tourist cards) for Americans from the U.S. State Department or HERE for more up to date information from a private sector firm specializing in travel.

·         Check the diplomatic office websites of the countries to be visited for additional information. For current GEM partners see the following:

o        Africa: Kenya, South Africa

o        Americas: Guatemala, Mexico, Peru

o        Asia: China, India

·         Passport and visa photographs must meet certain criteria (e.g., 2 identical 2" x 2" photos). Acceptable photos can be acquired on UWSP's campus (click HERE for information) or off-campus at retail stores with passport photograph services. (Check the phone book for places with passport photograph services like Walgreen.)

Travel Document Systems provides additional information on travel documents.

Embassy World provides additional information on diplomatic offices for most countries.

BIRD FLU Pandemic?

HEALTH & WELLNESS ISSUES:

While traveling abroad, it is important to be aware of, and prepared to deal with a wide range of health concerns including food- and water-borne illnesses (like travelers' diarrhea and cholera), insect-borne diseases like malaria (briefs HERE & HERE & report HERE) and yellow fever, emerging threats like avian influenza (bird flu), altitude sickness, UV radiation exposure, and accidents. It is essential that you consult your physician or other qualified healthcare professionals and health insurance providers for relevant information on preventative and curative medications and behaviors, immunizations, dealing with pre-existing medical conditions, health insurance coverage outside the U.S.,* and seeking healthcare while abroad.

A pre-departure health advising session for all ambassadors with UWSP Health Services is required, where information will be provided and recommendations made. Appropriate immunizations will then be made available through UWSP Heath Services, if possible. 

For additional information on the web about diseases and general health concerns around the world see the:

·        Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Announcements

·        CDC's Country listings

·        CDC's Yellow Book for international travel

·        U.S. State Department's page on medical information for travelers

·        World Health Organization.

55,000 die in Pakistan earthquake

Tsunami relief work

(Map)

SAFETY & HAZARD ISSUES:

Traveling often poses many risks including those related to accidents, crime, disease, violence, and weather events and other natural phenomena including hazards associated with plants and animals. GEM recommends that travelers consult the U.S. State Department's Current Travel Warnings and general country reports for relevant information on such risks and its page on Preparing for Emergencies and Crises. GEM's staff also makes every attempt to keep apprised of circumstances related to heath, safety, and well-being especially in GEM's partner countries.

Petty theft unfortunately is common in many areas and foreigners are often targets. Opportunistic thieves may lurk anywhere, but often frequent bus stations. Be aware of people who offer to "assist" you with your baggage as you board. They will often place your bags in overhead storage in front of where you are seated and when the opportunity presents itself, they will grab your bags and depart, typically while their associates are creating a diversion behind you. Another tactic is to grab bags from exterior compartments while you are still on board. If you place large bags in compartments with exterior access, be sure to monitor them until departure and during all stops en route and as soon as you reach your final destination. Always keep your valuables and passport on your person and lock all baggage.

Traffic, yes traffic. In many parts of the United States pedestrians have the right-of-way and most motorists respect this fact. In some parts of the world, however, motorists are not accustomed to yielding to pedestrians. Moreover, traffic laws are less often enforced and traffic-related injuries and fatalities occur at a much higher rate than in the U.S. It is, therefore, essential to be alert near roads and to always yield to traffic and drive with extreme caution if you drive.

U.S. State Department country reports for current GEM partners:

 · Africa: Kenya, South Africa

 · Americas: Guatemala

 · Asia: China, India

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Additional information:

 · Institute for War and Peace Reporting

 · AlertNet (Alerts on current world emergencies)

Stronger hurricanes?

Are they affected by global warming?

More environmental refugees

TRAVEL RELATED ARRANGEMENTS & BUDGETS:

Once accepted into the program, GEM staff will help students:

·         with round-trip travel arrangements;

·         decide on the best registration options (e.g., independent study or internship) and number of credits;

·         prepare a budget with cost estimates for all aspects of the experience including accommodations, food, insurance, supplies, transportation, and project deliverables;

·         prepare for keeping accurate records for cost payments and reimbursements.

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Currency & Exchange Rates:

Carbon Dioxide Offsets: 

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the principle anthropogenic gas that is enriching atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, thereby enhancing nature's greenhouse effect causing human-induced climate change including global warming. People have the option to purchase "carbon offsets" to mitigate the CO₂ emissions associated with their lives. Several organizations provide information on carbon offsets including:

For an article (PDF format) that compares the effectiveness of sequestering carbon through reforestation with carbon avoidance through the use of natural gas rather than coal click HERE.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS AND RESOURCES:

Although the GEM Student Ambassador Program values and encourages cultural immersion experiences that involve foreign language skill development, it also recognizes that not all students are prepared to communicate in languages other than English. Therefore, most GEM partners can accommodate English speakers. 

Three of the destinations (Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru), however, are best served by students with Spanish proficiency. As such, ambassadorships to these locations provide optional intensive language study as part of the experience — the costs of which can be covered by the GEM-SAP award. Moreover, the GEM staff will assist students find resources to gain familiarity with any and all relevant languages.

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Online Language Resources:

*NOTE: Online translators are excellent tools, but are far from perfect. They are good at helping one translate to and from English, but they tend to translate word for word, they cannot make word choices, and they are not always good with sentence structure. You must, therefore, carefully scrutinize the results of the passages that you translate with online translators; if you do not edit the translated passages, the results may be inaccurate, hard to decipher, and/or silly sounding. Microsoft Word, while not a translator, will correct spelling and some grammar if you write in a foreign language just as it does when you compose in English, if it is so enabled.

Goodwill

Enthusiasm

Mastery

Peace

Conduct - GEM Student Ambassadors are obligated to: 

·         remember that they are ambassadors of UWSP, Wisconsin, and the United States;

·         behave as guests — be courteous, diplomatic, gracious, honorable, humble, patient, professional, and respectful and tolerant of socio-cultural differences;

·         dress appropriately (i.e., conservatively and consistent with cultural norms to the extent possible — e.g., wearing long pants where appropriate even in hot climates);

·         be considerate and sensitive of subjects' feelings when taking photographs — get to know people and ask for permission before taking pictures of people and their surroundings;

·         be open to unfamiliar foods — be safe, but be brave and remember that "if a culture likes it, it must be good;"

·         refrain from activities that detract from or are not a part of the funded project without approval from the host supervisor and GEM staff;

·         seek permission from GEM staff for any travel away from the project site and understand that any personal travel done before or after the official start and end dates of the project are not covered by the GEM grant;

·         avoid political advocacy and other activities deemed inappropriate;

·         actively cultivate the GEM-CNR/partner relationship and general community goodwill, peace, and understanding;

·         remember that they are traveling to learn and to help as much as possible, but not necessarily to be the "expert."

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

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Country Information:

Environmental News & Information: