March 14, 2011: We are now closely monitoring the situation with the damaged nuclear reactors. If there is any possibility of harmful radiation exposure in or near the areas our delegations will be traveling, be assured that we will not move forward with the itineraries as planned.
- With the resulting reduced power production and the available power being redirected to focus on rescue efforts, rolling blackouts have become a regular part of life for people throughout all of Japan.
- We are working closely with our partners on the ground to understand the situation and make informed decisions with our primary focus being the well-being of our delegates and leaders. We expect to make a final decision on changing our Japan itineraries or not by April 1st.
- This afternoon we have a conference call scheduled with our primary leaders currently assigned to the Japan delegations so that we apprise them of the situation; and engage in a dialogue with them to hear any personal concerns as well as anything they are hearing from families. Following that call, we will be sending regular communications (including here) so that all the families with students scheduled to travel to Japan are well informed about our approach to this situation.
Stay tuned for additional updates.
Mike
Michael J. Bowers joined People to People Ambassador Programs, the leader in global educational travel experiences, in 2008 as Senior Director, Health & Safety. As the only educational travel organization to employ a full-time director of travel health and safety, People to People Ambassador Programs solidifies its position as a safety leader in the tour operations market.
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Thank you for the amazing conference call. I am so impressed with your connections with the state department and the Japanese government. Continue to keep us posted! Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteJohn, thanks for your feedback. The call was a great opportunity to share what we know and even more importantly to receive feedback from the leaders who are speaking directly to the families. Stay tuned to this page as we will be updating the blog on a regular basis with current news about situation in Japan.
ReplyDeleteSo will you be sharing the updates from the call?
ReplyDeleteLet's keep the communication going.
Thanks
Thank you for keeping us updated. As a parent of a first time delegate, I am obviously concerned. However your open and honest communication is building confidence, that you will do what is right for our children.
ReplyDeleteWith the radiation exposure currently happening in Japan, I would prefer my child to be moved to another trip taking place in Europe as opposed to an Asian trip.
ReplyDeleteBonnie, thanks for taking the time to comment. My youngest son is traveling this so I too have a first time delegate. Clearly we just want to make the best decision for everyone. We believe we need the next week or two to ensure we have the best information to make an educated decision.
ReplyDeleteWe understand there are concerns parents have with reports related to possible radiation exposure. We share those same concerns. If at the decision point no more than two weeks from now, that is still a concern, you can rest assured we will not be traveling to Japan and alternatives will be in place. Our desire is to allow time for the events to unfold and credible information collected so that we can an informed decision. This is not a decision we take lightly and it is one we want to make after working with the leaders and families. Rest assured, if there is a threat to the health and safety of any delegate or leader, we will not travel to that location.
ReplyDeleteI do thank you for the update..I would agree with Anonymous, I would like to see it moved, or give them the chance to go somewhere next year..I understand it is probably to late to let them go somewhere else..I also understand you are working hard to find out what exactly is going on and I know you can not always go by the Media, but the keep saying Tokoyo is affected.. There are fires and possible radiation headed that way.. I was nervous before, but now I'm a nervous wreck.
ReplyDeleteThis is an absolutely horrible time for Japan.
ReplyDeleteWe, as parents of ambassadors, must make the decision of whether our child will or will not travel to Japan. We should also take this opportunity to show our sons/daughters that we as Americans must reach out to Japan with prayer, monetary contributions, and friendship. To say...you are not alone!
Joe, we will be holding another conference call for all Primary leaders today at 4:30pm PST to share new and important updates. Look for the email announcing the call and call in. Look forward to talking with you then.
ReplyDeleteDear Monica, one of the benefits of working with our organization is that we do have the ability to offer alternatives when an event like this comes up. Due to airline availability and other factor, the choices may be limited and we are working diligently now on finding those answers. Today we have made some important decisions and will be releasing announcements prior to noon PST today. So please come back to the blog for updates as well as check your email and voice mail. We will use all of these channels to communicate to families and leaders today. In addition, be careful when reviewing all the media. Yesterday there was not a lot of new news so most of what was published came from anti-nuclear groups and pro-nuclear groups. Each group lines up specialists. Some make the situation to be worst then it currently is and some try to make it sound better. The fact is Japan is facing a major crisis and our thoughts and prayers go out to a wonderful country. Rest assured, we will keep your student safe.
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ReplyDeleteDear Monica and SC Parent. This is an update to my earlier reply to both of you. A communication will now go out to parents after the call with the Japan primary leaders later this afternoon. Also I deleted my fist response to SC Parent thinking I could update it but I found that isn't an option in the blog control panel. Below is my original response to SC Parent as posted.
ReplyDeleteDear SC Parent, Thank you for your kind words. As I stated to Monica, we have made decisions and we will be communicating with families today no later than 12 noon PST. Please come back to this blog for updates and follow-up posts.