Natural events in the news—Grimsvotn Volcano and Mt. Etna

We are tracking recent volcanic events. Here's the latest:

The eruption by Iceland’s Grimsvotn volcano does not have any current impact on any of our programs. We will continue to monitor the situation into the summer travel season to determine any potential impact upon our flight plans for students headed to Europe. This year, the European air system has a much more developed and organized system than last year, which should help minimize any large scale flight disruptions like we saw last year when another Icelandic volcano erupted. [Update -Eurocontrol, Europe's air traffic agency, offers more information on its website.]

Secondly, Italy's Mount Etna became active for the second time this year. It is our understanding that there was some limited localized impact due to falling ash in the town of Catania and surrounding uninhabited areas. While the local airport closed temporarily, there was neither damage nor personal injuries. Prior to this eruption, the most recent activity happened back on January13, 2011. Before that, Mount Etna hadn't experienced any major volcanic activity since 1992.

• While People to People Ambassador Programs has several itineraries that visit Italy each year, only one (Modern and Ancient Civilizations) has any activity located in the extreme southern region of Italy where the volcano is located.
  
  
• Currently, that itinerary is scheduled to visit the area around Mount Etna for only one day during the program. If any adjustment is needed to ensure the safety of our delegates as we draw closer to the summer departure dates, we will reach out to those leaders and families of students traveling on the Modern and Ancient Civilizations program and inform them of the itinerary adjustment.
  
  
• The next closest itineraries (Journey through the Ages and European Odyssey) are over 350 miles away with Naples as the most southern destination. We do not anticipate any impact on these programs, but will obviously continue to monitor the situation.
  

As always, I wish you all safe travels and a healthy life!

Mike Bowers


Senior Director of Health & Safety

Natural Disaster Devastates Japan

As you have probably heard, Japan was rocked by the most powerful earthquake in its history, resulting in an extremely damaging tsunami reaching from the Pacific Rim to the Pacific coast of the US.

For those that have students traveling to Japan this summer, we want to let you know that at this time our program itineraries do not appear to be impacted. We will continuously follow the events as they unfold to ensure this holds true and will quickly reach out to all families in the event the situation does change. [Update: 3/14/11 - We have an update on the nuclear reactor situation. Please continue to check this blog for additional updates.]

• Early indications show that the region to the north and east of Tokyo were the primary targets for Earthquake and Tsunami damage.
  
  
• People To People Student Ambassador programs are primarily focused to the south of Tokyo in areas that appear to thus far have been unaffected by today’s disaster.
  
  
• The two maps below are provided to help you gain sense of the locations of the earthquake and the tsunami. The first map shows the area impacted. The second shows a map of the locations the student visit. Our People To People representatives in Tokyo were quick to inform us that all was well and that their offices and staff in Tokyo were not impacted.



Areas Affected:

Asia Land Routes by Itinerary

Land of the Rising Sun Itinerary

Treasures of Japan Itinerary

This is the latest in a string of natural events that have occurred. Over the past couple of months we have provided guidance on the steps we take to ensure our delegations are safe when traveling to countries that have experienced a catastrophic event. A few recent examples are the earthquake that hit Christchurch in New Zealand, the temporary suspension of travel to Egypt, and the flooding and cyclone that struck our friends in Australia. Now once again we are witnessing an event in a country we plan to visit, Japan.

Earthquakes are not uncommon. Living on the west coast most of my life, I have personally experienced them. The last one happened just after I got off the airplane in Seattle on Wednesday February 28^th, 2001. It was one of the most powerful earthquakes to hit Seattle in over a half century. At the time I was attending the University of Washington to earn my Master's Degree and suddenly I had a flashback to my old school days and our teachers drilling us on what to do when an earthquake strikes. Knowing what to do and how to reduce the chance of being hurt, helped me through that event. With that in mind and with so many earthquakes in the news this year, I thought I would provide a refresher to educate your student and yourself on safety hints during such an event.

Earthquake Safety Procedures

The State Department sent this information out this morning to remind all Americans of this important guidance.

The American Red Cross recommends that in the event of aftershocks, persons should move to open spaces away from walls, windows, buildings, and other structures that may collapse, and should be alert to the danger of falling debris. If you are indoors, DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON: If possible, seek cover under a sturdy desk or table, hold on, and protect your eyes by pressing your face against your arm. If there is no table or desk nearby, sit on the floor against an interior wall away from windows, bookcases or tall furniture that could fall on you. Avoid damaged buildings and downed power lines. Great care should be used with matches, lighters, candles, or any open flame due to the possibility of disrupted gas lines.

(Disclosure: I am certified instructor for the Red Cross)

Also today our good friends and partners at On-Call International provided these insights into precautions a person should take when a Tsunamis is fore-casted:

Tsunamis can rapidly flood coastal areas with devastating results. Areas at greatest risk are those less than 25 ft/8 m above sea level and within 1 mi/1.6 km of the shoreline. If you're in a coastal area when an earthquake that lasts 20 seconds or longer occurs, first protect yourself from the earthquake: Drop, cover, and hold on. When the shaking stops, move quickly to higher ground away from the coast.

If you are on the beach and the water suddenly and dramatically recedes from the shoreline, a tsunami may be imminent. The approaching wave may be visible as a churning line of foamy water, but it may not be visible at all until it strikes. Don't delay to collect belongings: Run for higher ground immediately, or climb to the highest floor of a multistory, well-built building. Be careful to avoid downed power lines, and stay away from buildings and bridges from which heavy objects might fall during an aftershock. A last-ditch survival tactic is to climb as high as you can into a sturdy tree or climb onto the roof of a building. Tsunamis often occur as multiple waves of varying size, so do not return to an affected area until you're certain the danger has passed.

As an international organization dedicated to building bridges with people around the world, we at People to People Ambassador Programs feel a connection with the tragedy unfolding in Japan. We have a strong presence in Japan, and what happens to Japan happens to us. Our thoughts and prayers are with our friends and the families affected by the earthquake, tsunami and their aftermath.

Several organizations are coming to the aid of Japan, including the American Red Cross, if you are interested in donating to rescue and relief efforts.

I wish you all safe travels and a healthy life!

Mike Bowers
Senior Director of Health & Safety

People to People Carefully Monitoring Tragic Events in the South Pacific

Our friends in the south Pacific have had more than their share of challenges in the last few months, including the floods and cyclone cyclone Uasi that impacted several cities in Northeast Australia earlier this month. We are carefully monitoring the current situation surrounding the earthquake in New Zealand to determine if the events unfolding might impact our students in any way during the upcoming travel season.

Immediately following news of the earthquake, we prepared frequently asked questions (FAQs) that were provided to all of our delegate support associates. Our objective was to be as prepared as possible for the questions parents may have regarding their children’s future travel plans.

Here is what we know right now:

The earthquake has mainly affected Christchurch and surrounding areas, located on New Zealand’s South Island. The majority of People to People’s itinerary destinations in New Zealand, are unaffected by the earthquake. We will assess the damage to any activity locations however at this point we know highlights for each itinerary will remain the same. The Schedule of Activities will be posted at 60 days prior to departure and will reflect the final itinerary for each If that situation should change in anyway, we would quickly reach out to all parents of students who are planning to travel to New Zealand with any updates regarding alternate programs or cancellations and details on the refunds provided.

The following is an outline of the approach we take in evaluating the impact of natural disasters or other events that may impact the safety of People to People programs:

How We Handle Disasters


• The most important thing for you to know as parents is that if an event poses a risk to your child’s safety or health, we would not hesitate to cancel or reschedule the program.
  
  
• When a safety threat occurs, key representatives of the organization are immediately notified. We typically receive information from one of the many partners we work with around the world as well as from a government organizations like the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) at the US State Department. Once we have knowledge we immediately seek additional relative information from our partners within that country.
  
  
• We then work with our partners to determine if an event will have lasting repercussions that may require changes to our itinerary. If necessary, we devise plans to off-set any scheduling or itinerary changes that may be needed.
  
  
• Even if a situation appears stabilized, we prepare for the worst case scenario. Our primary concern is for the health and safety of our student travelers as well as our staff traveling with them. We will take every precaution to be prepared to respond in any possible scenario.

[Updated] Should we have any delegates actually traveling on program, we initiate a fully planned, rigorous safety plan run by a duty officer and managed by our 24/7 OnCall center, which coordinates with key executives. We have successfully implemented this plan for events such as the London Bombing, where we had accounted for the safety of all our delegates and made alternate arrangements for them before many parents even knew of that event. [End of Update]

I hope knowing that we take each of these situations very seriously helps ease any concerns a parent might have with regard to our upcoming itinerary in New Zealand. My son will be traveling there this summer and he is extremely excited. He has started reading the newspaper to stay current as the events down under unfold. I am confident that our team at People to People Ambassador Programs is prepared to address any safety threat that may present itself. Together with our health and safety team?, I spend 100% of my day looking out for the health and safety of every student we send on a life changing adventure with People to People Ambassador Programs.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the 75 people known to have perished in this most recent tragic earthquake and we wish gods-speed to the more than 400 rescuers from Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Stated, and Britain who are searching for the remaining missing.

As always, I wish you all safe travels and a healthy life!


Mike Bowers
Senior Director of Health & Safety

People to People temporarily suspends programs in Egypt

We carefully monitor events around the world as they arise. From natural disasters such as I recently blogged about (Australia Delegation Safe: We Keep on Eye on Disaster) to the current political events in several Middle Eastern countries, we actively plan to ensure the safety of all our participants on all our programs.

Our decisions are driven by the intelligence and guidance provided to us multiple times each day from the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) and the U.S. State Department, as well as from the U.S. Embassy’s around the world. We match that to our own intelligence from on the ground through our partners, and our staff makes decisions daily to determine if we cancel, alter or move forward with our planned itineraries.

Part of our plan in evaluating the situation is being diligent in our communication to readers such as yourself.

While our student programs do not travel to the Middle East region, our Citizen Ambassador Program, geared to professionals, does.

Ultimately, we have decided that Egypt presents too great a risk and have canceled our currently scheduled programs there.

Part of our expertise is an analysis of the situations at the country level, understanding the sharp differences of the situation can exist in the same region. Therefore while, we are canceling our currently scheduled programs to Egypt, we are planning on continuing our Citizen program in Jordan and Israel.

At the current time the activities taking place in Jordan, although similar in nature, do not appear to pose the same potential threat as those taking place, as I write, in Egypt. The demonstrations in Jordan are much smaller and have remained peaceful. Some organizations have shifted travel to Jordan from Egypt.

There have not been any active demonstrations in Israel – Israel is a democratically elected government and while they are naturally impacted by the perception of what is happening in Egypt and Jordan there is no direct link. Clearly our Executive Task force will continue to remain focused on the events taking place in these countries and at any point conditions were to change and pose a potential risk to our travels, we will not hesitate to cancel the program and refund those participants who have enrolled.

Part of the decision making process may also include working strategically with the delegation leaders to consider moving to a different region of the world should the current situation change.

The bottom line is that if it is not safe, we will not travel to that destination. That core philosophy applies to every program that People to People offers whether it is a student program or a professional program like the Citizen Ambassadors. We will not travel anyone if their safety and health is at risk, no matter what the cost to our organization to cancel such a program.

We continue to remain in constant communication with our partners in the Middle East. We are hopeful that our good friends and colleagues in Egypt remain safe and we look forward to re-opening our programs to Egypt in the not too distant future once it becomes safer. Safety is our first goal, but our mission is to heal wounds and bridge cultural and political borders through education and exchange, making the world a better place for future generations.


As always, I wish you all safe travels and a healthy life!
Mike Bowers

Senior Director of Health & Safety

Australia Delegation Safe: We Keep an Eye on Disaster

Every year about this time we hear of some catastrophic event happening around the world. When it involves a country or a city we plan to visit during our travel season, we jump into action.

This year the flood in eastern Australia has demanded our attention, and the attention of families of students who plan to participate in one of our Australia delegations this summer.

Fortunately it appears now that the Australia programs will not be negatively impacted by the floods over the past several weeks. With the exception of the town of Horsham, the latest reports indicate the worst may be over and the water levels have started to subside.

From the information we have gathered from our partners, all major attractions will still be visited. We are also exploring opportunities for our students to engage in some form of community service to support our friends in Australia later this summer.

How We Handle Disasters
I’ve said this before but it never hurts to repeat it: If an event poses a risk to your child’s safety or health, we would not hesitate to cancel or reschedule the program to remove that threat.

When traveling to over 60 countries on all seven continents, something seems to come up each year that requires our immediate and full assessment of the potential impact.

Based on current events in Australia, I thought I would take a moment to share with you what steps we do take to ensure the safety of our students and to ensure the destinations in question are suitable to visit.

• When an event happens, key representatives of the organization are immediately notified. Sometimes the information comes to us directly from one of the many partners we work with around the world and sometime from a government organization like the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) at the US State Department.
  
  
• Once we have knowledge we immediately seek more relative information from our partners within that country.
  
  
• We then work with our partners to determine if an event will have lasting repercussions or if our itinerary can stay intact. If necessary, we devise plans to off-set any scheduling or itinerary changes that may be needed. In the case of Australia, early indications seem to indicate there will be no alternation to the scheduled programs. (If anything, we may have to change sites planned to see Koala Bears or something to that extent.)
  
  
• We then bring a team of executives together to evaluate the alternatives. Last year we were faced with the ash cloud over Europe caused by the volcano in Iceland. In that case the out-come was less clear at the point the volcano erupted, so our executive team went to great lengths to plan how students would be housed and transported to and from Europe with special emphasis on designing a program that would never leave a student alone. As you can imagine, that plan was very detailed and in the end, it wasn’t used. The ash passed and the event did not impact our programs.
  
  
• Even if a situation appears stabilized, we prepare for the case if a problem worsens or materializes as we forecasted. In 2009 we had a similar plan when we heard of the first reported case of Swine flu in Mexico. We had no way of forecasting the magnitude that event achieved but we planned none the less. In that case the plan was executed and worked well to protect the interest of our students and their families.

I hope knowing that we take each of these situations very seriously helps ease any concerns a parent might have for allowing their child to visit Australia. My son will be traveling there this summer and he is extremely excited. He has also started reading the newspaper to stay current as the events down under unfold. We are excited, too, because we know People to People Ambassador Programs goes to great lengths to make sure students are going to be safe and not impacted by these tragedies.

In the meantime, our hearts go out to those families impacted by this historical event and most especially to our close friends and partners who we work with to deliver our unique life changing experiences in Australia.



As always, I wish you all safe travels and a healthy life!

Mike Bowers
Senior Director of Health & Safety

Preparations for a Fantastic 2010 Season

I can’t help but be excited about the launch of our 2010 travel season, and I’m sure you are all feeling the same way around your own homes. It all starts for us in just 8 days as our first delegations depart on June 2!

All of us here in our Spokane program offices, along with our many partners that we work closely with around the world, are very busy putting the final touches on our programs in preparation for the summer travel season. To get ready for the travel season we’ve put in hours of preseason training just to make sure we are on top of every aspect of the travel experience. We also spend a great deal of time preparing for the less–likely and unexpected events that occasionally pop up while on program so that we are ready for most anything.

Annual Leader University
A big preseason training opportunity happened just a few weeks ago when we invited all of our area directors and many teacher leaders to Spokane for our Annual Leader University. Each area director is responsible for a number of leaders within their region or home area. These people recruit, train, and manage their assigned leaders throughout the year. Twice a year, generally in the fall and spring, the area directors bring together all the leaders in their region. Normally the fall training focuses on preparation for the enrollment and interview process for the next season, but much of the training agenda is reserved for sharing best practices, updates on all policy changes, and a review of safety protocols we instill in our leaders. In the spring, the area directors bring all the leaders together for the last group training with a focus on ensuring that every leader is updated on the latest procedural information so that programs go off without a hitch!

This year we expanded our conference to three full days. The first day was dedicated to new area directors. We are pleased to say that most of our area directors have been with us for many years, so the opportunity to step into one of these roles is very limited. Each of these new area directors (ADs) has been a leader on our programs for many years and has earned the privilege of stepping into the area director position. We provide them the additional training before the veteran ADs come to town in order to bring the new area directors up to speed on information they will need to be successful.

The next two days are jampacked with information presented in a train–the–trainer format. A vast amount of information is shared for these ADs to take back to the teacher leaders in their areas. This network of training sessions ensures everyone in the organization - from the president to every single teacher leader - is on the exact same page. At the conference, every single person involved with the management or training of a teacher leader was in the same room hearing the same thing at the same time. We firmly believe that this translates into a higher degree of consistency in how each program operates no matter what part of the world the delegation travels to.

This year we had much new information to share. We conducted training sessions on everything from new changes in 2010 for the Americans with Disabilities Act to how to handle a coaching opportunity with a student who has trouble following the expectations set out prior to the program.

Leading the Way with New Tools
We also introduced new tools like the newly revised Leader Travel Handbook and our GPS–equipped cell phones. Each delegation carries no fewer than four phones on each motor coach: one with our delegation manager, one with the motor–coach driver, and two held by the leaders escorting the students on the program. This year, one of the two phones used by the leaders is equipped with GPS technology. Having this system on our phones allows us to pinpoint within feet exactly where every delegation is at any given point in time. Amazing!

We believe we are the first educational travel organization to introduce this technology on all of programs. Over time, it is our hope that other travel organizations will follow. Clearly, having the ability to know exactly where all delegations are at all times provides our students, their families, and all of us with a greater degree of security and safety for our students and leaders. If an unexpected event were to happen around the world, we could instantly check the locations of our groups and direct them out of harm’s way before a problem developed.

Be Prepared
These events rarely happen, but back in the summer of 2005 there was such an event when a bombing occurred in London. People to People Ambassador Programs had 2,500 students in the U.K. at the time, and, of those, 524 were in the London area. Working with our partners, we were able to quickly inventory every delegation to ensure their well-being and move them all out of the area very quickly. All of this happened in less than 30 minutes! During an event like that, every minute counts, and this is exactly why we have made the investment in the new GPS tracking technology. If a similar event were to happen in the future, we could simply pull up our screen and see exactly where each and every group was located.

With the software developed by Cellhire, our cell–phone–rental partner, we can literally see the road a delegation is standing on with a pin mark bearing the name of the leader who is carrying the phone. By use of phone and SMS messaging, we can then simply provide directions to exit any area that poses any type of threat. We piloted this system last season with great success on approximately 70 programs, and this year we are rolling it out to every group.

This type of phone is also available to rent for the student. Parents can even sign up with Cellhire for a minimal fee and be given access to track their child. By using the street–view option, parents can even see many of the wonderful places students will see! To find out more about phone rentals and the types of equipment available, just go to www.cellhire.com/ambassador. Cellhire has many other phone options, but I have to admit after working with these GPS phones - they are pretty cool!

Until next time, I’m wishing you safe and happy travels,

Mike

Safety First on the Mountain and Abroad

In addition to my duties as the senior director of health and safety for People to People Ambassador Programs, I also deal with health and safety issues in my personal life. Every Friday night, I serve as a ski patroller at Mount Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park. On the mountain, my role is to serve as a friendly host for mountain management, and to respond to any customer who has fallen or is injured. My first introduction to the ski patrol happened when I lived in Minnesota at the famous Buck Hill, where Olympic Gold Medalist Lindsey Vonn got her start.
I bring up Buck Hill not because of the connection to Mrs. Vonn or the many other champions that learned to race on this small hill, but instead to share an important lesson I learned there. This lesson has had a direct impact on what I do today for People to People Ambassador Programs; more specifically, on how our teacher leaders are trained.

That's Not Your Name!
One night, while in the aid room of the Ski Patrol building at Buck Hill, I found myself in conversation with a medical doctor who also happened to be a patroller at Buck Hill. The patroller’s name tag was not the name I knew, and I had to know the reason behind his deception. I asked him, “Why do you have that name on your name tag? That’s not your name!” His answer was that in his daily life he is an orthopedic surgeon, but when he is on the mountain, his role is to perform as a ski patroller, not a doctor. The reason he changed his name tag and went by a completely different name while on duty was his way of reminding himself that he is only to perform the duties and skills a regular patroller is expected to perform.
At the time I didn’t grasp the magnitude of what he was saying; in fact, I found it a little strange. This man possessed the knowledge and skills to perform corrective surgery right on the hill, but deliberately chose not to. In hindsight, I should have known better, as this topic was covered as part of my initial training at Buck Hill, and it came up again when I went through the entire Outdoor Emergency Care Course (OEC) to become a patroller for Mount Spokane.

Leader Roles and Requirements
At People to People Ambassador Programs, our teacher leaders face a similar dilemma. Many of our leaders are school nurses or student counselors in their normal role as a teacher, but when they are on our program they are responsible for the health, safety, and guardianship of your child. In this role they are trained to only perform the duties expected and required of our leaders.

Each of our leaders completes a grueling application process to become a People to People Ambassador Programs teacher leader. This process includes the application process, letters of recommendation, and a background check that must be updated on a regular basis. They must also complete hands-on CPR training annually, a complex set of annual on-line training modules including competency testing, and in-person group training provided by our local area directors. These individuals are highly trained by our organization and bring to the role their countless years of experience in the classroom educating and developing young talent. But if a situation arises on program where a student needs medical attention, or some form of counseling, these teachers will contact our program office and the on-call team that stands ready 24 hours a day, seven days a week to support them and receive guidance on the next steps to be taken. They will most always be instructed to seek professional medical attention so that we know without a doubt how to treat the problem.

Much like the patroller at Buck Hill, a teacher leader may possess the skills to address the more serious issues that come up, but will instead stay within the definition of the role of a teacher leader and in that role, move to expediently transport the student into the professional medical emergency response system (EMS).

Our Policy
At People to People Ambassador Programs, we think this is the best method for handling serious situations, not a small scratch or bump. If something minor needs treatment, a leader will address that situation using one of the travel first-aid kits we provide to each primary leader. The larger situations I am referring to are highly unlikely, yet more serious situations where we want a medical professional’s opinion. Once in the EMS system, we can then leverage our relationship with On-Call International. They provide our organization with interpreters who connect a doctor on the On-Call staff with the physician treating the student abroad. This way, we get accurate and reliable information in a timely manner so that we can keep the family back home informed while ensuring the student is in safe hands.

I’m not saying that any of our teacher leaders has changed his or her name while on program. I’m merely using a rather extreme example to convey my point: our teacher leaders stand ready to respond to any situation. They are highly trained, and in the unlikely event that a serious situation arises, they know to perform to the level required of a teacher leader, and to quickly, calmly, and efficiently transport any student to a medical facility if there is any doubt about the student’s condition.

Until next time, wishing you safe and happy travels!

Mike

Sharing Best Practices: 31st Annual United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA)

People to People Ambassador Programs is a member of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA). In December, USTOA held their 31st annual conference and marketplace in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The weather was incredibly cold at -22 F on Monday of the conference, and I heard the temperature had dropped to -33 F by Tuesday.

The Fairmont Banff Springs was our home from Sunday to Friday. Styled after a Scottish Baronial castle, The Fairmont Banff Springs is located in the heart of Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

History
A small group of California tour operators founded USTOA in 1972. These founding members recognized the need for a unified voice to protect the traveling public, as well as to represent the interests of tour operators. In 1975, USTOA became a national organization with headquarters in New York.

USTOA's motto is "Integrity in Tourism." Accordingly, the association has established some of the highest standards in the industry for their members to follow. Among USTOA's goals is to foster a high level of professionalism within the tour operator industry, a vision shared by all of us here at People to People Ambassador Programs.

The first few days of the conference are reserved for the annual membership meeting and the active member board of directors meeting, which are open to all active members. The majority of the second day is set aside for various workshops designed to improve the knowledge of each individual company. Selected members share their experiences and best practices with all members. The last few days of the conference are set aside for various vendors to speak to active members and share their service offerings.

Crisis Management Planning
I was invited by USTOA to present in two educational conference sessions this year. The first session was titled “Preparedness through Crisis Management Planning.” In this session, I was asked to describe our extensive on-call support system and escalation process. The on-call support system is the process we have in place to support, manage, and ultimately resolve situations that may arise while a student is traveling on one of our programs. I was joined by Rakesh Dewan, director of Worldwide Operations of Tauck World Discovery, who also shared what his organization is doing. The next portion of my presentation was designed to help educate the members on how to take an emergency response template and transform that guide into an effective formal response plan.
Minimizing H1N1's Effect on Travelers
The second training session of the day focused on the current status of the H1N1 pandemic and how organizations can better prepare to minimize the pandemic’s effect on their travelers. The session started off with a very informative global update by Dr. Grant Tarling, chief medical officer for Princess Cruises International. Dr. Tarling leads a shipboard team of 60 doctors and 150 nurses on 30 cruise ships worldwide and is responsible for the medical and public health care provided to 1 million passengers and 20,000 crew members each year. Dr. Tarling highly recommends that everyone get the H1N1 vaccination, especially those under the age of 24. I have had both the H1N1 vaccination and the normal seasonal flu shot, as have my sons and wife.

After Dr. Tarling’s presentation, it was my turn to share the success People to People Ambassador Programs had in 2009 with controlling the number of influenza cases. We had just five total cases, and four occurred on domestic programs. I explained how each member could take specific steps to help an organization better control its chances of eliminating the virus on its programs during the coming year. Based on the feedback we received at the conference, I believe these presentations were timely and of great value to the active members of USTOA.

Our Focus is Health and Safety for All Travelers
Now, you may ask, “Why would People to People Ambassador Programs share its secrets of success with operators who potentially compete for the same customers?” The answer is very simple; our focus is the safety and health of all travelers, whether they are traveling with us or our competition. When we have learned by experience, we feel it is our responsibility to share that information with others in our industry to make international travel safer for all. In return, others become more open to share their successes, and ultimately we end up with a very strong network of experienced, credible operators working closely together for the betterment of all travelers. We believe we need to actively pursue calibration in the industry, and USTOA clearly shares that vision with us.

Next year, USTOA will hold their 32nd annual conference in New Orleans, and we look forward to attending and sharing what we will learn in 2010. I hope we can help all travel-related organizations enhance their health and safety practices, and gain new ideas from our peers as well to ensure the safety of every People to People Ambassador Program delegate. Let’s just hope it is a little warmer then it was this year!

With that, I wish you all safe travels and a healthy life.

Mike

What if a Student Becomes ill on a People to People Ambassador Program?

We are often asked what happens if a student becomes ill on one of our programs, and I thought I'd address the question for you today.

At People to People Ambassador Programs, we teach all leaders to monitor a sick or injured student. What does this mean? Well, it means that we take care of every situation with intelligent and thorough training of our staff, mixed with care and compassion, and we bring in a medical professional as warranted. It means that one of our site staff, leaders, or representatives will stay behind from the day's scheduled activities and will continue to monitor the student frequently to make sure they are comfortable, safe, and well cared for. The leader will also make sure they provide the special meal service the student needs. For a more serious injury or illness, the student is taken to the nearest medical professional for evaluation. If it is determined that the student needs to remain in the hospital overnight, then the leader will stay in the facility overnight as well if permitted by the medical staff.

I had just this situation happen myself while traveling on a Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. last fall. A student arrived on program with the beginning stages of pneumonia, and our leaders realized very quickly that the student was ill. I went with the student in an ambulance, and after immediately notifying the guardian, we spent the next two days together in the hospital. (The student got the bed and I took the unusually uncomfortable semi-reclining chair in the corner of the room.) But I was happy to be there and to make sure the student was safe and as comfortable as possible. In this case, the legal guardian couldn't make it there quickly, and I was happy to serve as a stand-in for them, filling our wait times with video games, card duels and snacks.

What if the Student has a Pre-Existing Condition?
Many of us on staff are parents ourselves and we try to handle each situation with a student as we would our own kids. I know I felt very much that way, as a parent of two sons. My oldest is 17 years old, and at just 23 months old, he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. From that day on, his mother and I have helped with the difficulties of living with this disease. Now, my son gives himself his own shots and performs his own glucose tests. He uses injections as he thinks the insulin pump is too intrusive. At 17, he wants to be like everyone else, and he is finding his own way, so it's difficult to get him to test himself when he should, to take the shot before he eats, and to test after he has given himself a shot to see if the insulin was effective.

Like most teens, he is also a little rebellious and wants his own freedom. And, like most teenagers, he sometimes tries to hide things from us, or keeps important facts to himself. So we end up being a bit of a detective from time to time. They are all trying to learn to be independent adults, finding their own way. But, the truth is, as a parent it is always hard to let go, and I think it is even harder as a parent of a diabetic or a parent with a child with any other illness. But I'll use diabetes as an example here as it is a topic close to me and my family.

What am I doing about it?
With my son in mind, I wrote a very comprehensive Diabetic Student program with input from many other sources, including one of the top diabetes specialists in the country, along with input from staff and board members of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), a board I'm now a member of. I previously served on the JDRF Board in Denver, Colorado, and I'm very familiar with the foundation's mission and goals. We built this program as an extension of existing procedures and put it into place this last year with most of the diabetic students traveling with People to People Ambassador Programs. We are further extending the program in 2010, when every diabetic will follow our comprehensive program. In general, the guide outlines various steps, like a phone call from the student to the parent or guardian - no matter the time of day - when and if the glucose readings fall outside of the range provided by the parent or guardian. This very comprehensive program and set of procedures should reduce the possibility of an incident during travel, and give greater peace of mind to parents and students alike.

With that, I wish you all safe travels and a healthy life!

Mike

Another Safe Summer Travel Season Comes to a Close

Here we are again with another summer coming to a close. As our final travelers head home from their journeys, it’s a perfect time to launch my regular travel safety blog. What I want to accomplish with my new blog is to talk about travel safety and the many ways safety impacts travel, trends, learnings, and also to establish open communications with you.

This summer has been full of some unique challenges. I’m happy to say that we have risen to all of them, and learned a lot in the process. This summer was all about moving quickly to manage the Swine Flu (H1N1) and eventual pandemic along with the very individual ways different countries responded to it. We at People to People Ambassadors Programs had a very significant China program this year, our groups were traveling through China all summer. The Chinese government in general, had the most aggressive response to the pandemic of any major country, holding anyone with a raised body temperature for as much as 24 hours in a hospital or placing in quarantine for up to seven days anyone who may have been exposed to the illness depending on where they sat on the plane. More than one People to People group was impacted this summer. See our web site for People to People’s response and my regular messages on the subject at http://www.peopletopeople.com/alerts/Pages/swine-flu.aspx.

One of the most important things to do in a situation like the H1N1 pandemic is to maintain open channels of communication. Here are some of the procedures we immediately put into place to ensure that we did just that:

• We immediately sent a senior team to China to make sure we had staff on the ground to ensure the health and safety of our student ambassadors; I headed out to China immediately myself to access the situation prior to our first student delegation arriving.
  
• We immediately contacted the U.S. Embassy in China and worked with them throughout the summer.
  
• We contacted all parents of students traveling to China at least 7 to 14 days in advance of their student’s program to complete a questionnaire and ensure we never sent a student exposed to, or with H1N1.
  
• We immediately alerted all parents of anyone taken into quarantine or secondary screening at the hospital and maintained a 24-hour staff here in Spokane, which is standard procedure for the organization every travel season.
  
• Each family with a quarantined student was assigned a specific Family Liaison Team member who they could contact 24 hours a day for any need they might have.
  
• We alerted all parents with students traveling in the China program as to what was happening with the quarantine situation as it evolved.
  
• We provided the quarantined students with laptops and cell phones so that they could keep in touch back home and let everyone know they were fine and to keep the lines of communication open.
  
• Daily care packages were brought into the quarantine hotel to make sure the students had something to do, and brighten their day. I personally brought games, candy and other items in right away. We had so many gifts that the generous students shared with other people under quarantine!
  

Our leaders are world class! While not required to be there by the Chinese government, our leaders all volunteered to be quarantined to ensure the health and well-being of our students. In addition, nine other leaders volunteered to be placed with the 15 students who were taken to a local hospital for secondary screening.

Even though Chinese officials promised that we would always be able to have a student accompanied by a leader, in one case at a hospital used for the first time by the government they didn’t keep that promise. One of our leaders stayed directly outside the door to the quarantined student’s room to make sure that only the medical staff was entering. This leader is a great example of the level of commitment to the students of our extraordinary adults who lead People to People programs.

Beyond the international incident we tackled over the summer with the H1N1 virus, we also had one that was more of a personal nature. One unexpected incident that we handled this summer had to do with the brief disappearance of one of our students while in Paris, France. This student chose deliberately to slip away from the delegation to “explore independently.” As parents and delegates know, small-group exploration for short periods is a free-time activity for our older students only and much of the reason for our pre-travel screening of students; whether at home or abroad, teens need to make good decisions, follow the rules, and listen to those in charge. In this instance we did everything we could to ensure this student’s safety as quickly as possible:

• We made contact with the student’s parents within an hour of the student intentionally leaving the hotel.
  
• A citywide APB was put out within 2 hours.
  
• We involved the U.S. Embassy, FBI, Paris police, and U.S. police in the search.
  
• The Paris police requested a 24-hour period before the full search began, so we cooperated with the student’s parents instead to follow the student’s credit card use.
  
• We obtained photos of the student using the ATMs by herself and under no apparent distress.
  
• We sent staff to the locations where the card was being used to show photos of the student to the employees to see if anyone had seen the student.
  
• We sent the parents to get emergency passports.
  
• We arranged for the parents to be flown to Paris with a representative from our organization.
  
• Within 36 hours the student was reunited with the parents at the U.S. Embassy.
  
• The parents had their child formally apologize to our organization and the law officials for running away.
  
• The parents and student were returned to the U.S.
  

For other People to People parents, I want you to know that this type of concern and responsiveness are available to each and every student. We don’t just pay lip-service to the idea that our students’ safety is our first priority. We live it—in cases like these, on a moment-to-moment basis, with the care and concern nearly as great as that of the parents.

Though our first concern is always the safety of the student, it was gratifying to speak to the U.S. Embassy in Paris, where a representative told us that in 20 years she had never seen an incident like this better handled by an organization.

My sole focus at People to People, as well as that of my entire team, is to ensure the health and safety of every single delegate. We are very proud of our ability to do just that during the 2009 season, even with unexpected situations and unexpected choices from students. We continually improve our ability to expect the unexpected and be prepared for all situations. It’s why I’m here, the only person in the industry with my job title and description. And that’s why we are dedicated to being the leader in offering high-quality, safe educational adventures for thousands of students every year.

The summer has nearly come to an end for People to People Ambassador Programs, and what a summer it has been. We saw some fabulous People to People moments—including the return of a World War II battle flag to a Japanese widow. Moments like this are the very essence of People to People—bridging cultural and political borders, and making the world a better place for future generations.

Until next time - I’m wishing you safe and happy travels,

Mike