Galapagos FAQ

VISIONS is a Zero Tolerance program regarding (1) consumption, possession, or attempted possession of alcohol or drugs/illegal substances; (2) sexual activity. Consuming, possessing, or attempting to possess alcohol or drugs/illegal substances will result in immediate dismissal from the program. Participants may not abuse over-the-counter drugs or use medications not prescribed to them. Sexual contact—meaning conduct deemed unacceptable in public places—also will result in dismissal. Remember that VISIONS focuses on an inclusive group dynamic, making cliques and romances out of sync with the goal of a powerful and life-changing experience. Please review the Enrollment Contract for the complete Terms of Participation.

The “Airplane Rules” (zero tolerance rules) are in place for everyone’s safety, health and welfare, common sense, group dynamic, and with local laws in mind. It is important to remember that local laws may be different than what you are used to, and in some locations, repercussions and penalties are severe and may have a long-lasting impact on your future. If a participant is sent home early from a program, the participant’s parent/guardian will be responsible for booking the next available flight directly with the airline. VISIONS travel agent is not always available for these types of flight changes, and purchasing a new ticket is sometimes necessary.

Sending a participant home is difficult for everyone, but it will happen if an Airplane Rule is broken. Being sent home, even in final days of a program, results in forfeiture of the Certificate of Service and recognition of service hours. Again, the safety, health, and wellbeing of participants is at the core of our policies.

Buddy System and Boundaries

If you want to leave your homebase area during the occasional free time – for example, to stop at a store or to go for a run – you need to find someone in your group who is willing to go with you, and you must remain inside the pre-determined boundaries. You and your buddy check out with a leader, establishing where you will be and how long you will be gone. When you return, you check in with the same leader. 

The boundaries are explained by leaders on the first day of the program, and usually encompass our immediate neighborhood and the nearby places we know well. Our leaders need to know where everyone is at all times for your safety and for maintaining the general flow of the program. Participants will be with leaders at all times during non-daylight hours, unless there is a special case such as a dinner with a local family.

Getting Enough Sleep

VISIONS programs are demanding. We start early, work hard, and explore with passion. Free time can be used to catch a short nap, but to keep everyone healthy and energized throughout the program, we establish a set “lights out” time. Leaders consider the daily routines of our host communities and our personal program needs when setting those times. There are occasional exceptions including staying up for a social event, or sleeping in on a morning when leaders determine some extra rest will be beneficial for the group. Participants are welcome to use a headlamp to read after lights out, but we suspect that you will welcome sleep.

If you need to get in touch for an urgent matter outside of the call days, please call the program site directly. Leave a message if there is no answer, and messages are checked at least once a day. If you’re not able to get through, you may also call the VISIONS home office. During non-business hours, a 24-hour number is provided on the office message system.

Weekly Calls Home

Remember that we make time for kids to connect with home once a week. Not all choose to do so, but the opportunity is provided. When parents receive the “arrival call” from your child and a leader at the program airport, you will be informed of the next call date.

The common way for kids to make calls home is through WhatsApp, a free app that can be downloaded to smartphones. Program leaders take kids to a wifi spot for making calls, kids receive their personal phones for 30 minutes, and if both the student and parent already have WhatsApp downloaded to their phones, the call is free and convenient. If this option suits your family, please download WhatsApp on your respective phones. For kids or parents who don’t have this option, leaders will provide alternative options for making the calls (i.e.: using a landline).

Program Updates

While VISIONS leaders do not post constant updates from the field (their primary job being to be fully present with the program and kids), we do post a few photos and short updates every week to the VISIONS Facebook and Instagram pages, which we invite you to follow.

Since VISIONS cannot provide medical advice regarding international travel or vaccinations, we recommend consulting with your family physician or a travel doctor, and keeping in mind that some vaccines require a series of shots that take place over several weeks. While there are no required vaccines for travel to the Ecuador, many travelers to developing countries choose to receive common travel vaccines including those for typhoid fever and / or hepatitis A.

We also suggest that you review the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website, and specifically the Ecuador page. Please note that the program is based in Patate, near the city of Ambato in the Tungurahua Province. There are several clinics in Patate and a hospital in Ambato. Serious medical situations also may be treated at the major hospital in Quito. In the Galapagos, we are based on the island of San Cristobal, where there is a small hospital. There are also full-fledged hospitals in Quito, and participants carry the medical evacuation policy in case of any emergency that warrants further evacuation.

To learn more about health and risk management on VISIONS programs, please refer to this FAQ link.

Note regarding mosquito-borne diseases: The CDC provides guidelines for the most effective types of insect repellent; see their website for their recommendations. 

When we refer to the community of participants and leaders in VISIONS, we mean it as best defined by M. Scott Peck in “The Different Drum”:

[A] group of individuals who have learned how to communicate honestly with each other, whose relationships go deeper than their masks of composure, and who have developed some significant commitment to . . . delight in each other, make others’ conditions (their) own.

On a VISIONS program, we place a premium on building a sense of community and getting to know everyone in the group. Sometimes, community can mean “neighborhood” in the sense of sharing resources like power tools and physical labor, as we do in the communities where we work. On a deeper level, it can mean creating a kind of family out of strangers and it is this sense of community that we strive to create among our groups and leaders.

Community means embracing your responsibilities within the group rather than hiding in anonymity, respecting others, communicating clearly, and living together cooperatively. To encourage growth in each of those areas, your leaders will facilitate evening meetings that include every participant on the program. Your group will meet three or four nights a week for about an hour to speak and listen to each other. We almost always start by reflecting on the day, including the overall volunteer and cultural experiences. Sometimes an incident or event raises questions that deserve everyone’s perspective and input. When it’s called for, we also use the time to hash out issues and iron out differences. This is a time to communicate openly and to listen to others’ perspectives. It can also be an occasion for us to see how others perceive us, which is a valuable gift.

Through this forum, we stand to gain insight as well as more confident and effective communication skills, which are as useful as the physical skills we learn and apply during the day. Our focus is the here and now, and the integrity of the community, of both leaders and participants, living and learning together.

It is your time, our time, to build a foundation of trust and cohesiveness in the process of becoming a strong community.

There can be no vulnerability without risk; there can be no community without vulnerability; 
there can be no peace — and ultimately no life — without community.

– Scott Peck

Code of Ethics

• Travel with a spirit of humility and a genuine desire to meet and talk with local people.
• Be aware of the feelings of others. Act respectfully and avoid offensive behavior, including when taking photographs.
• Cultivate the habit of actively listening and observing rather than merely hearing and seeing. Avoid the temptation to “know all the answers.”
• Realize that others may have concepts of time and attitudes that are different—not inferior—to those you inherited from your own culture.
• Instead of looking only for the exotic, discover the richness of another culture and way of life. Learn local customs and respect them.
• Spend time each day reflecting on your experiences in order to deepen your understanding. Is your enrichment beneficial for all involved?
• Be aware of why you are traveling in the first place. If you truly want a “home away from home,” why travel?

Compiled by The North American Center for Responsible Tourism, San Anselmo, CA

In addition to the cultural considerations, conservative dress protects you from the sun, heat, mosquito bites and minor cuts. Long-sleeved gauzy fabric is breathable and cool, and the body adjusts to protective clothing. You’ll be more comfortable if less of your skin is exposed. We understand that you may need to purchase some new or new-thrift items in order to adhere to the dress code, and we appreciate your understanding with this. 

• Articles of clothing NOT permitted on VISIONS programs:
• Short-shorts or short skirts. All shorts—for boys and girls—must be at least mid thigh and less will not be permitted. Students who arrive with shorts or skirts shorter will not be allowed to wear them, and will need to wear pants or go shopping on-site (at your own cost) when time allows. 
• Crop tops (shirts need to be long enough to cover midriff)
• Spaghetti strap shirts or dresses 
• Low cut shirts (no deep v-necks, loose-hanging, wide cut necklines, or any shirt that revelas undergarmets )
• Clothing that reveals undergarments
• See-through clothing 
• Spandex or yoga pants (under clothing such as shorts is permitted)
• Bikinis 
• Low riding pants that show boxers 

Note: If you bring clothing items that don’t follow the dress code above, you won’t be able to wear those items during the program. If you don’t have sufficient appropriate clothing, you may need to purchase clothes on site at your own cost. Thank you for your understanding.

Please download and print the following packing list:

Link to Ecuador Packing List (Printable PDF)

If you need a new passport, don’t delay! Processing for youth can take longer than adults, and you should pay for expedited processing if the trip date is less than two months away. U.S. citizens can hire a processing company (www.passportvisaexpress as an example), or do it yourself through the State Department (link here).

Passport Notes:

• In addition to taking your passport to the program, please take a photocopy of the 2-page spread that includes your picture. Our leaders collect passports and photocopies for safekeeping during the program.
• We also recommend that you leave a photocopy or digital image of your passport at home.
• Participants who are not U.S. citizens must consult with the appropriate embassy or consulate regarding entry requirements. Please contact the VISIONS office if you need a letter confirming program participation.

• The VISIONS designated travel agent is Aileen Setiawan at Discover Travel, 215.925.6174 or aileen@discovertravelinc.com. She will book your flight from your home airport to Quito, Ecuador.
• VISIONS has a group flight reserved for the round-trip between Quito and Baltra (the Galapagos airport). We charge a discounted rate of $350 for this flight, which will be added to your VISIONS invoice and is due at the same as final tuition.
• VISIONS strongly recommends that flights are booked with Aileen since she has the arrival and departure parameters as well as an overview of all participants’ itineraries in order to facilitate travel days. It is not guaranteed that there will be more than one participant on every flight, but participants booking flights through Aileen will be placed on the same travel itineraries whenever possible.
• If families choose not to book with Aileen, the itinerary must be submitted to VISIONS for approval prior to booking. Neither VISIONS nor our travel agent will be able to assist with travel issues associated with flights booked through an alternative option.
• In cases of flight delays or changed flight dates, Aileen is a resource, but there will also be instances when parents may need to call an airline to assist.
• Unaccompanied Minor (UM) Service is required by some airlines for minors who are not traveling with an adult. Aileen will inform you of the requirements, and please also check the regulations of your carrier. UM assistance is arranged directly with the airline, but you will need to share the details with VISIONS so we can pass it along to program leaders. If you are not booking with Aileen and are booking directly with the airline using miles, the airline might not advise you of the UM requirement, which can cause last minute issues at the airport. It is each family’s responsibility to take care of UM requirements well in advance of travel day.

“Arrival Instructions PDF”

Families will receive an Arrival Instructions PDF via email approximately a week before their program begins. This PDF will contain everything you need for a smooth arrival to your program site, including:

• • Leader contact information
  • Location-specific airport instructions
  • Local address for Customs forms and mailings
  • Delayed flight / lost bag procedure
  • General travel tips from our years of experience
  • Schedule of phone calls
  • A 24-hour VISIONS office number

We highly recommend that families print & download the Arrival Instructions PDF for participants to carry while traveling to your program site. Please look out for this email as your program approaches.

General Arrival Logistics

• • The VISIONS home office is available around the clock on flight days. Leaders arrive to program locations prior to the program start, so they will not be traveling with participants.
  • VISIONS leaders meet each participant at the program airport as they arrive. Leaders pick participants up directly outside of the secured Customs area (for international sites) or in the baggage claim area (for US sites).
  • Parents receive a “safe arrival” call from a leader and their child from the airport. 
  • The group of participants then travels to the homebase together.
  • Complete details will be included in the Arrival Instructions PDF mentioned above.

General Departure Logistics

• • Leaders travel with participants to the departure airport and they will remain on site until all flights have departed.
  • Leaders will remind participants how to prepare for their return flights (for example: keep cash on hand for baggage fees, and keep your cell phone & charger in your carry-on, etc.)
  • In the case of changes to return flights, we instruct participants to call parents (or whoever will be picking up). However, the VISIONS office is available for assistance if needed.