L is going to Belize

[Dmmetler]

One of the features of Agnes Scott's leadership development program is a series of experiences in the Spring semester each year, and the first year is always a cultural/travel experience (well, except for the last two years, when campus was closed due to COVID and there was no way they were traveling with students), and the kids got their matches right before Fall break. L is going to Belize, with a focus on culture and ecology. The school handles airfare, housing, meals, etc (this is part of tuition). L has a passport, since we went to Australia/New Zealand in 2019. What else do we need to get? What's the best way to handle cell service??

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lanny]

Hello: This is the URL of the ACS (American Citizen Services section) of the U.S. Embassy in Belize. I am assuming that your DD is a U.S. Citizen. If not, then she should look on the web site of the Embassy of the country that issued her passport for similar information.

https://bz.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/

Before a U.S. Citizen goes to a foreign country they should update the information the U.S. Department of State has for them on their STEP website. This is the URL:

https://step.state.gov

Regarding cell phone service she should have an UNLOCKED GSM phone that works in the USA.  I suggest that after she gets to Belize that she buy a SIM card for Prepaid service on one of the major providers, which will probably include: Movistar and Claro and Tigo. Those are the 3 main carriers here in Colombia and there are also MVNOs who run on one of those networks. For example, we are on Virgin Mobile Colombia, an MVNO which runs on the Movistar network.

NOTE: She should install the wonderful WhatsApp app on her cell phone. Huge numbers of people outside the USA use WhatsApp. If she has good WiFi service you can talk with her for a long time and/or exchange text messages. Most of our communication with our DD (she is in Germany) are via WhatsApp and the other is via email or when WhatsApp went down via Telegram.

Your DD should keep a very low profile, as she would in the USA or in any other foreign country. I hope that she has a very positive experience in Belize.

[bibiche]

That sounds like a really neat program. I especially like that they teach “the ethics of travel.”

I’m sure that since it is an established program they’ll provide you with all the info you need. I assume this will include what vaccines she’ll need to have, which will likely include hep a and b and possibly typhoid (I’m a better-safe-than-sorry on this one). [editing because this is my mishegas and seriously not something you need to worry about!]

Also, if she has led a particularly sheltered life, parts of Belize might be a little shocking in terms of living conditions. But I assume they’ll cover the huge disparity between many locals and the privileged tourists in their travel ethics class. 
 

Pretty sure she is an animal lover. The instinct is to pet cute animals, but remind her not to do that as there is always a rabies risk. 
 

I think I get T-mobile coverage in Belize… You can use WhatsApp to communicate with her.

I hope she has a wonderful trip!

Edited October 12, 2021 by bibiche

[Miss Tick]

For cell phone stuff start by digging in to the website of your provider. You may find Belize is already covered, or can be added with a software update. This was true for my last international trip ages ago.

[cbollin]

check on paperwork needed when person under age 18 is traveling without parents  not sure what rules are these days, but I remember when oldest traveled with a group without both parents, we had to sign something  I think this site is right? https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-3643?language=en_US

if not, hopefully you find the right one if that kind of thing is still needed.

 

(and ps: link to CDC for vaccines to belize) https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/belize

Edited October 12, 2021 by cbollin

[Sneezyone]

2 hours ago, Dmmetler said:

One of the features of Agnes Scott's leadership development program is a series of experiences in the Spring semester each year, and the first year is always a cultural/travel experience (well, except for the last two years, when campus was closed due to COVID and there was no way they were traveling with students), and the kids got their matches right before Fall break. L is going to Belize, with a focus on culture and ecology. The school handles airfare, housing, meals, etc (this is part of tuition). L has a passport, since we went to Australia/New Zealand in 2019. What else do we need to get? What's the best way to handle cell service??

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’d plan on her getting a local SIM card upon arrival. Carry cash to pay. They sell them in the airport. Congrats! Sounds like fun!

[bibiche]

27 minutes ago, cbollin said:

check on paperwork needed when person under age 18 is traveling without parents  not sure what rules are these days, but I remember when oldest traveled with a group without both parents, we had to sign something  I think this site is right?

Yes, Belize had a problem with child abduction, usually US parents taking children from their exes and then going into Belize. A child traveling with only one parent needs notarized permission from the other parent. IME the authorities in Belize could not care less, but US airlines won’t let minors board without proper documentation. I assume that since she is going with her college it won’t be a problem, but good idea to nail it down first.

[madteaparty]

10 minutes ago, bibiche said:

Yes, Belize had a problem with child abduction, usually US parents taking children from their exes and then going into Belize. A child traveling with only one parent needs notarized permission from the other parent. IME the authorities in Belize could not care less, but US airlines won’t let minors board without proper documentation. I assume that since she is going with her college it won’t be a problem, but good idea to nail it down first.

This is interesting—my son went to Japan by himself at 16.5 and he needed nothing IIRC. Now I know all the stuff about unaccompanied minors, but always age 16 and under I thought.

 

[bibiche]

48 minutes ago, madteaparty said:

This is interesting—my son went to Japan by himself at 16.5 and he needed nothing IIRC. Now I know all the stuff about unaccompanied minors, but always age 16 and under I thought.

 

While we always travel with a notarized document from the other parent authorizing travel, just in case, the only time one of us has *ever* needed to produce it was when flying into Belize from the US. Landing in Belize? They couldn’t care less. Going in over land? Couldn’t care less. So this does seem specific to Belize, and does seem to relate to one parent traveling with a child, although the linked site does say minors traveling alone also need parental authorization (but I bet Belize doesn’t ask to see it 😜).

https://www.travelbelize.org/getting-here/visas-and-immigration/

[Dmmetler]

I already had to sign something before Journeys selection was done, so it's probably covered, but if not, we'll make sure of it. I'm guessing they're pretty up on things, since this is something they've done for quite a few years, pre-COVID. And I'm really hoping COVID allows it to happen. Similarly, I'm guessing that they'll have everyone who needs vaccines report to student health and do them-this is a school where student health literally comes to each dorm and vaccinates everyone for the flu every fall (and did so for international students on arrival to campus for COVID if they hadn't had the opportunity to do so beforehand). 

 

 

 

[Sneezyone]

Your posts are seriously encouraging. DD said this week that AS is rising on her list of possibles. I LURVED! the campus but DD has other options. I'm rooting for Scotty purple!

Edited October 12, 2021 by Sneezyone

[Dmmetler]

59 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

Your posts are seriously encouraging. DD said this week that AS is rising on her list of possibles. I LURVED! the campus but DD has other options. I'm rooting for Scotty purple!

I have been seriously impressed by how normal, yet COVID aware everything is. It is a serious contrast to so many of the schools here which are doing the “Covid, what’s that?” Thing. Agnes is keeping their students safe, but also really prioritizing experiences, so they have masking, testing, and vaccination, and ALSO are moving many social activities outside, and bringing alumni and families in via zoom or FB live. L has really been enjoying it-the classes are engaging, and socially it’s been  a great fit. 
 

 

 

[Sneezyone]

1 hour ago, Dmmetler said:

I have been seriously impressed by how normal, yet COVID aware everything is. It is a serious contrast to so many of the schools here which are doing the “Covid, what’s that?” Thing. Agnes is keeping their students safe, but also really prioritizing experiences, so they have masking, testing, and vaccination, and ALSO are moving many social activities outside, and bringing alumni and families in via zoom or FB live. L has really been enjoying it-the classes are engaging, and socially it’s been  a great fit. 
 

 

 

That is exactly the kind of care/concern that I'm rooting for. I also like that they are actively recruiting DD with more than a random postcard. She fits their target demo to a T. They do not have her preferred major but I think that can be overcome with classes at neighboring institutions.

[Dmmetler]

23 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

That is exactly the kind of care/concern that I'm rooting for. I also like that they are actively recruiting DD with more than a random postcard. She fits their target demo to a T. They do not have her preferred major but I think that can be overcome with classes at neighboring institutions.

I really get the impression that this is how they work-they find a relatively small pool of students that fit their target, and then focus on them very specifically. And I will say that they’ve definitely worked with L to customize the program from the first term on-I think that’s typical. 
 

I will say that Agnes doesn’t have the fanciest dorms or facilities. They’re a beautiful campus, but the dorm L is in was built in 1956 and really hasn’t been modernized since except for adding Wifi that doesn’t always work well. Stuff like that. It’s a beautiful little campus, but It definitely doesn’t have the frills. I still figure it’s a sign that L really loved it when Agnes won over the all suite, everyone gets a private room honors dorm at UAH.  There is a definitely an academic focus and that’s where the priorities fall. 

[bibiche]

@Dmmetler This is nice to hear. Is she enjoying her classes? Are they challenging enough for her?

[Dmmetler]

1 minute ago, bibiche said:

@Dmmetler This is nice to hear. Is she enjoying her classes? Are they challenging enough for her?

So far, it seems a good fit. The classes tend to be much more project oriented and involved, so Spanish is actually reading and writing in the language, statistics is analyzing data sets from research projects on campus (and being part of the team), biology is, at least in part, creating projects and doing them, etc. It's a very different feel than a community college, or even the summer state U classes. 

[bibiche]

That sounds great. 🙂 It’s so nice when the school turns out to be such a good fit. I hope she continues to enjoy it. A huge plus is how beautiful the campus is. Decatur is icing on the cake!

[Lori D.]

Congrats! 

You might also peruse these past threads, all linked at the bottom of PAGE 5 of the "College Motherlode" pinned thread at the top of the college board:

STUDY ABROAD / INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
How do you find colleges with study abroad programs?
So, study abroad. Worth it? 
Talk to me about study abroad
If your child is planning to study overseas
Financial aid at foreign colleges
Has anyone had their student go for a semester abroad?
Is there a forum, anywhere, where university abroad is discussed?
Lessons about study abroad - so far 
Any last-minute overseas traveling advice for my DS?
Tips for sending a teen abroad
International travel accessories

[MEmama]

If you don’t want to use WattsApp (Facebook), Signal is another terrific option for international texting.

Sounds like an exciting opportunity. International studies just can’t be beat, IMO. 

[Lanny]

On 10/15/2021 at 7:26 AM, MEmama said:

If you don’t want to use WattsApp (Facebook), Signal is another terrific option for international texting.

Sounds like an exciting opportunity. International studies just can’t be beat, IMO. 

+1 for WhatsApp (despite the fact that it is owned by Facebook) and for Signal. Both are "end to end" encrypted.

We live in South America and almost everyone here uses WhatsApp and we use that to communicate with DD. She's on a "Semester Abroad" program in Europe now. Except for the day of the long outage on WhatsApp recently. we use WhatsApp.  As an alternative, DD had Telegram installed on her phone so I installed that for emergency use. Telegram is NOT end to end encrypted.

[Lanny]

On 10/12/2021 at 3:23 PM, bibiche said:

While we always travel with a notarized document from the other parent authorizing travel, just in case, the only time one of us has *ever* needed to produce it was when flying into Belize from the US. Landing in Belize? They couldn’t care less. Going in over land? Couldn’t care less. So this does seem specific to Belize, and does seem to relate to one parent traveling with a child, although the linked site does say minors traveling alone also need parental authorization (but I bet Belize doesn’t ask to see it 😜).

https://www.travelbelize.org/getting-here/visas-and-immigration/

We live in Colombia and they are incredibly strict about Minors traveling with only one parent.  In 2016, when our DD was a Minor, I screwed up terribly.  First, I did not have a photocopy of her birth certificate showing who her parents are. That information is not in passports.  The photocopy would have cost about 5 cents, so it was not the cost. About 3 A.M. when it was our turn at the Ticket Counter to check-in, our trip to Orlando was nearly cancelled due to my error.   Thanks to a wonderful Avianca Ticket Agent (I sent a letter to the President of Avianca commending her) and the fact that my Stepson and his wife had returned to our home from the airport and that my DW had a photocopy of the Birth Certificate in an album in the Living Room and WhatsApp, we were able to salvage the trip, but it was a miracle. Both of her biological parents were with DD and we had that problem...  I thank God for his help that day!

[Dmmetler]

Would it be enough for L to have a photo on a phone or a xerox, or do I need to request a legal copy? I want to make sure there are no hang ups, but also don’t want to complicate things more than needed. 

I just did a ton of paperwork for the program that needed me to co-sign due to age.

Edited October 20, 2021 by Dmmetler

[Lanny]

1 hour ago, Dmmetler said:

Would it be enough for L to have a photo on a phone or a xerox, or do I need to request a legal copy? I want to make sure there are no hang ups, but also don’t want to complicate things more than needed. 

I just did a ton of paperwork for the program that needed me to co-sign due to age.

I would have a couple of copies printed out.  In case her phone does doesn't work. Have the file on her phone and have that printed out.  When we had that horrible issue at our local airport (CLO) in April 2016, my Stepson took a photo of the Photocopy my DW had put into the baby album. He sent that photo to my DW via WhatsApp.  The Avianca Ticket Agent was very kind and she gave us the 2 Boarding passes (one to Bogota and one to Orlando) but she told us to go to a place in the Bogota airport (I could take you there it's near the domestic check-in counters) and have copies printed out, which we did.  I don't think Avianca took the copies but they did look at them... 

NOTE: After having the  photocopy of her birth certificate, showing who her parents are, it might be nice to also have available for the airlines and immigration a Notarized note, signed by both  parents, showing who her parents are and giving permission for her to travel from point A to point B for that program.  

With regard to the ton of paperwork you did, that may save you a lot of time in the future.  My DD applied for the NSLI-Y program a few years ago (around 2018) for a Summer program.  There were a lot of forms and a doctors visit and 1 or 2 vaccinations. Well, later, when she filled out university applications, a lot of that work for the NSLI-Y program came in handy and saved a lot of time. (She was a Finalist or Semi Finalist for NSLI-Y.  It is quite selective with appproximately 15% acceptance if what I read is correct)

[bibiche]

5 hours ago, Dmmetler said:

Would it be enough for L to have a photo on a phone or a xerox, or do I need to request a legal copy? I want to make sure there are no hang ups, but also don’t want to complicate things more than needed. 

I just did a ton of paperwork for the program that needed me to co-sign due to age.

For minor traveling unaccompanied? I would assume that the program will take care of anything that needs to be done. Maybe she or you can make sure they know she is still a minor, just to be on the safe side, but I’m guessing they do and have everything in place.

Normally one needs a notarized original document, not a copy and not a document on the phone. At least one used to.

[Dmmetler]

13 minutes ago, bibiche said:

For minor traveling unaccompanied? I would assume that the program will take care of anything that needs to be done. Maybe she or you can make sure they know she is still a minor, just to be on the safe side, but I’m guessing they do and have everything in place.

Normally one needs a notarized original document, not a copy and not a document on the phone. At least one used to.

So far every file to be signed has come with a note “since you are under 18, we need a parent’s signature”- so I think they are aware 🙂

[bibiche]

1 minute ago, Dmmetler said:

So far every file to be signed has come with a note “since you are under 18, we need a parent’s signature”- so I think they are aware 🙂

I figured! And it’s not their first rodeo.😉  

Still so impressed by this program! I can’t wait to hear how it went. How long do we have to wait?

[Dmmetler]

It’s scheduled for March. They’re starting the coursework component as of this week. 

[Lanny]

This is OT but for the Safety of your DD I am going to put this here.  Belize City is  only a few hours by bus or car from Cancun.  Between them in Mexico are Playa del Carmen and Tulum. There are Pyramids in Tulum.  I have been there. And we took a boat from Playa del Carmen to go to Cozumel.

This happened last week in Tulum: In a bar there was a shoot out between 2 drug gangs. A woman from India who was living in California was eating Dinner. Also a woman from Germany was eating Dinner. Both of them were killed. After that, the German government put out a travel warning that German tourists there should stay in their hotels. 

Message: The state of Quintana Roo where Cancun and Playa del Carmen and Tulum are located is now dangerous, like on the Pacific Coast in Acapulco (especially Acapulco) and other cities.  

I hope your DD has a very good time in Belize!

[Dmmetler]

Thanks for the information. I'm Not expecting the kids to have a lot of time to explore on their own. And realistically, my particular kid would be more interested in getting into natural areas (and since this particular group seems to be mostly the bio majors, that may be a common interest).

 

[Dmmetler]

They leave this weekend. Eeep! 
 

i will say one benefit of having your college kid be under 18-it means you have to sign off on everything your kid does. Which means you get a lot of information. 

[Dmmetler]

Among other things, L will be volunteering here. https://www.aceswildliferescue.org/american-crocodile
 

talk about a bucket list opportunity! 

[Dmmetler]

And they’re off. The last group to leave (at 3:00 this morning). 

[JanetC]

I hope she has an awesome experience!

 

[Dmmetler]

They’ve made it to the Island of San Pedro (La Isla Bonita), which is the first destination. So far, iguanas and stingrays have been spotted :). I’m also hoping that 6gb of data is enough for a week. 

[Grace Hopper]

So fun! I’m sure L has earned this sort of adventure. 
 

Re the notarized document, we had to do similar when my under-18 high schooler went with a group to South America - easy to get a notary at the bank to witness and stamp our written permission letter.

Try to get that list of immunizations as soon as possible and look at the timing of each. If the anti malarial drug are still by mouth, I remember that has to get in the body starting weeks in advance.