AYLP Cambodia 2012: Frequently Asked Questions
This page will be constantly updated as we continue to receive questions from applicants, so please check back frequently.
Q: What are the eligibility requirements for this program?
In order to be eligible for this program, you MUST: 1. Be a citizen of the United States of America at the time of application, 2. Be between the ages of 15-17 on June 2, 2012 (for student applicants only - there are no age restrictions for educator applicants), and 3. Be currently enrolled in high school and have at least one semester of high school remaining after the expedition in June, 2012 (for educators, you must currently be in a position in which you work directly with students and have plans to remain in a similar position after travel).
Q: If I don’t meet one of the eligibility requirements (applicant is not a US citizen, will not be between the ages of 15-17 years old on June 2, 2012, or will not have at least one semester of high school remaining after travel), is there any way for Global Explorers to make an exception for me to participate?
A: These eligibility requirements are set forth by the U.S. Department of State and we can make no exceptions. If you fail to meet any of the above requirements, we can not consider your application under any circumstance.
Q: Is there anything else that would make me ineligible to apply for this program?
A: There are some things other than those listed above that might make you ineligible to apply:
1. Previous participation - A candidate will be considered ineligible if s/he has previously traveled outside the United States on any program funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) within the past three years or if s/he has accepted a scholarship for an impending U.S. Government-funded exchange program;
2. One award per participant - An applicant may participate in only one ECA-funded program taking place within a calendar or an academic year;
3. Family members of Department employees - Family members of employees of the Department whose official duties involved an ECA Youth Programs Division exchange program would be precluded from applying for that program;
4. Family members of affiliated private sector employees - Family members of ECA-funded implementers of grant programs and Department contractors whose official duties involve a particular ECA-funded youth exchange program are technically ineligible for that program. This refers to family members of Global Explorers employees.
Q: Are there other considerations that might give preference to some applicants?
A: In addition to the eligibility requirements, there are some other considerations that may give preference to some applicants. Preference may be given to: applicants who have NOT traveled to Cambodia before; applicants who reside in the geographic areas of Houston, TX, the Colorado Front Range and the San Francisco Bay Area (however, we will seriously consider and accept applicants from outside these regions). For educators, preference may be given to applicants who currently teach at a high school level.
The bottom line is that we’d rather select a strong applicant who might not meet one of these qualifications than a weak applicant who fits all of these qualifications.
Q: Why might preference be given to applicants from Houston, the San Francisco Bay Area and the Colorado Front Range?
A: A big part of this program is group cohesion and collaboration before, during and after travel. When the final group of 5 Educator Participants and 30 Student Participants is selected, they will be broken into 5 “mini-groups” based on geography. The idea behind this is that the mini-groups can collaborate easier and support each other better before and after travel. Each mini-group will consist of 1 Educator and 6 Students. The geographic regions were chosen based on past success promoting and implementing Global Explorers program (districts and administrations who are supportive of the goals of AYLP, etc). Following this model, we hope to select: one mini-group from Houston, TX; one mini-group from the San Francisco Bay Area; one mini-group from Denver, CO and surrounding areas; one mini-group from our hometown of Fort Collins, CO; and one “Wild Card” mini-group that any educator or student is eligible to be selected for regardless of where they live. This ensures that the opportunity is open to any educator or student in the United States. With similar guidelines in place for the 2011 program application process, we interviewed applicants from a broad range of regions and after making selections based on merit, selected participants from Colorado, Texas, California, Vermont, Connecticut, Michigan, Illinois and South Dakota.
Again - we’d rather select a strong applicant who resides outside one of these regions than a weak applicant who lives in one of these places. So, no matter where you live, we encourage you to apply!
Q: What kind of things will make my application stronger?
A: Please refer to the Educator Application Information and Student Application Information documents for details about ideal participant attributes and selection criteria. This application process is merit-based, open and very competitive. The final group will be composed of a diverse array of participants who have different amounts of travel experience and various economic backgrounds. The group will truly represent the diversity of the U.S.A.
Q: What if my school year closing dates conflict with the Expedition Travel Dates of June 2 - June 27?
A: If your school year conflicts with the Expedition Travel Dates of June 2 - June 27, 2012, you can still be considered for the program but you must receive permission to miss school for participation in the program. You MUST submit a signed statement from your principal/supervisor agreeing that it will be okay for you to miss school to participate. Please send a scanned written statement to [email protected] before the application deadline ONLY if this applies to you.
Q: What Does an Exchange Scholarship Cover?
The U.S. Department of State will pay for the following costs associated with this exchange program: round-trip airfare from your nearest major airport to San Francisco, CA; round-trip airfare from San Francisco, CA to Cambodia; all lodging, meals, drinking water and transportation in Cambodia and San Francisco; all daily activities and related fees; Global Explorers Expedition Leaders; Cambodian interpreters and program liaisons; program fees and administration; preparatory materials and support from Global Explorers.
Q: What Does the Scholarship NOT Cover?
Passport fees; immunization fees; spending money (for souvenirs and extra snacks); visa fees ($20 pp); airport departure taxes ($25 pp); miscellaneous travel items such as gifts for home-stay families.
