To enroll:
- Send an email to director@internationalpartners.org
- Enroll now by completing an online application
- You will be contacted by our Trip Coordinator/Administrator with more information
Individual Applications
Complete the on-line Trip Application form and pay the non-refundable processing fee of $100 by clicking the button below:
Online applications will not be processed unless processing fee is received.
Deadlines
| To receive full consideration for trips, applications must be received by the following dates with your $100 nonrefundable registration fee.
After these dates, if there is still space available, applications will be received with a $100.00 non-refundable registration fee plus a $50 late fee. |
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Basic Application Criteria
- Must be 16 years old by start of trip. There is no upper age limit.
- Spanish language skills are recommended but not required.
- Good physical health
- Vaccinated against COVID
- Willingness to abide by IP policies prohibiting use of alcohol, drugs, keeping agreements, and staying with the team.
All participants must also be able and willing to:
- Participate in group fundraising activities established by your group organizer
- Complete training sessions established by the trip coordinator
- Complete and submit all required materials by going to Required Forms
Service Fees
Your service fee covers all accommodations during established trip dates, meals, in-country travel for delegation related activities, IP leadership, travel insurance for medical emergencies and evacuation, costs of project preparation and coordination, and administrative costs.
Service fees do not cover other participant expenses including (but not limited to): airfare, entry visas, food or lodging before or after the designated time and date of the trip, medical expenses, any additional costs for getting to or from optional travel or activities, expenses involving tips, telephone calls, postage, gifts, optional snacks or beverages that are not a customary part of meals, passport fees, fees for immunizations
Acceptance into IP Service Teams Training Program
Trip coordinators will review applications and select participants based on the needs of the projects and the space available. Although applying early gives your application the best chance for full consideration, acceptance is not necessarily on a first come, first serve basis. You will receive an email notifying you of your acceptance. Once you are notified of acceptance, you will receive a packet of of required forms to complete and submit by the due dates established for your trip.
IP Training Program
To get ready for your trip, you are required to participate in a series of training sessions as designated by your trip coordinator. For participants living in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, a series of training meetings will be held to prepare participants. We will make special arrangements for training for participants outside of the Washington, DC area. Information sessions will include the following information:
- Salvadoran History and Culture
- Health & Safety
- Fundraising
- Project Skills and Village Life Skills
- Personal Behavior Agreement
- International Partners Vision, Mission, and Policies
- What to Bring
- Travel Plans
Team Assignments for Individual Participants
Team assignments for individual participants will be based on the needs of the teams and the projects and the following:
- Spanish fluency distribution
- Male-female distribution
- Participant skills and abilities matched with project needs
- Special interests of participants
Though preferences will be considered, they cannot be guaranteed.
Insurance Requirements
Your participation fee includes international emergency medical insurance. In addition, all participants are required to carry their own US health insurance in the unlikely event that an accident exceeds the maximum coverage. You must check with your insurance company to verify that their policy is valid for accidents or illnesses that occur outside the US.
Passport Requirements
You must have a current US passport with an expiration that is valid for 6 months AFTER the end of your scheduled trip date. If you do not have a passport, apply for one immediately as passport numbers are needed to purchase group airline tickets and travel medical insurance. (If you have a non-US passport, you must research and document the entry requirements for El Salvador and submit that information with your application.) Click here for more information on passport requirements.
Immunizations
While there are no immunizations required for entry into El Salvador, IP recommends the following:
- An up-to-date tetanus booster
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B, particularly recommended for those who will working on medical teams
- COVID vaccination (REQUIRED by IP)
Contact your physician at least six weeks before departure and inform her/him that you will be traveling to rural El Salvador. Some doctors may also recommend medication for malaria and immunization for typhoid fever.
Remember that beyond the immunizations recommended by IP, you in consultation with your physician are responsible for determining the medications to be taken before departure and while in country. Additional information can be obtained from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 404/639-3311; www.cdc.gov or from Passport Heath; www.passporthealthusa.com.
Fundraising
In many cases, fundraising is an essential part of paying for your trip. Fundraising ideas and opportunities are provided on this Web site in our online delegate training course. After you have registered for a trip you will be given instructions on how to access online training. The course discusses effective fundraising strategies including letter writing and home benefit parties. Some groups also hold events such as fiestas, concerts, car-washes, silent auctions, etc. Samples and information are provided to support you in these activities if you wish to fund raise to cover your airfare and service fees. Your group may also decide to do larger, joint fundraising activities to cover project costs.
Withdrawal/Refund Policy
| International Partners makes commitments to communities and to suppliers far in advance of your trip. Therefore, if you have to withdraw from the program or from optional add-on activities, cancellation fees are required. The $100.00 processing fee submitted at the time of application is non-refundable. The following chart outlines the fee schedule in the event of a withdrawal. Donations made to International Partners in your name through fundraising efforts are also not refundable. (In the event of participant withdrawal, donations will be applied to the amount due.) |
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Withdrawal must be made in writing, signed by you, and, if you are under 18 years of age, signed by your parents or guardians. The cancellation fee is determined according to the chart at right.
Note: Once teams are in country, there are no refunds because of early departure or dismissal. In the event that a participant leaves early or violates the behavior agreement and is sent home, all costs of early departure will be at the participant’s expense.
Dismissal
International Partners reserves the right to dismiss from the program without refund, any participant whose conduct is: 1) detrimental to the safety, physical or mental health of the participant, other members of the program, or their host community; 2) improper or offensive to the host community; 3) violates the laws of El Salvador, or 4) is unwilling or incapable of participating fully in a cross-cultural experience. Unacceptable conduct includes, but is not limited to: violations of the signed Behavior Agreement; the use of drugs, tobacco, alcohol or weapons or leaving the area without permission of the trip leader.
Click here to read the Behavior Agreement closely before enrolling. Driving motor vehicles, hitchhiking, and walking alone outside of designated areas are often dangerous and are strictly prohibited while participating in the program.
Costs for dismissal or withdrawal shall be borne by the participant.