General - FAQ

1. What are the core values of the TRIPS?

Our desire is for this TRIPS to be the best possible experience for your child. Our core values exist because we want to see every student reach their fullest potential. Our leaders are committed to investing in each of the participants. As staff, we read blog posts, wish and do the best for the teams regularly, rejoice in their victories, and mourn in their losses. While we may only spend a short time with them, we care for and believe in them — and in their unlimited potential!

THE PURSUIT OF LEARNING

Our hope is for TRIPS to become completely dependent on Learning as they growing deeper in their process. Doing this in connection with Applied Research Trips (ART) creates more than just a great memory; often, it results in life change.

ENGAGING THE IDEALISM

We encourage TRIPS to learn the society and environment of listening. Through this, they develop a two-way conversation with the process and can more easily be led by their knowledge. Our desire is for them to begin to walk in the authority of human as what they supposed to become.

LIVING THE KNOWLEDGE

TRIPS serve alongside our partner hosts around the world. Whether playing with street children, sitting with widows, teaching, guiding at the learning center, painting buildings, helping constructions, or serving meals, TRIPS get to be part of sharing the beauty of KNOWLEDGE.

2. How does growth happen?

We believe in the journey and the challenges TRIPS experience living overseas. We see them come alive and begin to understand, with a wider worldview, what it really means to believe and understand. Knowledge and Understanding growth are a process and sometimes it gets messy.

The TRIPS of trip might be hard. As with any trip and tip, you might get sick, experience conflict, or be pushed outside your comfort zone. With the limited communication ability in some areas of the world, it is likely you will get short and condensed updates stocked full of emotions.

While TRIPS are on the field, you may tend to hear more of the challenges than the victories and more of the discomfort than the growth. Though it is tough at times, that is when significant growth can happen.

3. What specifically does the trip cost cover?

Trip cost covers travel, field costs, and management.

Travel : Round-trip airfare from pointed airport to project site; local related travel.

Field Costs : Housing, meals, translators, the cost of any trips opportunities and materials, and at least one rest day activity.

Management : Mobilization process, training costs, and field leadership.

Additional costs, depending on which trip your TRIPS chooses, may include passport fees, luggage fees, visa fees, and transportation from your home to/from your next destination.

TRIPS of trip cost does not cover travel to and from meeting point, or spending and emergency cash on the field.

In addition to the trip cost, your TRIPS may will need to raise funds to cover a required medical insurance plan through MissionSafe. The estimated cost of this plan is $3.82 per day for trips less than six months. This additional cost is noted on the trip page, and is automatically added to the total fundraising goal after they apply for the trip.

4. Is there a day-to-day breakdown of the schedule?

Approximately 5 ~ 10 days before the launch of a trip, the TRIPS team will receive a tentative schedule planned by the host. It is up to the discretion of the team to determine how much of that schedule to share. Please keep in mind, host needs are often changing and time and schedules are valued differently in other parts of the world.

We will try to give you the most up to date information we have, but we ask you to keep in mind that flexibility is important!

The schedule we have is a guideline, not a promise. We strive to create an environment where participants are able to focus on whats their purposes of learning has for them each day, instead of looking ahead to the days to come.

5. How often will I hear from my teams?

There will be times on the field when communication with your son or daughter will not be readily available. Internet can be scarce, slow, may not even exist. While it might be hard to go without constant communication with your student, doing so allows them to fully engage in the TRIPS and culture they are in.

We desire for them to grow deeper in their learning, in leadership, and in independence missional living. Students will update family, friends, mentors, and institution back home about their life overseas and experienced when possible. Please read their team blog posts and comment on them! This is more encouraging for your child than you'll know. The TRIPS blog is:

https://sites.google.com/view/atls-foundation/programs/trips/blogs

Students can bring their smartphones and/or camera on their trip. In fact, we encourage them to post on Instagram, Facebook, WeChat, any Social Network, for what they are doing! Because we want to limit the distraction phones can bring, the team leaders will collect them and give them out to the students at specific times on the TRIPS.

Please remember it is each parent’s responsibility to talk with your child about usage/coverage, as usage without wifi or an international plan can be costly, this going to be additional cost.

6. Who are the trip leaders?

The TRIPS Program Directors recruit and select trip leaders based on their skills and experience. The leaders might be past trip leaders, staff, or PROGRAMS alumni who have gone through leader training before your student’s trip. Their role is to care for the team, make sure our core values are practiced, and communicate between our staff in the Office and the participants on the field. These leaders will travel with the team and live with them in community on the field for the duration of the trip.

7. What are your safety and risk-management procedures?

We at AT.LS Foundation take the responsibility and care of our participants very seriously.

The reality is the world can be an unsafe place. That truth is not limited to overseas travel. While we cannot guarantee safety, safety and security is a top priority for our programs. We set protocols to minimize risk while expanding each student’s exploration.

Our staff monitors safety concerns and issues around the world, including organized protests, political uprisings, medical alerts, and natural disasters. We maintain active communication with our international contacts and will change locations if we believe the risk level in an area is no longer appropriate for our participants.

Our leaders are in communication with our field support staff, including regularly scheduled communications.

8. Will you contact parents in an emergency?

We are committed to keeping you informed in case of an emergency. Should your child become seriously sick or injured, you will be notified as soon as possible. In the case of an emergency in country (such as a natural disaster), the team leader will update us as soon as possible and we will communicate information to you.

9. How can I reach my teams in an emergency?

In the event of a true emergency, such as a death in the immediate family, please call this number!

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBER: will be given to you once your application succeed, due to different country have a different phone number of emergency.

We have staff on field to reach your child. We ask fields team to this line reflect an emergency state.

Please use the office number (852-6428-3405) or SKYPE our program Director with ID alberttls, during business hours to get in touch with TRIPS staff for any other concerns or questions.

10. What if my son or daughter needs to leave the trip early?

On rare occasions, a participant may need to return home early.

Reasons include but are not limited to: sickness on the field that needs to be treated at home, an emergency at home requiring the participant’s return, or a participant’s inability or unwillingness to engage with the team or any activities on the field.

(Please note, Our Insurance must be involved in all medical related travel needs). Whether an early return is voluntary or not, we will communicate with you to arrange travel plans and re-book flights as necessary.

11. Do you have additional resources for parents?

For this point, while questions about TRIPS should be addressed with your child and theTRIPS program, general questions about us as an organization, our process, our history, or concerns you may have as a parent can be emailed to atls.foundation@outlook.com

Albert Tan Lie Sing, from our Board Department, is also available to talk with you. You can reach him at alberttls@outlook.com

We also will trying to have a parent Facebook group for you, and you will be receiving an invitation to join.

12. What can you expect from TRIPS?

A desire for your son or daughter to succeed.

Our desire is for this trip to be the best possible experience for your child. Our core values exist because we want to see every student reach their fullest potential. Our leaders are committed to investing in each of the participants. As staff, we read the blogs posts, pray for the teams regularly, rejoice in their victories, and mourn in their losses. While we may only spend a short time with them, we care for and believe in them and in their potential!

Communication

We are committed to keeping you informed in case of an emergency. Should your child become seriously sick or involved an accident, you will be notified as soon as possible. In the case of an emergency in country (such as a natural disaster), the team leader will update us as soon as possible and we will communicate information to you.

Should you need to get in touch with your child in case of an emergency at home, you can reach us at 852-6428-3405, or email us on atls.foundation@outlook.com