Nobis Project is committed to working hard to make participation in our field experiences as affordable as possible. There are a limited number of scholarships available for educators. Because aid is limited, please carefully consider all the resources available that might help fund your participation before deciding how much aid to request. Visit our website for suggestions of additional funding opportunities: www.nobisproject.org/resources/#funding. 

Please note, because funds are limited, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to award all the aid requested by applicants chosen to participate in the trips. You will be notified in writing as to how much aid you might receive shortly after submitting your registration application.

Scholarships are available first come, first serve so we encourage you to register early.

Participant Eligibility Criteria

Nobis Project’s travel programs use place-based learning and cross-cultural immersion as a means for exploring complex content. Additionally, the nature of group travel also presents a variety of interpersonal demands. The expectations and challenges of these programs may not be appropriate for some individuals. Nobis Project is committed to supporting the learning and personal growth of all participants, with safety at the forefront; our Participant Eligibility Criteria help ensure that our participants are an appropriate match for the Nobis Project travel experience. A qualified participant is one who can meet the following Participant Eligibility Criteria for participation in all program activities. 

Adaptability
Each participant must be willing and able to:  

• Tolerate significant levels of ambiguity and ambivalence that naturally occur while traveling, such as: changes in diet, basic lodgings, unfamiliar surroundings, homesickness, long days, and unfamiliar routines;
• Handle scheduling and location changes with short notice; 
• Demonstrate patience, understanding, and maturity in the face of changing circumstances.

Safety, Judgment and Risk Mitigation
Each participant must be willing and able to:

• Recognize the hazards and risks of travel, as presented in program materials and verbally throughout the program, and comply with recommended measures and directions for risk reduction from program staff;
• Exercise sound judgment (potentially in the absence of direct supervision) and alert others of potential hazards observed;
• Abide by the entirety program expectations, guidance of facilitators, and all local laws while on the program.

Self Awareness and Emotional Intelligence
Each participant must be willing and able to:

• Be on time, for group travel to go smoothly, each member of the group must be punctual and demonstrate respect to all travelers in the group;
• Effectively and proactively notify facilitators of personal distress, emotional stress, safety or health concerns, or other needs for assistance;
• Maintain a reasonable level of situational awareness appropriate to circumstances; 
• Recognize and accept that the needs of the group often come above the desires of any one individual group member;
• Work cooperatively as a member of a group, which may require flexibility and compromise.

Physical, Mental, and Emotional Health
Each participant must be willing and able to:

• Adapt to and cope with disconnection from standard sources of support (e.g., family, friends, doctors, mental health professionals, etc.); 
• Make a wellness plan prior to departure that includes strategies for maintaining mental and physical wellbeing during the program;
• Proactively act to maintain physical and mental health while on program through healthy behaviors such as exercise, journaling, mediation, yoga, deep breathing, proper sleep routines, healthy eating/hydration, personal hygiene, appropriate peer interaction, reaching out for support as needed, etc.;
• Accept full responsibility for physical and mental health, including complying fully with medication routines and self-care strategies recommended pre-departure by medical/mental health professionals;
• Communicate proactively, openly, and honestly about any physical or mental health challenges that arise prior to or during the program;
• Seek out, as needed, consultations with medical/mental health professionals while on the program or fully comply with Nobis Project’s recommendation to do the same, and follow all treatment advice secured from these consultations;
• Meet the minimum physical demands for all program components, such as walking up to 1.5 mile at a time, traveling, heat exposure, etc.;
• Navigate and travel in environments that may have limited mobility accommodations, such as streets without sidewalks, dirt roads, flights of stairs, and other mobility access limitations.

Engagement and Attitude 
Each participant must be willing and able to:

• Contribute to a positive and safe learning environment and exhibit a willingness to participate in all program activities;
• Remain alert and engaged in the program to the best of their ability;
• Abstain from phone and internet use and communication except during designated periods of connectivity;
• Show respect through speech and actions for other participants, staff, community members, and local cultural practices;
• Be open and willing to interact with new and unfamiliar cultures in a respectful manner; 
• Care for and show respect to the natural environment and host communities.

Any concerns about a participant’s ability to comply with these Participant Eligibility Criteria should be addressed with Nobis Project administration prior to program registration. Misrepresentation of a participant’s ability to comply with these criteria may lead to formal early dismissal, or evacuation from the program. All costs associated with such interventions will be borne by the participant alone. Nobis Project, Inc. also reserves the right to remove participants from the program if they engage in illegal or reckless activity or demonstrate intended or actual harm to themselves or other people or property. 

I have read and agree that I meet the Participant Eligibility Criteria.