FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
1. How much do seminars cost?
2. How long are programs?
3. Who are the trips for?
4. How many participants do I need for a seminar?
5. What happens if I don't recruit enough participants?
6. In which countries do you offer seminars?
7. How do I schedule a program through you?
8. How does billing and payment work?
9. What happens if I need to get a tentative itinerary before my college/church/organization will approve the travel seminar?
10. Can the trip organizer/professor go free?
11. Is there a way to build in class lectures?
12. Will Augsburg staff be with me at all times?
13. Who arranges airfare?
14. Can I bring along a participant who is a minor?
15. How many meals are included?
16. Will I get to communicate directly with staff in the site I will visit?
17. How can I make the trip as inexpensive as possible?
Cost will depend on the length of the program, the location, number of participants. Most programs are around US$150/per person per day including all meals, lodging, programming, in-country transportation, and accompaniment by an experienced trip leader.
Programs can range from several days to several months. Most programs are 1-3 weeks long.
We frequently work with college and university groups, however we also work with faith communities, non-governmental agencies, and other interested individuals who want to organize a seminar.
4. How many participants do I need for a seminar?
Seminars can be arranged for a variety of group sizes, however in order to get the most economical pricing most groups are encouraged to recruit a minimum of 12 participants.
5. What happens if I don't recruit enough participants?
When we price your travel seminar, we provide a range of prices based on the number of participants (ie, 10, 12 15 20) so you will know the cost of the trip based on how many participants you recruit.
6. In which countries do you offer seminars?
CGE has permanent locations in El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Namibia, and Nicaragua. We regularly also coordinate programs to South Africa, Honduras, Bolivia, and Vietnam. Because our programs are dependent on a depth of community resources, we don't often expand to new locations. However, if you have interest in a particular location, please let us know. Occasionally others have expressed interest in the same location and that helps determine if a new location may be sustainable for the longer-term.
7. How do I schedule a program through you?
Please visit the three steps to sponsor a seminar page for detailed information.
8. How does billing and payment work?
Normally we bill a school or institution directly and they collect fees from each participant going. In some situations we can bill individuals directly.
9. What happens if I need to get a tentative itinerary before my college/church/organization will approve the travel seminar?
We are happy to draft an early itinerary for you or pass you a sample itinerary as needed.
10. Can the trip organizer/professor go free?
We can build in the cost of an in-group leader no matter the size of the group. The cost per-participant is increased with every in-group leader we add.
11. Is there a way to build in class lectures?
Absolutely. While the main format of the travel seminar is experiential—hearing from local resource people to learn about the country/topic you choose—we can easily build-in time for you to lecture as well.
12. Will Augsburg staff be with me at all times?
Yes, an in-country trip leader and driver will be with your group every day.
We can arrange a group flight for you if you have 10 or more participants, you can arrange your own group flight, or individuals can purchase their own tickets.
14. Can I bring along a participant who is a minor?
Absolutely. We have forms you will need to fill out for customs. Please visit the FAQ page for participants for more details.
15. How many meals are included?
Center for Global Education pricing includes 3 meals a day and all tips, and we can arrange meals for most dietary needs, i.e., vegan, gluten free, etc.
16. Will I get to communicate directly with staff in the site I will visit?
Yes. We will arrange sponsor calls with our in-country site staff to discuss your programming planning.
17. How can I make the trip as inexpensive as possible?
The best way to make your travel seminar inexpensive is to recruit a large group, as the base costs are spread amongst more people. Shorter, one-country trips have a lower cost than multiple-country longer trips. If you do your own airfare and brochures, you will save $400 off group rate.. Finally, take a look at our group and individual scholarship programs.
