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| PARENTAL PACKAGE: 2006 PLAYGROUND PROJECT |
In response to several recent requests, we now are offering minors who are at least 14 (at the time of the trip) the opportunity to register. They must be accompanied by an immediate parent (father or mother) and the parent must take full responsibility for the minor child and sign an additional waiver of liability/stipulation form. The parent will share a room in Havana with their child and must chaperone their child at ALL times. See information below for more details |
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In order to participate in the assembly phase of the project, volunteers under the age of 18 must have some experience volunteering for humanitarian or similar efforts, and must provide additional character references. All applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and an IJTK representative will interview you and your child by telephone prior to acceptance.
It is imperative that children understand that they are required to work at the playground site(s) along with the adult volunteers, which could be for up to eight hours a day. They must be in excellent health and without illnesses or disabilities that could prevent them from fully participating in the project or bring harm to them by working in potentially harsh conditions. They will not be allowed to leave the playground site(s) for any reason without the express permission of an IJTK representative and only in extreme circumstances.
If you and your child both wish to register or if you already registered and you have a minor child (age 14 or above) who also wishes to register, please download the Parental Package. Because we cannot enter into a contract with a minor, you the parent must sign the registration documents where indicated on behalf of the minor child. Only one child registration per accompanying parent will be permitted and reviewed. Parents do not have to resubmit their own registration documents if they already registered. Instructions on how to submit your and/or your child's registration are provided on this page and in the package. |
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How to earn your invitations to join us in Cuba |
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We are licensed to bring up to 75 volunteers to Cuba. Since the success of our projects rely on contributions from the general public, we will issue an invitation for the assembly phase in Cuba to those who fulfill their fundraising obligation and comply with the registration requirements detailed below. Invitations will be reserved for registrants who successfully complete the registration process, on a first-come, first-served basis. If you and your child cannot meet all of the requirements or commit to fulfilling the fundraising obligation at this time, we recommend that you do not register for the 2006 project. Any funds you submit to IJTK represent donations to the organization and are nonrefundable. Please review the FAQ page on our website at www.itsjustthekids.org before you register and contact us with any additional questions you may have.
Fundraising Obligation For Parent & Minor:
The minimum contribution required to earn an invitation is $2,000.00 per person (including minors). You may contribute the full amount yourself, or you may request contributions from family, friends and co-workers. An initial contribution (check or money order) of $500.00 per person is required to secure your registration in the program and entitles you to reserved invitations. Your invitations will be confirmed once you submit the remaining contribution of $3,000.00. Reserved invitations will be canceled if the minimum fundraising obligation is not fulfilled by the deadline, which is May 1, 2006. All donations qualify as tax-deductible to the extent allowable by federal and state law. Other than the initial contribution, donations can now be made using a credit card (MasterCard or Visa) on-line.
If you are collecting donations from contributors and they require a receipt for their donation, please make sure that you provide them with a Receipt Request form which they should complete and return to you, along with their donation. This ensures that a receipt is generated and mailed to the contributor. A Receipt Request form is included at the end of this package and should be submitted to us with the contribution. Please make any necessary copies. Receipts for personal contributions from registered fundraisers will be generated automatically, and emailed to the address we have on file.
Registration Requirements For Parent & Minor:
Passport & Visa: You must both have a valid passport with an expiration date of no earlier than December 24, 2006. The parent will be required to submit copies of both passports, once your registration documents have been reviewed and approved. IJTK will apply for a visa on behalf of the volunteers. Visas are issued at the discretion of the Cuban Interests Section (CUBAINT) in Washington, DC. A visa is not guaranteed. If you are aware of any reason that CUBAINT would not issue either of you a visa, we recommend that you do not register. If you are Cuban-American, please call us before registering.
Registration Documents & Deadline: The deadline for registration is May 1, 2006 or until all invitations have been issued and confirmed. All registration and subsequent documents must be submitted in a timely manner, and are the responsibility of the parent. Your invitations may be canceled if you do not submit documents that we need in order to finalize your travel arrangements. A working email address is essential for keeping you updated with important information.
Volunteer Expenses: All volunteers will be responsible for their own travel expenses between their home city and Miami on the travel dates, including any necessary overnight hotel accommodations in the U.S. Volunteers are required to arrive at Miami International Airport by 5:00am on the day of departure (June 17). Volunteers will also be required to pay for their evening meals and personal expenses while in Cuba, such as tips, taxi fares, hotel room safe and beverages. Volunteers are also responsible for paying an airport departure tax in Cuba of 25.00 CUC (subject to change). Although we will apply our best efforts to return to Miami by 5:00pm on June 24, unexpected delays could occur. Please be prepared to make adjustments to your return domestic travel plans at your own expense. We do not provide travel, accident or medical insurance for volunteers.
Working Conditions: You must both be in good physical health and able to perform medium to heavy manual labor in high-temperature weather conditions. All participants will be required to work at the playground sites for up to 8 hours per day, beginning the weekend we arrive. If any medical condition or disability may prevent you from fully participating, we recommend that you consult your doctor before registering to volunteer.
Cancellations: In the event that you cannot participate after your placement in the program is reserved or confirmed, please notify us immediately. All monies contributed to IJTK represent donations to the organization for the implementation of this humanitarian effort and are, unfortunately, nonrefundable. In the unlikely event that we are forced to postpone the project for circumstances beyond our control, your donations will remain with our organization and you will be guaranteed an invitation to volunteer in a rescheduled project. All expenses related to cancellations are the volunteer's responsibility.
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Registration Instructions |
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Please note that we have temporarily suspended all activity regarding the 2006 trip. We are providing the following FOR INFORMATION ONLY. We are not accepting new registrations at this time. If you'd like to be notified when we move forward with our project (possibly in the Spring/Early Summer of 2007), please subscribe to our email notification service. |
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Step 1 – Complete Registration Forms 1, 2, 3 & 4:
Download the PARENTAL PROJECT PACKAGE (also includes all registration forms).Both the accompanying parent and the minor must read Registration Form 1. For Registration Form 2, you will need your passports available in order to complete the Passport/Personal Information section. The accompanying parent should complete and sign Registration Forms 1, 2 & 3. In cases of joint custody, the NON-ACCOMPANYING PARENT must complete and sign Registration Form 4 – Parental Consent.
Step 2 – Prepare Your Participation Statement:
Using your email or word processing program, please prepare a statement giving your reason for wanting to participate in our 2006 Playground Project. If you like, you may include any prior experience with other humanitarian efforts, any language skills, construction skills or other skills that you may think will be an asset to our organization (it is not necessary to have any prior experience or special skills in order to participate). Save your statement until you are ready to submit your registration documents. At this time, you should also prepare a statement on behalf of your minor child – see Registration Form 3, Item 1 in the “Parent's Responsibility” section, for more information.
Step 3 – Mail Your Registration Package:
Your package should include the following:
a) The completed Registration Forms (1,2, 3 & 4)
b) Your Participation Statements. Please attach them to the back of your registration documents.
c) 3 copies (each) of the ID page of your passports. Make sure that the passport copies are legible (black & white is fine) and please do not staple the copies together. On a copy of your passport (parent only), please PRINT the following information: 2 emergency contact names, their relationship to you, their telephone numbers and addresses.
d) Your initial contributions of $500.00 each or your full contributions. Your donations will be processed when we issue your reserved invitations.
MAIL YOUR PACKAGE TO:
Debbie Watterson
It's Just The Kids, Inc,
1314 Manor Drive,
El Cajon, CA 92021.
Step 4 – Completing The Registration Process:
All registration documents will be reviewed on a first-come-first-served basis. We will only issue up to 75 invitations - registering does not guarantee an invitation. You will be notified via email once your registration has been reviewed and approved. Your initial contributions secure invitations in your names. We will not revoke or cancel your invitations unless you do not meet your Fundraising Obligations by May 1, 2006. When we have processed your registration documents, you'll receive Reserved Invitations to join us in Cuba for the assembly phase. You'll receive your Confirmed Invitations once you have fulfilled your Fundraising Obligation.
As an invitee, you will be required to submit a few other documents over the next few months, mostly to help us make your travel arrangements to and in Cuba. These documents will be requested or sent to you for completion via email, at the appropriate time.
Once all the invitations have been reserved, we will not accept any new registrations. We will inform you via email when registration closes and you may request to be put on a waiting list in the event that someone cancels.
If you have any questions that aren't addressed here, please visit the FAQ page before calling. If you still have questions, please contact Debbie. |
If you cannot volunteer your time, but would like to donate equipment, tools, supplies, services, or funds to help make this trip a success, we would be most appreciative. Please contact the Program Coordinator, Bill Hauf, at 858-481-1955 or by email. |
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