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Preparation and Safety

pACE (preparing for ACE) meetings

All ACE participants attend a series of required pre-program preparation meetings before their ACE experience begins. This includes a welcome and orientation meeting that provides an overview of the ACE experience and one on-campus pre-program training session that covers general and site-specific health and safety training information. Training topics are designed to alert students to possible risks and encourage them to make wise decisions. To learn more, see pre-program expectations and training.

Additionally, student-athletes meet twice with their ACE program teammates and on-site program staff to go over details unique to their program including health, safety, cultural knowledge, packing lists, and service project plans.

Online pre-departure training

Before traveling with ACE, all ACE participants are required to complete an online pre-departure course, which includes information on health and safety. We expect students to review this course carefully to best prepare themselves for a successful summer experience.

Duke Office of Global Health and Safety (OGHS)

The Duke Office of Global Health and Safety (OGHS) is available to support student health and safety concerns, before and during their ACE program. The OGHS-staffed number (+1-919-452-9546) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and accepts phone calls, texts, and WhatsApp messages. OGHS works closely with the ACE home office, Duke Athletics staff, on-the-ground staff, ISOS (as mentioned below), and other pertinent Duke offices to ensure students receive the support they require.

International SOS (ISOS) app

Duke contracts with International SOS (ISOS), a medical and travel security assistance company, to provide worldwide assistance and evacuation services to protect our students who study and pursue service work overseas. Services provided by ISOS range from telephone advice and referrals for everyday issues to evacuation by private air ambulance in the event of a health emergency. The SOS network of multilingual specialists operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year from Alarm Centers around the world. The coverage is designed to supplement the policies, procedures and support staff, which Duke already has in place. For more information about the services provided by ISOS, please consult Duke Travel Assistance.

Download the ISOS Assistance App to stay up-to-date with travel security analysis and medical information.

Emergency contact card

An emergency contact card, which includes Duke’s ISOS membership numbers and the SOS alarm center phone numbers, is provided to each student at the all-ACE preparation meeting (pACE) held in April — and to their parent or guardian soon thereafter via email. The card also includes the OGHS emergency hotline (as mentioned above) which is staffed 24/7 throughout the summer. This card should be carried by students at all times during their ACE experience.

Each ACE program location is run by a volunteer-sending organization (VSO). Staff from the organization are on the ground and available 24/7 to participants. Typically, the staff leaders live in the same housing facilities where the students stay and lead and accompany students on every part of the program experience including time spent at service projects, enrichment activities, during meals, while participating in athletic training, etc.

Student-athlete safety is a program priority. Participants are not allowed to participate in any high-risk activities, such as bungee jumping, ocean swimming, hitchhiking, or riding any non-standard forms of transportation, such as motorbikes, bicycles, or tuck-tucks. Participants must report any injuries or illnesses to on-site staff immediately who share this information with ACE staff for follow-up.

Health

Recommended vaccinations and medications vary by program location and year. However, as part of any ACE program, all student-athletes are required to visit Duke Student Health for a pre-travel health visit which includes recommended vaccinations and travel prescriptions. These pre-departure travel medicine costs are included as part of the ACE program; however, the cost of any medical care during or post-program is solely the responsibility of the student.

In general, most dietary restrictions and preferences can be accommodated. The “Housing and Meals” section of each program profile outlines program-specific food options and examples of typical meals.

If you have additional concerns not outlined within the program profile, please have your student-athlete contact the ACE office to discuss whether or not specific dietary needs can be reasonably accommodated at a program site.

All participants in the ACE program are required to have the Duke Student Medical Insurance Plan or to have a comparable U.S.-based policy of comprehensive health and accident insurance that covers injuries and illnesses sustained during or as a consequence of participating in an internationally-based ACE program. This insurance must be valid at least through the beginning of the next academic school year. ACE does not provide or pay for health insurance for participants.

Communication

While students are permitted to bring their own cell phone, camera, laptop, etc. to the program, ACE is not liable for any damaged, lost, or stolen items during the program.

We encourage students to talk with their family before departure to agree on a personal communication plan – how often students will check-in, by what means, etc. Though it is relatively simple to stay in touch with friends and family in all the programs, ACE encourages minimizing the time spent on electronic devices and social media.

Internet/Wi-Fi

All ACE participants will have some internet access throughout the program; however, please be aware that internet service may be more limited and slower than what students may be used to at home or on campus.

Program-specific means of communication

To find out more about communication resources available at each program site, please visit the program profile page to learn more.

To learn more about a specific program’s central service projects, typical daily schedule, cultural enrichment activities, and training opportunities, read the “Program Details” sections within the program profile of your student-athlete’s program site.

If you’d like to stay updated on what your student-athlete and other ACE participants are doing during their ACE experience, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Each ACE participant is also asked to share reflections on their experiences via the ACE program blog. Read student-athlete reflection blogs from previous summers.

Again, we also encourage students to talk with their family before departure to agree on a personal communication plan – how often students will check-in, by what means, etc. Though it is relatively simple to stay in touch with friends and family in all the programs, ACE encourages minimizing the time spent on electronic devices and social media.

Travel

As part of the program, ACE participants are provided and booked with a simple, round-trip airline ticket to their program site from an origination city of their choice. Learn more about booking flights and other helpful travel FAQs.