Health and Safety
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Student health and safety abroad is Ed Abroad's number one priority. Ed Abroad works closely with our partners to ensure programs are designed to mitigate the unique environments, healthcare systems, and risks students may encounter. ÌýStudents play a critical role in maintaining their well-being abroad, and EdÌýAbroad and our partnersÌýprovide additional layers of resources and support.Ìý
Pre-Departure Preparation
An essential step in maintaining your heath & safety while abroad is to prepare before you go. Education Abroad's supports students with this work by:
- Facilitating required, pre-departure orientations
- Providing extensive resources guides, including the Accepted Student Guide, and program-specific resources that can be found in students'
- Enrolling students in the Education Abroad international insurance policy and International SOS's TravelTracker service, which provides real-time updates on potential health, safety, and security risks that may arise while the student is on-site.
- Directing students to health & safety resources including:
Students receive additional health & safety information from the program before they depart and while abroad.
Program Assessment
Education Abroad regularly assesses its programs to ensure that they meet the standards of É«½ä³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ in regard to academics, student support, educational outcomes, health and safety, and overall quality of the experience. View the Assessment of Education Abroad Programs page for more details.
Ed Abroad's Role in Your Health & Safety
Ensuring that you have a healthy, safe, and successful experience abroad is a collaborative effort. There are many steps that É«½ä³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ takes to students remain safe and healthy while abroad, but you must also be an active and engaged participant in keeping yourself healthy and safe.Ìý
Steps taken by É«½ä³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ Education Abroad:
- Routinely monitoring health, safety, and security conditions in all program locations, as outlined on our Assessment of Education Abroad ProgramsÌýpage.
- Providing pre-departure resources, including health, safety, and security information so you can make informed decisions and know appropriate emergency responses.
- Enrolling you inÌýlimited accident and health insurance coverage, including coverage for emergency evacuation and repatriation.
- Enrolling you in International SOS' TravelTracker alert system.
- Communicating applicable codes of conduct and implementing policies to ensure compliance.
There are also limitations on what Education Abroad can do in its role to support you. Education Abroad cannot:
- Guarantee or assure your safety or eliminate all risks during your program.
- Monitor or control all of your daily personal decisions, choices, and activities.
- EnsureÌýU.S. standards of medical care or the process to receive care will be available (even in developed countries).
- EnsureÌýU.S. standards of due process apply in overseas legal proceedings; nor can we provide or pay for legal representation for you.
Education Abroad expects you to:
- Take an active role in your health and safety by exercising good judgment, remaining aware of your surroundings at all times, and following health andÌýsafety best practices, as you wouldÌýmaintain at home and in any new environment.
- Review theÌýpre-departure resourcesÌýmade available to you.
- Research your host county'sÌýcultural norms, especially those related to your own identity, and current/historical social, political, and cultural events.
- Disclose your health and medical needsÌýand discuss your travel plans with a medical professional.
- Adhere to the advice of Education Abroad,Ìýyour program, and/or your host university,Ìýin addition toÌýU.S. and international governmentÌýand local laws and regulations.
- Monitor your É«½ä³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ email for any updates related to health and safety, as well as programmatic updates.
- Register your travel with the USDOS Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
- Ask questions, especially if you are unsure, concerned, or feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
Identity Considerations
Navigating a new culture can mean encountering norms, speech, or behavior that can be directed at travelers based on stereotypes that are outside of an individual’s control (skin color, religious symbols or clothing, hairstyles, nationality, accents, etc.). While abroad, you may find yourself or your peers confronted with discrimination or hate speech. Research the current climate in your host country and ask program staff for their feedback and advice about any concerns you should have while abroad. Work with your on-site staff to find effective and culturally-appropriate ways to address situations that keep everyone safe.Ìý
In the event that someone starts communicating racist, sexist, or otherwise hateful messages, do your best to remove yourself from the situation and get to a public safe space as soon as possible. Never risk or compromise your health or safety.ÌýÌýIf you can, write down any and allÌýdetails of the incident including the perpetrator’s gender, age, height, race, weight, clothes, and other distinguishing characteristics, as well as any biased comments that were made.Ìý Report it to your on-site program staff as soon as possible as they will be able to direct you to the appropriate next step and provide you with resources.Ìý
CU Education Abroad advisors are required to notify theÌýOffice of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC)Ìýwhen notified of a discrimination or hate speech incident. The OIEC will then workÌýto coordinate the provision of accommodations, safety measures, and interim remedies and connect individuals with support services.
Refer to theÌýDiversity & Identity AbroadÌýpage for resources to assist you in navigating your host culture, possible conversations regarding your identity, and consideration related to how your identity may impact your health and safety in your host country and culture.
Resources
There is a wide variety of information available to you, related to your health and safety abroad. Review the following resources, as relevant, to be best prepared for your education abroad program.
- :ÌýProvides a directory of English-speaking doctors across 500 cities in 120 countries.
- International SOS can provide a customized safety briefing for a specific itinerary (i.e. for an independent trip over a break or long weekend). This is a free serviceÌýwe recommend. To request a report, send an email with your itinerary toÌýphiladelphia@internationalsos.com. You may use thisÌýÌýto do so.
- :ÌýCrime & Safety Reports are annual reports written by U.S. Regional Security Officers regarding the current environment overseas.
- U.S. Department of State'sÌýÌýpage
- U.S. Department of State'sÌýÌýpage
- :ÌýInclude such information as the location of the U.S. Embassy or Consulate, unusual immigration practices, health conditions, minor political disturbances, unusual currency and entry regulations, crime and security information, and drug penalties for every country in the world.
- There are several resources designed specifically for travelers who want to receive pertinent updates. We recommend the following:
- Ìý- students are required to enroll themselves in STEP prior to departure
- Ìý- É«½ä³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ Ed Abroad automatically enrolls all students in ISOS alerts
For students studying with a study abroad organization, their resources are linked here. All students also receive program-specific health and safety information in their . Ìý
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ÌýÌýSweden by Audrey Lenker