2022 Boys’ Latin Puerto Rico Service Adventure

Accommodations

Santurcia Hostel

A great place to stay, network, enjoy an urban rooftop view and experience the local lifestyle firsthand. Designed with gorgeous Caribbean color and flair, it represents urban life with the essence of Santurce’s rich history and culture. Walking distance of one of the most important museums ‘Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico’, theaters, restaurants, coffee shops, 24hrs. supermarkets, pharmacies, recognized hospitals, and one of the most visited beaches. Free Wi-Fi keeps guests feeling connected at all times. Students will be grouped in their rooms according to gender.

Hacienda Juanita

Set at 2,500 feet above sea level lies Maricao, once the mecca of coffee haciendas with 234 of them. Hacienda Juanita is the only historic coffee-centered hacienda restored as a Hotel Parador and one of the best examples of the 19th century Golden era of coffee production in Puerto Rico. Free Students will be grouped in their rooms according to gender.

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Group Flight

Once your flight has been confirmed, the itinerary will appear here.

Walking Tree will secure a seat on the group flight for each participant unless otherwise instructed.

Travelers are responsible for checked baggage fees. Please visit the airline’s baggage webpage to learn if you should expect to pay anything.

We will provide a group manifest – complete with reservation codes and ticket numbers – to the Group Organizer/s before departure, and travelers will need to check in at the airport in order to receive their boarding pass and have documents verified. We recommend arriving no later than three hours prior to the scheduled departure, but contact your Group Organizer for specific details on exactly where and when to meet on the day of departure.

FLIGHT INTERRUPTION, DELAY OR CANCELLATION 
Air travel can be unpredictable.  Regardless of proper planning, there may still be instances when a flight is delayed or cancelled due to staffing shortages, weather, mechanical problems, etc.  Please note that in such an event, Walking Tree Travel (WTT) is not financially responsible for unanticipated costs incurred by travelers en route.  Our programs officially begin and end in the destination country, and because our staff doesn’t fly with the group, Group Organizers (the traveling faculty member/s) become the front-line advocate for the group in the event of a delay. In most cases of cancellations or delays, the airline will be the one who re-books travel or possibly arranges a hotel and food the night.  Our primary role will be to  keep families updated and provide support to the Group Organizer to reach a  quick and effective resolution.

Host Community and Project Details

Maricao is one of the poorest cities in Puerto Rico with high unemployment rates and low education percentages. It is known as the city of coffee where, since 1755, people have worked hard to harvest and sell the best coffee in the Caribbean. As many cities located far from the island’s coasts, Maricao suffers of shortages of electricity and water, and lacks access to other essential necessities. Consequently, its population has decreased drastically over the years, and it has become a forgotten and neglected city. Even so, there are many community members with a sense of hope and faith that everything will improve and that there will be a change for the better in the years to come. This vision is shared by Disfruta Maricao, a nonprofit organization that was established as a corporation in 2021 to improve the tourism in Maricao and in consequence, improve the economy in many ways. Disfruta Maricao wants to be the bridge between the people of Maricao and the tourists who visit their lands. They also aspire to become the main provider of educational experiences focused on promoting tourism, informing the tourist responsibly, providing them with a complete experience that positively impacts primarily the local commerce, service providers, local talent, and the community in general and therefore, the economy of Maricao.

Walking Tree groups service projects will consist in maintenance projects such as painting and fixing the houses of several community members, most of them, people without resources to provide good living conditions for their families. In addition to houses, our group will also be working on community projects with churches and other community organizations upon request from the community.

Packing List

What follows is a sample packing list, which will be updated for each program. We recommend you bring a larger piece of luggage like a roller, duffel bag, or backpack, as well as a smaller backpack that you can bring on hikes, weekend excursions and shorter activities.

Most importantly, be sure to remember your PASSPORT and STUDENT ID.

CLOTHES:

Underwear
Socks
T-shirts, tank tops or work shirts
Long sleeve shirts
Shorts
Jeans/pants
Swimsuit
Rain jacket
Sturdy shoes (appropriate for lots of walking/athletic activity)
Sports sandals ie Chacos/Tevas etc. (optional)
Flip flops (optional)
Hat

TOILETRIES: BRING THE BASIC TOILETRIES YOU NEED PLUS:

Sunscreen (you will use a lot)
Mosquito repellent
Band Aids and Neosporin, anti-diarrhea meds, basic first aid
Hand Sanitizer
Medication in properly marked original container (better to pack this in your carry on luggage)

MISCELLANEOUS:

Sunglasses
Journal and pen
Book/s
1 quick-dry towel
Camera (digital, disposable, waterproof)
Alarm clock and watch
Debit card/US Dollars (we recommend about $100-$200, depending on amount of desired souvenirs, extra items etc.)
Durable water bottle with a personal water filtration system (optional- Walking Tree will always provide drinking water)
Flashlight/headlamp
Batteries
Deck of cards or other portable games
Student ID
Spanish/English Dictionary

Support Team

At a minimum, one experienced Program Leader will travel on every trip. In addition to this full time leadership presence, Walking Tree has additional support staff in all destinations and 24/7 support from our headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Below you’ll find a list of the team members involved in the planning, organizing, and leadership of your program.

Antonio Moreno Ortiz

Puerto Rico Country Director

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Universidad de Puerto Rico – Bachelor’s in Animal Science

Antonio was born and raised in the west side of Puerto Rico. During his bachelor degree in Animal Science, he got community experiences that opened his mind in different ways. One of his hobbies is taking care of small ruminants, like sheep, and growing his own plants in addition to his love for video games. He made a personal promise of travel a minimum of one time a year to appreciate different places around the world, and he is doing so. He is also passionate for helping youth achieve their goals, both short and long term ones, by giving them advice and helping them along the way whenever he can. He really loves his island and also loves to show people around his beautiful Puerto Rico, including Walking Tree Travel groups! 

Gabriel Duncan

Co-Founder of Walking Tree Travel and Business Lead - Denver, CO

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Colby College – B.A. International Relations and Government

While at Colby, Gabriel spent a semester in Spain at the University of Salamanca studying contemporary Spanish politics and Spanish language. He also lettered for four-years on Colby’s lacrosse team and earned All-American honors. After graduating, Gabriel hit the road. He fished commercially in Alaska, taught in Chile and China, led programs for students in Spain and Costa Rica, and traveled to over 50 countries and all 50 states in the USA. Regardless of where Gabriel is located, he is constantly haunted by his naive faith and unconditional love for Denver sports teams.

Nicole Olivera

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Interamericana de San German – Associates Degree

Nicole was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. Raised most of her childhood in Jacksonville, Florida. From a very young age she was fascinated by sports and animals. Passionate about her island, lover of its beaches and mountains. She is currently studying biology with the hopes of one day becoming a marine biologist and work with sharks. She stands out for her charisma and desire to let the world know that Puerto Rico is beautiful and wonderful place.

Group Roster

Below is a list of the travelers enrolled on the program.

• 1 Albert McDonald
• 2 Brandon Oestreicher
• 3 Brayden Lopez
• 4 Brice Woodburn
• 5 Christopher Knapp
• 6 Eliseo Agudo
• 7 Gavin Curtis
• 8 Henry Richter
• 9 Hunter Kirk
• 10 Jack Davis
• 11 Jacob Dombrowski
• 12 Jacob Hutzler
• 13 James Burch
• 14 Jennifer McDonald
• 15 John Shenasky IV
• 16 Peter Sena
• 17 Samuel Peake
• 18 Sean Crowley
• 19 Tyler Slowikowski
• 20 William Scheu

Blog and Communication

During travel we will work hard to keep families updated as frequently as possible with blogs and photos, giving you peace of mind that your traveler is safe and thriving on their program.  Students regularly contribute to these posts, giving parents a great way to vicariously track the progress of the trip. You will receive an email notification when the first blog is posted, after which we recommend you check in regularly via the black “Program Blog” button at the top of this page.

Beyond this proactive approach to communication during the trip, most destinations are wired enough to allow participants semi-regular access to WiFi so you can also expect to communicate with your traveler directly. Ask your Walking Tree representative about the degree of connectivity on your program.

GLC Curriculum

Standards of Behavior

In order to run a safe and successful program, it is important that we create an environment of trust, security and respect. All individuals participating in our programs are required to take responsibility for their actions and adhere to a high standard of behavioral conduct.

ABSOLUTE DISMISSAL

1.  Possessing, consuming or distributing alcohol or illegal drugs.
2. Associating with participants while they are in possession of, or are consuming, or distributing alcohol or illegal drugs.
3. Behaving in a way that consistently damages the group dynamic or jeopardizes personal or group safety.
4. This includes consistently displaying a negative attitude, intimidating or excluding other participants, sneaking out, disobeying group leaders, and any other behavior that is not conducive to an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.

GROUNDS FOR DISMISSAL OR IN-COUNTRY CONSEQUENCE

1. Getting a piercing or tattoo.
2. Stealing, or deliberately damaging or defacing any personal property, buildings or materials.
3. Threatening physical or emotional harm, or brandishing a weapon.
4. Possessing, consuming, or distributing tobacco or nicotine, including vape pens.
5. Riding mopeds, motorcycles, or any other type of unauthorized vehicle.
6. Being out of designated area or accommodations after curfew.
7. Breaking group rules.

These standards of behavior are essential for the successful completion of your program. Please take the time to review these as a family and make sure everyone understands and agrees to them.

Health and Safety

We strongly recommend visiting the CDC Puerto Rico website to get the most updated information on health and vaccination considerations in your destination country. In addition, we encourage you to consult with your personal family physician so you can be as informed as possible when making important decisions about vaccinations and other necessary health-related preparations before travel.

Beyond these recommendations, our in-country staff prepare meticulously for all programs. Walking Tree will register our programs and travelers with the U.S. Department of State Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) in case of emergency. In country staff also verify the safety records of our partner organizations, vendors, and transportation providers, thoroughly vet homestay families via in depth interviews and home visits, and keep up on important current events in the region.

Program Leaders are seasoned travelers who are CPR and First Aid certified, undergo thorough training in crisis management, and participate in a multi-day leadership training retreat. We do our best to prepare for any eventuality and have detailed emergency protocols for our leaders, in-country staff and U.S.-based staff.

We receive medical disclosures from all participants to ensure we are able to meet every students’ needs during the program. Please inform us immediately of any additional health issues that you did not list during your initial registration process. Program Leaders will also hold an online information session before your departure, as well as an arrival orientation in-country, in order to give participants important instructions on food safety, hygiene and preventing injury and illness. Leaders and in-country staff always respond immediately to any mental, physical or emotional health issues and follow comprehensive emergency protocols.

Insurance

While we work hard to ensure the safest experience possible for our travelers on program, experience teaches that travel is never without risk. For this reason, we recommend that all travelers consider a travel insurance policy with  two additional provisions: Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) and Bed Rest. Detailed explanations of both provisions can be found on the link below.

To provide families with a quality option, Walking Tree has partnered with Travel Insured International, one of the most respected providers in the industry.  Begin by getting a quote here.

IMPORTANT NOTE: in order to secure coverage with CFAR included, you must purchase the plan within 21 days of your deposit/first payment. You must also insure 100% of your trip cost, so program tuition + flight.