2024 Cherry Creek Spain and France Program

Accommodations

Citadines Montmartre Paris

The Citadines Montmartre Paris is located in a residential area in Paris near Place de Clichy at the foot of the Butte Montmartre. It offer furnished studios and rooms, just a 10-minute metro ride from the Champs Elysées. Its apartments are equipped with private bathrooms area and some of them have balconies. Citadines Montmartre Paris has a rooftop terrace that provides a view of the city. Citadines Montmartre Paris is just 200 metres from the Moulin Rouge and 1 km from the Sacré-Coeur Basilica. The property is a 15-minute metro ride from the Gare du Nord and Saint Lazare Station.

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Hotel Sterling – Madrid

Conveniently located just off Gran Via and 200 m from Santo Domingo Metro station, this hotel offers simple accommodation in central Madrid. Both Puerta del Sol and the Royal Palace are just 10 minutes’ walk away. All spacious rooms have private bathrooms and air conditioning, TV, safe and work desk. A daily breakfast is available, and gluten-free products are available on request. Free Wi-Fi keeps guests feeling connected at all times. Students will be grouped in their rooms according to gender.

 

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Group Flight

Paris -> Madrid Flight

Once your flight schedule 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

Packing List

What follows is a sample packing list but you know yourself better than we do so please adjust accordingly. 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 daily outings, weekend excursions and shorter activities.

“Less is more” is a packing tip we encourage for all our travelers. The list below should cover everything you would need, but know yourself and what you are comfortable traveling with.  We suggest bringing only as much as you would be able to carry on your own.

Finally, we recommend consulting a weather forecast for your destination. 

CLOTHES (quantities depend on your trip length) :

• Underwear
• Socks (a mixture of good active socks and casual socks)
• T-shirts
• Long sleeve shirts
• Sweaters/sweatshirts
• Jacket
• Warm hat
• Scarf
• Warm gloves
• Rain jacket
• Pants/shorts
• Good footwear for a lot of walking
• Sandals (optional)
• Hat/s

TOILETRIES: 

• Your basics
• Sunscreen
• Basic first aid
• Hand Sanitizer
• Prescription medication in properly marked original container

MISCELLANEOUS:

• Passport
• Sunglasses
• Journal and pen
• Book/s
• Universal power adapter
• Debit card/US Dollars (we recommend about $100-$200)
• Durable water bottle
• Deck of cards or other portable games
• Student ID
• Sense of adventure!

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 staff in all destinations and 24/7 support from our headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Below you’ll find the the team members involved in the preparation, planning and execution of your program.

Luke Mueller

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

[email protected]

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Emory University – B.A. Sociology and minor in Latin American History

Luke’s path to student travel began in Mexico, during a year abroad in Mexico and Central America. This formative time led him to join an international volunteer program which, after graduating from college, sent him to the small village of San Gerardo de Rivas in south-central Costa Rica. Welcomed by the loveliest of host families, his experience in this tiny town is directly connected to the beginnings of Walking Tree five years later. His love for travel still burns bright, and today he’s lucky to have a wife and daughter who are equally passionate about exploring the world. Settled in Denver, he adores his family and colleagues, skies whenever possible, and is a devoted fan of all Colorado sports teams.

Harriet Docena

France Country Director and Program Leader

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Harriet caught the travel bug early in her life. Born in the Philippines, with 7,107 islands, both of her parents are avid travelers. Most of their weekends and holidays were spent roadtripping and traveling to new places. After finishing her degree in Fashion design and merchandising, she realized that the fashion world was not for her. That’s why in 2006, she left her job and worked as a photographer on cruise ships. For years, she traveled the world to places such as the Caribbean, Alaska, South America, Europe, the Mediterranean, Hawaii, and Asia. After working and traveling nonstop, she decided to choose a place where she can stay put and have a “normal life”.  In 2010 she was lucky to be awarded a “skills and talents” visa in France and chose Paris to be her new home. Harriet is also an avid surfer which brought her to different surf spots and exotic locations around the world. As of this moment, she has visited 80+ countries and around 500+ cities. She doesn’t think she will ever stop traveling. Nowadays, you can find Harriet traveling around Europe, obsessed with her chihuahua and surfing when the European waters are not that cold.

Hillary Mora

Program Leader

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Hillary was born in Sarapiqui, a small but pretty town on the Caribbean slope in Costa Rica, one of the most biologically intense places in the country.  She grew up climbing trees, going hiking around rivers, swinging on vines and everything you can imagine in the forest. She is truly a nature lover.  When she finished high school, she thought she wanted to study business administration, but eventually figured out that was not her passion. She began studying English and started working on the airport which opened her eyes to the world of tourism. She soon found out that nature and education are her passions. She began working in Tirimbina Biological Reserve, where she fell in love with the forest once again.  Hillary is  focusing her career on environmental education, where she coordinates a project called the Leaf Cutter Project which helps students get in contact with and learn about conservation, interpretation and everything about nature. She has traveled to Europe, Belize, and Panama. Hillary loves traveling and learning about other cultures, but what she loves the most is helping others.

Jordan Sparrow

Director of Operations - Lisbon, Portugal

[email protected]

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University of Kansas – B.A. Latin American Studies; Global and International Studies, Minor in Brazilian Studies

Jordan hails from Kansas City where he spent his entire childhood. Although he didn’t realize it at the time, his first international experience would set the course for the rest of his life.  After high school, he traveled to Guatemala where he began learning Spanish and cultivated a deep interest in everything Latin America. In college, Jordan spent almost half of his university career studying abroad in both Costa Rica and Brazil.  In 2010, Jordan moved to Costa Rica for six years where he began his professional career teaching Portuguese to Costa Ricans and working with Walking Tree Travel.  From Costa Rica he moved to Denver, Colorado and spent seven years traveling the USA and experiencing life as an adult in America for the first time. Jordan is trilingual and has traveled to more than 30 countries around the world. He currently lives in Lisbon, Portugal and enjoys practicing yoga, hiking, biking, spending time at the beach and cooking Middle Eastern food.

Alexandre Rehbinder

Program Leader

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California State University, Northridge – B.S. Management; Bard College – MBA in Sustainability

Born and raised in Los Angeles to a hard-working French-American family, Alex developed a diverse set of skills to contend with the world. During his bachelor’s degree, he mentored high school robotics teams in Southern California as a F.I.R.S.T. Robotics Ambassador. After college, Alex co-founded a secondhand fashion business and moved to Paris, France, where he began working at a law firm to support his entrepreneurial venture. Staying in touch with his roots, he took on a leadership role within a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering his fellow American expats. Living abroad and traveling have been critical to his development, and you will likely hear him say that “a fish does not know it is in water until you take it out.” He has since returned to school to complete an MBA in Sustainability in NYC and maintains a sustainable finance consultancy. He also maintains that the greatest obstacle to achieving something great is believing it can be done!

Group Roster

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

• 1 Audrey Gomez-Grieser
• 2 Brielle Bernier
• 3 Caden Shrewsbury
• 4 Camden Braun
• 5 Carey Smith
• 6 Dean Michalko
• 7 Ella Gammon
• 8 Hailey Shim
• 9 Jayna Baker
• 10 Jennifer Polland
• 11 Jessica Robinson
• 12 Leigh Munro
• 13 Malana Perez
• 14 Mallory Spors
• 15 Meryl Welsh
• 16 Miguel Torolho
• 17 Mya Kean
• 18 Olivia Hoffmann
• 19 Russell Magerfleisch
• 20 Russell Magerfleisch
• 21 Tian Zhou
• 22 Valerie Butcher

Blog and Communication

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

Assuming your school allows the use of cell phones, most destinations are wired enough to allow participants access WiFi at different moments in the program, allowing them to communicate directly with home. 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 vital that travelers are prepared to be on their best behavior and bring enthusiasm and interest to each and every day. A communal atmosphere of trust and mutual respect is the foundational.  As such, all individuals participating on a Walking Tree program are required to take responsibility for their actions and adhere to a high standard of personal conduct.

IMMEDIATE DISMISSAL

1. Possessing, consuming or distributing alcohol or illegal drugs.
2. Associating with participants while they are in possession of alcohol or illegal drugs.
3. Behaving in a way that consistently damages the group dynamic or jeopardizes personal or group safety. 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 website for Spain and the CDC website for France to get the most updated information on health and vaccination considerations in your destination countries. In addition, we encourage you to consult 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 traveling.

Our in-country staff meticulously prepare for all programs. Walking Tree receives regular updates from the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to proactively stay ahead of any potential security concerns. Our in-country staff also verify the safety records of our partner organizations, vendors, and transportation providers, thoroughly vet homestay families through in-depth interviews and visits, and stay informed about 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 comprehensive leadership training. 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 collect medical disclosures from all participants to ensure we can meet every student’s needs during the program. Please inform us immediately of any additional health issues not listed during your initial registration process. Leaders and in-country staff are prepared to respond promptly to any mental, physical, or emotional health concerns 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 can be unpredictable. For this reason, we recommend that all travelers consider a travel insurance policy with a Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) provision. Detailed explanations of plan options can be found via the link below.

To provide travelers and 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 that includes CFAR, you must purchase the plan within 14-21 days of your first payment to Walking Tree. Be careful when you read the tenets of the policy to ensure you understand the required timeframe for purchase. You must also insure 100% of your trip cost, so program tuition + flight. Please reach out to us with questions.