Participants calling to the U.S.

Participants can call the United States by using a calling card from any major US phone company. Not all pre-paid calling cards will work, so be sure to check with your phone card provider before the trip. Students will have access to public phones throughout the program to contact their families and friends.

Participants can also call the United States by getting advantage of the new voice over IP service at any Internet Café in Tanzania, CR, Nicaragua or Honduras. There are several providers available on the Internet. One of the most popular and reliable is Skype. This software provides free pc-to-pc calls or pc to traditional landlines or mobile phone calls at a very low price. For more information, visit www.skype.com.

Most VoIP systems require special hardware and software. For the hardware, you need a computer headset with a microphone (some newer headsets connect via USB, these are typically a bit more expensive but in general quite good). Not all Internet cafes will allow you to plug in your headset or download the software, however many Internet Cafés are equipped with headsets and Skype. Another option is to load the software on your own laptop (which you bring with you) and test the hardware and software before leaving the US. However, not every Internet café will allow you to connect your laptop.

Calling your child from the U.S.

EWH will purchase a cell phone for each pair of participants. For those participating in Central America, they will receive their phone for use during the second month. Participants in Africa will receive their phones during the first few days after arrival. Your child can provide you with their mobile number.

To contact your child during the first month (in Central America), consider purchasing calling cards. Participants’ families and friends can call Tanzania, Costa Rica, Nicaragua or Honduras using a calling card from any major US phone company. There are also a wide variety of calling cards available on the Internet.

Additional contact information may become available before the summer program begins.

Safety Information

Our students’ safety is the highest priority for EWH’s summer institute. We take extra care to select sites that are safe as possible, and encourage parents and their children to consult the US Department of State for the latest news and advice on traveling abroad. Feel free to call Robert Malkin, the Director of the Summer Institute, if you have any questions regarding your child’s safety.

Visiting During Your Student's Stay

Engineering World Health typically does not support parental visits to on-site locations. If there is a special need or circumstance, please contact us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) so we can explore the situation.

Laptop Insurance

We recommend that all students bring a laptop. They will use the laptop to complete the hospital’s inventory, complete work forms and possibly to communicate with friends and family back home.

Please be aware that theft of laptops is common in the developing world. Most homeowner’s insurance policies do not cover stolen laptops while traveling. You may want to consider purchasing a separate policy for your child’s laptop.