Safety and Supervision
You will have clear guidelines regarding where you can go alone or with a buddy. Staff are available for support and assistance 24 hours a day. Despite many students being experienced and competent travelers, the BELL staff expects all students to stay with the group at all times and provide notice if they need to separate from the group for any reason.
Communication During the Program
To contact us in an emergency, parents/guardians may call the BELL AK On-Site Director at 401-749-3841. This number will also be shared during the Pre-Departure Orientation Session. At certain times during the program, students and/or staff may experience lapses in cell phone service. Staff will be checking the program phone often to return missed phone calls or text messages as soon as they are able.
Cell Phone Policy
We try to stay tuned in to each other and to our natural surroundings throughout the program, so we ask that the use of mobile devices (for phone calls, texting, social media etc.) be limited to free time in the evening. Letting go of the frequent connection to our phones helps us form a community and adjust to a new environment more quickly.
Swimming During BELL
BELL: Alaska does not include any swimming, however students will be spending a lot of time near bodies of water. Students should feel comfortable on a boat and near bodies of water. For example, students will not be permitted to swim while staying at the Peterson Bay Field Station, but will be brought to the Field Station on a 30 minute boat ride.
Personal Health and Medical Emergencies
The BELL: Alaska program is a physically taxing program involving significant exertion in the outdoors. For your safety and comfort during the program, we expect participants to fully disclose any and all pre-existing medical conditions on required medical forms.
In a medical emergency, you will be transported to a nearby hospital. All of our activities take place within 2 hours of a hospital. For minor problems, we have a well-equipped first aid kit and staff trained in First Aid.
Prescription Medications
You are responsible for safely storing and taking your own prescription medication. If you are not accustomed to managing your own medication, you should work with your family to determine the best approach to do so during the program. All students who are taking prescription medications should bring prescribed medication in its original container and a copy of their prescription (which can be an electronic copy). Having a copy of the original prescription will enable us to replace medication if needed. Students with life-saving asthma and anaphylaxis medications (e.g., inhalers, epi-pens) must keep them on their person at all times.
Dietary and Medical Conditions
You must communicate significant food allergies that require meal accommodations (e.g. gluten, shellfish, soy, eggs, milk) on the Medical Authorization and Health History Form and the BELL Dietary Support Form by April 12. Please also indicate any dietary preferences, including vegetarian and vegan diets, to allow us to plan accordingly. We will work with the staff to make accommodations for dietary restrictions and food allergies if we are notified in advance.
Housing
For most of the program, we will be sleeping in dorm spaces where students will be housed with other BELL students. Our dorm host will be University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). Students will have access to community or shared private bathrooms with private showers.
For three nights at the end of the program, you will stay at the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies (CACS) Peterson Bay Field Station, where you will sleep in yurts without running water or electricity. However, there is a permanent lodge visible and in walking distance of the yurts with electricity, running water, composting toilets and a group space in case of bad weather. The lodge is also where you will work with staff to cook your own meals during their stay at CACS (no previous cooking experience needed). This facility does not have showers.
For the last night of the program, you will stay at a hotel near the Anchorage airport to help make departure day a little easier.
Itinerary
You will receive a detailed schedule upon arrival. You must attend all days of the program in order to qualify for the individualized program evaluation from BELL staff. In addition to three meals per day, some free time and transportation to and from site visits, this schedule provides an idea of what the program will entail. Note that this schedule is subject to change.
Day 1 - Arrival Day
Lodging: University of Alaska, Anchorage (UAA)
- Group transportation to UAA; BELL Orientation; catch up on sleep
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Day 2
Lodging: University of Alaska, Anchorage
- Tour of UAA facilities; Group Initiatives; BELL Topic Roundtables; evening lesson
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Day 3
Lodging: University of Alaska, Anchorage
- Anchorage Museum visit and tour; Cook Inlet Tribal Council Guest Speakers; evening lesson
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Day 4
Lodging: University of Alaska, Anchorage
- Alaska Native Heritage Center visit and tour; evening lesson
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Day 5
Lodging: University of Alaska, Anchorage
- Morning, afternoon, and evening lessons at UAA; Introduction to Action Plan
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Day 6
Lodging: University of Alaska, Anchorage
- Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center visit and tour; Action Plan work; Eklutna Dam Introduction Lesson
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Day 7
Lodging: University of Alaska, Anchorage
- Visit and educational tour of the Native Village of Eklutna Dam project; Cook Inlet Tribal Council FabLab
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Day 8
Lodging: University of Alaska, Anchorage
- Matanuska Glacier Tour; evening free time
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Day 9
Lodging: University of Alaska, Anchorage
- Morning lesson; Cook Inlet Tribal Council FabLab; Pack for trip to Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies’ Peterson Bay Field Station
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Day 10
Lodging: Peterson Bay Field Station
- Travel to Kenai Peninsula for Hideout Trail guest lecture with Dr. John Morton; travel to Homer and then to Peterson Bay Field Station by boat; CACS Orientation and tour
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Day 11
Lodging: Peterson Bay Field Station
- Tidepooling; data debrief; science lessons with CACS staff
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Day 12
Lodging: Peterson Bay Field Station
- Tidepooling; data debrief; science lessons with CACS staff; Action Plan presentations
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Day 13
Lodging: Airport Hotel in Anchorage
- Peterson Bay Field Station content wrap up, pack to leave field station, travel to Homer by boat, travel to Anchorage
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Day 14 - Departure Day
- Last group breakfast and goodbyes; group transportation to the airport at 10 a.m.
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BELL Action Plans
With support from faculty and peers at BELL, you will create an Action Plan to apply your new leadership knowledge to an issue in your home community. Creating an Action Plan is an opportunity for you to reflect critically on what you’ve learned and to delve deeper into issues that you find particularly compelling. There are many types of Action Plans, but what is most important is that you identify a project that: addresses a need, interests you and seems feasible given your personal circumstances. While you do not need to prepare anything prior to arriving at BELL, you may want to think about some issues related to your community and come to BELL with some ideas for Action Plan topics. At BELL, you will participate in Action Plan workshops that guide you through a step by step approach to developing your project.
Curfew
Our days are busy, requiring the students’ energy and attention throughout the day. Although we require students to be in their rooms by curfew at 10 p.m., we respect the students’ ability to choose when to go to sleep.
Due to the proximity to the Arctic Circle, it will be light until midnight with only 2 to 3 hours of darkness before dawn. You may choose to bring a sleeping mask to create a darker environment if you have trouble sleeping in light.
This is an example of a typical day at BELL
Breakfast |
8 a.m. to 9 a.m. |
Morning Field Trip or Lesson |
9 a.m. to Noon |
Lunch/Free Time |
Noon to 2 p.m. |
Afternoon Field Trip, Lab or Lesson |
2 p.m. to 5 p.m. |
Free Time and/or Dinner Prep |
5 p.m. to 6 p.m. |
Dinner |
6 p.m. to 7 p.m. |
Evening Labs and Discussions |
7 p.m to 9 p.m. |
Free Time |
9 p.m. to 10 p.m. |
Curfew |
10 p.m. |
Fellow Students
You are encouraged to come to BELL with an open mind to meeting new people with diverse and varied perspectives. Each student accepted to BELL brings with them their own experiences and the cohort comes together to create a fascinating community.
Photos
Students are encouraged to upload photos to a shared Google folder once the program begins. Students will gain access to this folder closer to the program start date.
Class Attendance
Students are required to attend class. Absence or inactivity within your course may result in a dismissal from the program. Students dismissed for reasons of absence or inactivity will not be refunded.