Updated Health & Safety
Guidelines

You may be able to book flights for your upcoming semester, however many airlines are in a state of flux and change flight schedules frequently.  We suggest students wait to book flights until closer to their departure to avoid any unnecessary changes. Additionally, we always recommend students purchase flight insurance. If you want to add cancellation insurance to your flight, please contact our General Manager. There is a fee associated with adding Cancellation Coverage to your flight.

This would be dependent on local government policy and Insight’s assessment of best practices at the time of your arrival. If you are required to self-isolate upon your arrival, Insight will take care of the logistics of arranging accommodation and ensuring  you are equipped with all necessities. Your in-country Program Director will arrange for frequent, no-contact delivery of groceries and prepared meals throughout the isolation period.

You will also have the option to extend your time in-country by 14 days at the end of the program at no additional cost, visa circumstances permitting. 

Note: For more specific information regarding the logistics of self-isolation/quarantine, please read our COVID-19 Guidelines or contact our Student Advisor.

In order to protect our program participants, we are implementing some new protocols in line with recommendations from the World Health Organization. 

First, we will be increasing the student house cleaning schedule from weekly cleaning to daily cleaning (except Sundays). This will ensure that common spaces and high contact surfaces are sanitized routinely. Laundry will also be made available to students more frequently and students are encouraged to change into fresh clothing when returning to student accommodations from activity in the community (Note: Our house cleaners are trusted partners of Insight that we have worked with for several semesters. All cleaners are vetted by additional references.)

Insight will also be making some adjustments to the student Code of Conduct. Students will be required to wear fabric or medical masks when they are outside the house in shared indoor spaces or in a place that they are not able to maintain 2-meters of physical distance from others at all times (ex: a shopping mall or a market). While our in-country staff are not able to monitor students at all times to enforce this rule, it has been put in place for student safety, similar to the rule of wearing a helmet when riding on the back of a motorcycle taxi. If a student is found to be putting themselves and their other cohorts members at risk by not following this rule, they may be asked to leave the cohort. 

Our Code of Conduct has always stated that students are not allowed to bring external guests into student accommodations. If a student is found to have invited a guest into the student accommodation, they may be asked to leave the cohort.

Note: For more specific information regarding the logistics of self-isolation/quarantine, please read out COVID-19 Guidelines or contact our Student Advisor to book a call. 

Insight has strong relationships with the communities that we operate in and a developed network of internship partners. At this point in time, we are working with host organizations to ensure that they are able to provide a safe work environment for all interns (ex: physical distancing procedures and/or mandatory masks in the office). 

We will only be placing students with organizations that have robust work safe plans with guidelines that are similar or better than the safety protocols followed in our own Head Office in Vancouver, BC. 

At this point in time, all academic courses are scheduled to continue in-person when our in-country programming resumes. If in-person studies are not possible due to unforeseen circumstances, the program director and head office have created unique backup plans to ensure students will receive the academic portion of programming in each location. 

Note: To view the plan for each destination, please read our COVID-19 Guidelines or contact our Student Advisors to book a call.

In the unfortunate circumstance that a member of the cohort falls ill, the in-country Program Director will make alternate arrangements for this member to be housed separately in order to protect both the sick individual and the remaining students. The Program Director is prepared to support students with obtaining medical attention at clinics and hospitals as needed during their stay. 

All students are required to purchase Travel Medical Insurance before departing for their semester. If students have purchased their Insurance through Insight (this is available for $350 USD), our program director will also be able to support students with collecting necessary documentation and processing an insurance claim.  *Note: Our Travel Medical Insurance provided through Allianz Global Assistance does not cover treatment costs if a student contracts COVID-19.

In the unfortunate event that a country where the program is taking place is not allowing visitors, our programming will be postponed. Insight will notify participants of the decision to postpone programming a minimum of 30 days before the scheduled start date of the program.

In the unfortunate event that cases begin to rise while you are abroad our Program Director will arrange a cohort meeting to discuss the situation with all members of the cohort. If it is safe in the country/region where the students are located, students will be given the option to finish the program on location or return home ahead of schedule. The program director will support all students with making arrangements based on their individual decisions with their parents/guardians. 

If students do decide to return home ahead of schedule, our program director will consult with our office in Vancouver and Global Affairs Canada to determine the best course of action. 

If students do decide to remain in the country, the students will be able to stay in the student accommodations for one month beyond the scheduled program end date at no additional cost. If students are required to stay in the country beyond that point, the program director will support them with finding alternative accommodations.