Each student is solely responsible for obtaining and carrying all required travel documents for the duration of the cruise and course. All documentation must be valid and available at the time of boarding and throughout travel. Passengers who do not present the required documents will be denied boarding. No refunds will be issued to individuals who are unable to travel due to missing, invalid, or incomplete documentation.

Alaska is a US State and no special travel documents are needed. However, since this cruise class starts in Vancouver, Canada, the following Travel Documents are required:

– Your valid passport with J-1 Visa

– A valid extension DS-2019 that has been signed for travel

– Your I-94 card

– Visa-exempt au pairs traveling to Canada by air need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). This applies to citizens from countries like the U.K., Japan, and many E.U. nations. You can check HERE if you require and eTA.

                  – The eTA is for AIR TRAVEL only (if you are flying to Vancouver); it is NOT required when entering by car, bus, or train.

                  – Application: Processed online via the official Canada.ca website for a cost of CAD$7.

– Depending on your nationality, you may need a Visa to enter Canada. Please check HERE if you require a visa.

In most cases, au pairs in their extension year are not permitted to travel internationally. However, U.S. regulations include an exception called Automatic Visa Revalidation (AVR). AVR may allow travel for 30 days or less to Canada, Mexico, or certain adjacent Caribbean islands, as long as the au pair:

– has a valid passport

– has a valid DS-2019 with a current travel signature

– has a valid I-94 record

– does not apply for a new U.S. visa while outside the U.S.

Please Note** Even if AVR applies, re-entry is never guaranteed. Cruise lines may deny boarding, and final admission to the U.S. is always decided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the port of entry.

Au pairs must contact their sponsoring agency in advance to confirm whether they are eligible before booking any international travel and signing up for this class.

Attendance is mandatory for all days of this class. You may not arrive late on the first day or depart early on the final day. Please book flights that allows you to attend all scheduled class hours.

This is a long-weekend, intensive course, and days will be full. Please bring comfortable shoes, appropriate clothing, water, and snacks. We expect you to arrive well-rested and prepared to participate fully, learn, and enjoy the experience.

SCHEDULE

Class starts at 9:00AM on Day 1 in Downtown Seattle and ends on Day 9 at 7:00AM upon return to Seattle.

This 72-hour course consists of in-person instruction as well as required pre- and post-assignments completed through Google Classroom. You will receive a Google Classroom invitation approximately one month prior to the course start date. Please register using a Google-compatible email address (e.g., Gmail, Outlook, Hotmail, or Yahoo), as all course communications and your course completion certificate will be sent to this email. Invitations may be filtered to spam/junk folders. If you do not receive the invitation, you are responsible for contacting us to request access.

Pre-assignments will be posted three weeks before the course begins and require approximately 18 hours to complete. These assignments must be completed before attending the in-person sessions.

Post-assignments will be posted during the course weekend and also require approximately 18 hours to complete. Successful completion of these assignments is required to receive the course completion certificate.

Course completion certificates are emailed within a few days of the official course end date, provided all required assignments have been successfully completed. Students have four weeks to complete post-assignments. If you require your certificate earlier, please indicate this during registration; and provide necessary documents.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1.) Develop Self-Awareness & Discover Personal Strengths: Identify individual strengths, values, personality traits, and leadership styles through self-assessments, interactive activities, and personal reflection.

2.) Build Leadership & Communication Skills: Explore effective leadership approaches and develop practical skills in communication, teamwork, emotional intelligence, decision-making, and conflict resolution.

3.) Strengthen Confidence, Resilience & Adaptability: Examine how stepping outside one’s comfort zone, overcoming challenges, and embracing unfamiliar experiences contribute to personal growth and independence.

4.) Explore Career Paths & Future Opportunities: Identify personal interests, professional aspirations, and potential career or educational pathways while recognizing transferable skills gained through international experiences.

5.) Practice Teamwork & Problem-Solving: Apply leadership principles through collaborative challenges, group activities, and real-world scenarios that encourage creative thinking, cooperation, and effective decision-making.

6.) Develop Cultural Awareness & Global Perspectives: Explore how travel, cultural differences, and interactions with diverse communities influence personal identity, leadership, communication, and understanding of the world.

7.) Explore Leadership Through Seattle & Alaska: Examine how innovation, entrepreneurship, environmental responsibility, and life in Alaska’s unique geographic conditions demonstrate leadership, resilience, adaptability, and resourcefulness.

8.) Create a Personal Life & Career Development Plan: Develop a personalized roadmap that identifies individual strengths, short- and long-term goals, educational or career opportunities, and actionable steps toward future personal and professional growth.