Panama
2024–25 ENROLLMENT INFORMATION

Congratulations on being selected to travel on the Panama: Research, Communities, and Conservation travel program!  This trip challenges you to engage with the complexity of research, communities, and conservation in the unique ecosystems of Panama. You will learn the basics of ecological and anthropological research, interact with a variety of communities, and consider their own views on conservation and the impact they make on the natural world.

 

Make sure to keep checking this page for Updates

General Program Information:

  • Program Dates: March 8th – 15th, 2025
  • Program Leaders: Heidi Valk & Liz Washburn
  • Updated Itinerary (COMING SOON), preliminary itineraries can be found on the Trip Page HERE
  • Program Notes:
    • Program Meeting Point: On March 8th, 2025, Students and Program leaders will meet in front of the MSB at 6:30AM at Deerfield Academy and will travel together via bus to John F Kennedy Airport in New York where they will fly together to Panama City, arriving on March 8th, 2025.
    • Cell Phone Policy: This is an “unplugged” trip, so students will not have access to cell phones or the internet during their time in Panama.
    • Other Important Information about the program: During this trip, students will stay in hotels and open-air bunkhouses. They will eat at restaurants prepared by Mamoni (which offers a diverse selection of foods, fruits, and vegetables) and pack lunches. This program conflicts with the March 8 SAT test date.

Documents & Forms:

Below we are providing a complete list of all of the forms you have previously receive through DocuSign for your reference and INFORMATIONAL USE ONLY. 

1. Deerfield Academy Forms:

2. In Country Provider Forms:

 

Health & Safety:

Please review the following Health and Safety information

1. CDC and State Department briefings on travel to destinations.

  • View a PDF of the CDC site for Panama and State Department Travel Advisory as of November 14, 2024
  • For live links to the CDC site and State Department for updated information, please review below:
    • CLICK HERE to view the CDC traveler’s health and in-country guidance for travel to Panama. 
    • CLICK HERE to view the State Department Travel Advisory for Panama

2. Travel Medicine Advisory Letter from Dr. Benson

3. Vaccination Information: 

  • Yellow Fever – highly recommended 

    • You will receive a document regarding the Yellow Fever vaccine post enrollment.

4. Insurance Information:

  • Deerfield Academy provides students with International SOS Travel Insurance during the program.
    • CLICK HERE for general information about Internation SOS Travel Insurance, the service they offer and HERE for information on how to get in touch with them pre-travel.
    • Deerfield Academy also encourages Students and Parents to consider purchasing additional “cancel for any reason” insurance as available.

Visa Information:

Students and parents are directly responsible for the student’s immigration status and/or visa application process to comply with local laws for participation in this program. Deerfield Academy and the CSGC office are here to assist and can provide specific supplemental documentation as required for the application. 

According to the US Department of State, as of November 14th, 2024, visas are not required for US citizens to enter Panama for a stay of less than 90 days. Students who are not traveling with U.S. passport please research entry requirements based on your country of citizenship and for obtaining a visa, if necessary

 

PACKING LIST

COMING SOON

PACKING LIST

COMING SOON
Click Here

Group Flight Information:

 (subject to change until tickets are finalized)

OUTBOUND FLIGHT:

March 8th:

  • Depart John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on Copa Airlines 812 at 2:44 PM; arriving at Panama City Airport (PTY) at 8:14PM

RETURN FLIGHT:

March 15th:

  • Depart Panama City Airport (PTY) at 12:02PM on Copa Airlines 813; arriving at John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) at 6:17PM

 

Pre and Post Trip Plans and Travel:

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT THE FORM

Pre-Trip Information:

Please note that this program Starts on March 8th at the Deerfield Academy Campus. Students can stay in their Dorms for the night of March 7th and then meet the Trip Leaders in front of the MSB at 6:30AM on March 8th where they will then take a bus as a group to the John F Kennedy Airport.

Post-Trip Information:

Please note that this trip ends on March 15th at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York, with an estimated time of arrival at 6:17PM. Families should plan to meet their students at the airport or arrange for them to be transported to nearby family or friends for the remainder of the March break.  As you see in the form, there are a few options: 

  • Your family or friend of the family can pick you up at the airport.
  • You can travel back to Deerfield on the shuttle and be picked up by your family or friend on campus.
  • You can fly to another city to meet your family or friend of the family from JFK.
  • You can deviate from the program at the airport in Panama City 

If you and your family decide on the final two options, it is important to start planning for this now and ensure that you have enough time between when you land in New York and when your next flight takes off or to get to the airport after all activities on the program have been completed. Things to consider are potential delays, customs and immigration, baggage claim, and possible terminal transfers. We recommend contacting the airlines directly to ensure appropriate layover times (taking into account the possibility of delays). If you have questions or require help with this process, please let us know. 

Payment Information:

The remaining balance of the program fee will be billed to your student account on December 11, 2024, and due in full by January 1, 2025.   

Please contact the Finance Office at finance@deerfield.edu with any questions or the Center for Service and Global Citizenship via email csgc@deerfield.edu or phone: 413-774-1435.

This page contains enrollment information for students who have been selected for one of our 2025 trips. If you are interested in other Global Studies programs or future travel opportunities, please contact The Center for Service and Global Citizenship.