ANTICIPATED PARTICIPANT COSTS
American School - Asuncion
Streetside Pottery Shop- Asuncion

If funced by the U.S. Department of Education, ECHO-PARAGUAY 2002 will receive only a portion of its total budget from the grant award.  Monies provided will be only cover roughly 60% of the total budget.  The other 40% must come in the form of "cost-sharing." 

CEC is providing roughly 20% of the direct cost budget. The remaining 20% must be raising through a "per participant" charge, estimated to be $1,500. This $1,500 can come from any source--- participants' school districts, personal funds, lottery income, bake sales, soda can collections, etc. (Local districts may use Eisenhower monies to support particpants since ECHO-PARAGUAY 2002 is an advanced professional development activity)

Granted that $1,500 is a large amount!  However, when measuring costs against benefits, it is really quite reasonable for a month long trip abroad. Total costs for the whole project--- including administrative, support, and instructional expenditures--- come to almost exactly $10,000 person.  Here is a breakdown that shows what you'll be "getting" for your money:
 

 Round trip air fare from the USA, which will probably run just a bit over $1,200.
 Hotel accommodations overseas. (Double rooms, of  course.)
 Cash allowance for most meals overseas.
 Ground transportation over the course of a month. (Charter 
 bus,boat, etc.)
 Cash allowance for miscellaneous surface travel, film, computer supplies, batteries, museum admissions, and artifacts for the  classroom.
 Costs of instruction and overseas services, including Paraguayan  hosts, speakers, guides, and a full-time translator/problem- solver who will  travel with the group throughout the month.
 Two nights accommodations in Seattle prior to overseas 
 departure. (Pre-travel workshop)

Well before travel starts, CEC will send each person a check to cover meals and the other allowances listed above.  Actually, combining this check amount with the value of your airline ticket, you'll be getting your money back (and then some!) before even leaving the United States. 

Note, too, that the "per participant budget" has been deliberately "high-balled." We have found in the past that it is much better to estimate high and give some money back than it is to figure low and have to pass the hat later on! (No promises, of course, but we really have given people some cash back in past ECHO projects when actual costs did not run as high as expected.)
 
Payment Schedule

     * $800 to accompany your "Letter of Acceptance" when you formally accept 
  your invitation to take part in ECHO.

     * $700 payable before July 4, 2002. (Less if the project's final budget can be reduced.)
 
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