EnvironMentors 2012 National Science Fair & Awards Ceremony May 23, 2012 Washington, DC – USDA Jamie Whitten Building General Information Sheet Attendance Names of participating students and EnvironMentors staff should be provided to the national office by April 27, 2012. Additional Fair and Award Ceremony guests should RSVP to Jessica Soule by May 9th at jsoule@ncseonline.org. Hotel Accommodation Holiday Inn at Key Bridge1900 N. Fort Myer Drive Arlington, VA 22209 PH: 703-807-2000 The EnvironMentors National Office has reserved a block of rooms for chapters on Tuesday and Wednesday May 22nd and 23rd. To confirm your stay please contact the hotel directly and mention the EMB room block. The National Office will not handle the booking of any additional nights stay or rooms. If you would like to extend your trip, or if you have parents or additional EM supporters who would like to attend the National Fair, please see the list of nearby affordable lodging options. Travel Information Airfare should be booked by May 9th and should be economy level. Baggage will be reimbursed for travel with a minimum two-night stay. Once airfare is booked, please send your flight arrival and departure information to your national office liaison. There are several airports in the Washington, DC area that your chapter may use. Please consider the additional costs and time requirements of ground transportation before purchasing your airfare. ▪ ▪ ▪
Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA), 4.7 miles from hotel Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI), 35.2 miles from hotel Dulles International Airport (IAD); 24 miles from hotel
Arrival Because the National Fair begins early on Wednesday morning, chapter should plan to arrive on Tuesday May 22, 2012. If possible, please plan to arrive by 4:00pm ET to attend the Welcome Dinner at the host hotel.
Departure Chapters may plan their departure anytime on or after Thursday May 24, 2012. Please allow sufficient time on your return trip for check-in and security screenings at the airport. Most airlines recommend 2 hours prior to scheduled departure. Meals Chapters will be responsible for meals incurred during transit to and from their host city to Washington, DC. NCSE will provide dinner the night of May 22 and all meals on May 23. Please contact your national liaison if anyone travelling from your chapter has specific dietary requirements or restrictions. Ground Transportation Chapters will be responsible for identifying and paying for their ground transportation to/from the airport, to/from the host hotel and to/from the National Fair. The Metro is the easiest and most accessible mode of transport within Washington, DC, and conveniently located near the host hotel (Rosslyn Metro Station – Blue/Orange Lines) and USDA Jamie Whitten Building (Smithsonian Metro Station – Blue/Orange Lines). Please visit the Metro website for trip planning and costs. Fare tickets can be purchased at any metro station. Weather and Attire In Washington, DC in May the temperature typically ranges from lows in the 50’s to highs in the 70’s. May is also the DC area’s wettest month, so plan for the potential shower during your stay. Sightseeing The national capital region has many sightseeing opportunities to take advantage of. Many sights can be seen on foot with free walking guides are available. Some suggested points of interest or tours include: ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
The National Mall and Memorial Parks (FREE) Smithsonian Museums & National Zoo (FREE) Old Town Trolley Tours including Monuments by Moonlight night tour Open Top Sightseeing Bus Tours Arlington National Cemetery Mount Vernon Estate
Preliminary Schedule of Events Tuesday, May 22, 2012 – Chapters Arrive All day
Chapters arrive throughout the day and check in at Holiday Inn at Key Bridge
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Welcome dinner and EnvironMentors meet and greet
Wednesday, May 23, 2012 – National Fair & Awards Ceremony at USDA building 8:00 am – 9:00 am
Breakfast for everyone at the USDA building
9:00 am – 9:30 am
Students should begin to set up posters
9:45 am – 10:00 am
Student briefing
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Judging period
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Lunch on the Jamie Whitten Patio at USDA building
1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Focus groups with students and chapters
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Free time
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Buffet reception and public viewing at USDA building
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Presentation of Awards
Thursday, May 24, 2012 – Chapters Leave All day
Chapters depart throughout day (check-out is 12 noon)
EnvironMentors
2012 National Fair Travel Policy and Procedures National Council for Science and the Environment
The EnvironMentors National Office views its relationship with its chapters as a close-knit partnership. As such we are open to working with chapters in to ensure that you and your students have the best experience possible while attending the National EnvironMentors Fair. The procedures and policies outlined below are intended to streamline the travel process while providing you all the information needed to plan your travel to Washington, DC. Chapter Subcontracts Chapter travel funds are outlined in each chapter’s subcontract budget. These funds are provided on a cost reimbursement basis (see Reimbursement Procedures) for travel of one adult and three students to the National EnvironMentors Fair in Washington, DC in May. If additional funds are needed, chapters may draw from other line items in subcontracts or use rollover funds from previous subcontracts. Ideally, each chapter’s Sponsored Programs Office will handle all travel funding requests and submit reimbursements to NCSE. Thus, each chapter will be responsible for booking and paying for the airfare of one adult and three students, confirming their hotel reservations and paying for rooms at the designated EnvironMentors hotel, and obtaining per diem that will cover ground transportation, meals not provided by EnvironMentors, and other miscellaneous costs from their university. We recognize that some chapters may have difficulty in obtaining travel funds from your university Sponsored Program office. In such cases we can assist chapters in making their arrangements and paying in advance. If you should require this assistance, please contact the National Office no later than April 22nd to request this support. Booking Your Airfare A. We kindly ask chapters to book airfare at least 14 days in advance to incur the lowest cost ticket. Any airfare booked less than 14 days in advance may not be reimbursed. B. Airfare will be reimbursed for economy level and does not include reimbursement for First or Business Class travel. Baggage will also be reimbursed for travel with a minimum 2-night stay. C. Chapters will be responsible for identifying and paying for their ground transportation to/from the airport to the hotel and to/from the National Fair. Please note the number of airports in the Washington, DC area and the distance of the airport to the hotel and the transportation costs before purchasing your ticket. D. Once airfare is booked, please send your flight arrival and departure information to the National Office.
Hotel Accommodations A. Each chapter has a group of 3+ rooms reserved at the host hotel (2 double rooms and 1 single, in some cases some chapters may have more than 1 single room) Holiday Inn at Key Bridge located at 1900 N. Fort Myer Drive, Arlington, VA 22209. The hotel cost is $179/night/per person. B. We kindly ask that all chapters confirm their 2-night stay (5/22 and 5/23) with the host hotel, Holiday Inn at Key Bridge by April 22nd. Phone number: 703-807-2000. Please mention the EMB room block to get the negotiated rate of $179/night/person. C. The National Office will not handle any additional nights stay or booking of additional rooms. If you do have parents or additional EM supporters who would like to attend the National Fair, please check directly with the Holiday Inn at Key Bridge. If rooms are full, we can provide a list of other affordable hotel options. Reimbursement Procedures A. All reimbursements shall be submitted using the EnvironMentors Reimbursement Form below. B. Original receipts or clear copies of receipts are required as documentation and shall be submitted by August 30, 2012. C. Reimbursement requests shall be submitted to Jessica Soule. Reimbursement Forms will be reviewed and if approved, checks will be mailed out no later than 7 days upon receiving the receipts. Please remit the signed EnvironMentors Reimbursement Form and receipts (by email or regular mail) within 14 days to: Jessica Soule, EnvironMentors National Council for Science and the Environment 1101 17th Street, NW Suite 250 Washington, DC 20036 Phone (202) 530-5810 ext. 224 Jsoule@ncseonline.org
Â
2 Â
Chapter Budgeting Tips Each chapter is strongly encouraged to create a travel budget using the funds allocated for travel in your chapter subcontracts. The tips below will help you think about costs associated with your travel to the National Fair. The National Office can provide any additional information or recommendations. Airfare Airfare will vary, depending on the city of origin and your airport of choice. The closest and most convenient airport is Washington Reagan (DCA) 4.7miles from the hotel and metro accessible. Other airports include Dulles International Airport (IAD) 24 miles from the hotel, and Baltimore Airport (BWI) 35.2 miles from the airport. When budgeting, please consider the cost of ground transportation to/from the airport. The best source of information on getting to/from the airport is the airport website. Please also be aware that traveling during rush hours can add considerable time to your journey and/or add to your fare costs. Lodging The host hotel is the Holiday Inn – Key Bridge. This hotel is located 1900 N. Fort Meyer Drive, Arlington, VA. Please confirm your stay by contacting the hotel directly and mentioning the EMB room block to receive the $179/room/person rate. Phone number: 703-807-2000 Ground Transportation In addition to costs to/from your airport of choice, budgeting for ground transportation to/from the hotel (Rosslyn Metro Station – Orange Line) and the USDA Jamie Whitten Building is recommended (Smithsonian Metro Station – Orange Line). Costs vary depending on day/time of travel. Please visit the Metro website for these costs. While the metro is the easiest and most accessible mode of transport within Washington, DC you may also consider using the bus. Please visit the Metro website for bus scheduling and costs. Food Chapters will only be responsible for meals incurred during transit to and from their host city to Washington, DC. All other meals will be provided by NCSE including dinner the night of May 22nd and all meals May 23rd.
3