Personal safety in in-person programs

Look up whether the program is residential, day-only, or hybrid, and where students actually sleep. 'On-campus housing' at a large university can still mean a dorm with weak security. Ask.

Ask the program office who the on-site adult contact is, who handles reports of harassment or misconduct, and what their process looks like. A program that answers this quickly and specifically is a program that has thought about it.

If you're under 18, confirm whether staff are trained in youth safeguarding and background-checked. This is a normal question. Programs that get defensive about it are telling you something.

Share your itinerary and lodging address with a trusted adult. Set up a daily check-in that doesn't require them to worry when they don't hear from you — a quick emoji at the same time each day is enough.

Save the emergency contact for the program in your phone in two places: contacts and a note. Save the local emergency number for the country you're going to.

Bring a small amount of cash in local currency, a copy of your ID separately from the original, and a written list of any medications and allergies.

Trust your gut on adults, roommates, and situations. If something feels off, it usually is. You're allowed to leave a room, a lab, an event, or a program.

Know who you'd tell first if something happened. Ideally two people — one at the program, one at home. The plan should exist before you need it.

You did not cause it. Tell the trusted adult on your list. Write down what happened, when, and who was there — in your own words, as soon as you can. Details fade quickly.

If the program's response is dismissive, escalate outside the program: to a parent, a school counselor, a hotline in the country you're in. You do not owe silence to a program that failed to protect you.