PROGRAM DETAILS
DATES
Dates for the Ghana Unite For Sight program are May 1-June 12, 2021 (6 weeks). Students can opt for 4 or 5 weeks with permission from director and from Unite For Sight.
HOUSING
Unite For Sight’s local partner clinics arrange for housing for all volunteers for the duration of their time in the program. Most interns are stationed in Accra for approximately 20-50% of their time in Ghana. While participating in Accra, interns will lodge at the Telecentre Bed and Breakfast in Achimota, Accra. While each intern’s rotational schedule varies, volunteers are usually stationed outside of Accra (and therefore not at the Telecentre) for approximately 50-80% of their time. When participating in Kumasi or at overnight outreach locations, volunteers lodge at hotels or guest houses near the eye clinic or outreach site.
COURSES
Students are required to be enrolled for six credits during their Spring Term internship. Students may select from the following: HLTH 496R, IAS 399R, LFSCI 199, HLTH 403, HLTH 481, HLTH 491, HLTH 492. Graduate credit is also available for MPH students for field experience and directed readings.
COST
BYU Program Cost: $1493. This cost includes LDS undergraduate full-time tuition, international health insurance coverage, visa, and international internship placement. Does not include: airfare, airport pickup/dropoff ($15), passport, vaccinations, personal expenses, $55 application fee to Unite For Sight, housing (approx. $30 per day in Accra but substantially less in rural outreach areas), meals (approx. $10-$15 per day), fundraising required by Unite For Sight*, and the eyeglasses donation. Unite For Sight coordinates airport pick up and drop off, transportation to eye clinics in various villages and regions in Ghana, and local cell phones.
*Please note that interns are required to fund-raise and/or make a personal donation of $1800 to Unite For Sight. Unite For Sight uses 100% of all donations and funds submitted to directly provide care for patients who are otherwise unable to access or afford care. There is also a requirement to purchase 600 pair of eyeglasses and carry them to Ghana.
TRAVEL
Students are responsible for purchasing their own airfare to and from the program. Airfare reservations must be made through BYU Travel. Students should contact a BYU Travel agent at:
BYU Travel | 801-422-6293 | travel@byu.edu | 280 HRCB
PREPARATION
This internship is open to all majors. Students accepted by BYU into the program, also have to complete a separate application for Unite For Sight. Official notification of acceptance by Unite For Sight is required. Students accepted into the program by January 10, 2021 are required to complete a prep course (IAS 369R 1 cr.) starting at the beginning of Winter Semester. Those accepted after this time are required to complete a prep course during second block of Winter Semester. Students need to know that once accepted into the program that there are numerous pre-departure and online training requirements that must be strictly completed by March 1. Passports must be valid for at least six months beyond the end of the program. There must be two blank pages in the passport for a Ghana visa. Accompanying spouses need to be credit- bearing participants accepted into the program and also accepted by Unite For Sight. Spouses will also need to apply online and complete all Unite For Sight pre-departure requirements.
FUNDING SOURCES
Regular BYU tuition scholarships. Pell Grants, and Federal Insured Student Loans may be applied to international programs.
Academic departments and colleges may assist with scholarships and grants. Private grants and scholarships outside of BYU may also assist (see kennedy.byu.edu/scholarships).
APPLICATION PROCESS
Students must be adults 18 years-of-age or older. Complete the online application at kennedy.byu.edu/apply. Priority Deadline: December 1, 2020. Applications will be received on a space available basis until February 1, 2021. The application requires a $35 fee. Once accepted by BYU, students then will complete the Unite For Sight application process and receive acceptance. Program participation requires acceptance from Unite For Sight. There is a $55 application fee for Unite For Sight. The first payment is due upon acceptance. Please refer to the 2021 Payment Information document (see kennedy.byu.edu/isp-forms/ISPpayments2021.pdf).
FACULTY
Randy Page, Director of the Global Health Internship Program and Professor of Health Science, is the program director. Tana Page, Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Health Science, will be the Co-Director.
SCHEDULE AND TIME COMMITMENT
Unite For Sight requires considerable preparation and online training requirements that require approximately 30-40 hours to complete. Accepted students are required to participate in an international preparation course (IAS 369R, 1 credit) Winter Semester 2021. Students in HLTH 496R internship are required to accumulate 42 clock hours per credit hour.
INTERESTED STUDENTS SHOULD CONTACT
International Study Programs
101 HRCB
kennedy.byu.edu/isp
Randy M Page
2030 Life Science Building
randy_page@byu.edu
Tana S. Page
2148 Life Science Building
tana_page@byu.edu
PROGRAM ADJUSTMENTS
International Study Programs (ISP) reserves the right to cancel this program, revise its offerings, or make any adjustments to the preliminary cost. If it becomes necessary for ISP to cancel a program, all program payments made to BYU ISP will be refunded to the student’s BYU financial account. ISP is the only office authorized to cancel any of its programs.