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Dear National Association of School Nurses Members,
In December, The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) will send a delegation of NASN members to visit Havana, Cuba.
I am excited to lead this delegation and invite you to join us as we meet our counterparts and learn about the intersection between the healthcare and the education systems through the role of the school nurse. School nurses are an integral part of primary care in Cuba.
As you may know, the US is slowly reengaging with Cuba after years of limited access. Travel to Cuba for most US citizens remains restricted by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Treasury Department. This delegation will be traveling under OFAC regulation 31 CFR §515.564, a General license for professional research. This license supports our access to the highest-level professionals in Cuba.
Each member of the delegation must be in compliance with the General License issued by OFAC authorizing full-time professionals to conduct a full-time schedule of research activities in Cuba, with the likelihood that this research will be publicly disseminated. To ensure compliance, each participant in the program will be required to provide a professional profile and sign an affidavit attesting to their status as a school nurse, paid, unpaid, active, or retired.
The Citizen Ambassador Program will be coordinating all aspects of the program to ensure the delegation is in compliance with OFAC regulations. The leadership at the Citizen Ambassador Program has developed and administered high-level professional exchanges for over 30 years, including exchanges with Cuba since the late 1990s. Citizen Ambassadors is a program of Cultural Vistas, a non-profit NGO based in Washington, DC.
The Preliminary Schedule of Activities outlines our planned professional exchange and cultural experiences. The interactions, site visits, and experiences have been designed to enhance our appreciation and understanding of our profession in Cuba.
Our delegation will convene in Miami, Florida, on Sunday, December 1, 2024, fly to Havana, Cuba, as a group, and return to Miami on Friday, December 6, 2024.
As the Citizen Ambassador Program is a private-citizen effort, delegates are responsible for their own program costs. The estimated cost per delegate or guest is $3990 (double occupancy). This cost includes the round-trip flights between Miami and Havana, the professional program, accommodations, ground transportation, cultural activities, most meals, and other costs associated with participation.
For US citizens, participation in this program may be tax-deductible as an educational expense related to your profession. As each individual’s financial situation is different, please contact your tax advisor for guidance.
We encourage you to invite a travel companion to share this experience with you. OFAC has included a provision within the regulations for accompanying non-professionals to participate alongside the delegation professional. For those interested in sharing your experience in Cuba, a parallel program of people-to-people activities will be developed for guests accompanying you on this enriching program. Guests will experience the culture and lifestyle of Cuba through interactions with the people of Havana. Information on the Accompanying Guest Program will be posted shortly on the Delegation Communication Site.
Due to the extensive planning involved in coordinating a program of this nature, I ask that you respond with your intentions by completing the NASN Citizen Ambassador Program Application Form by September 1, 2024. The size of this delegation will be limited to ensure a high quality of professional interaction. We would appreciate hearing from you as soon as possible as to whether you are able to join our delegation or not.
I hope you can join me. Please complete the NASN Citizen Ambassador Program Application Form. Please note that if you receive this invitation, you are automatically confirmed to participate.
You will also be required to deposit $500 to hold your position on the team, with the full balance of the program cost due 60 days before departure. If you have questions regarding the delegation, we encourage you to contact the Citizen Ambassador Program at citizenambassador@culturalvistas.org.
I am pleased to be involved in this exciting opportunity, and I hope you will strongly consider participating in this unique event. I am confident that we will all benefit, both professionally and personally, through this unique opportunity.
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