Safety

 Preventing Disease In large groups like SEAYLP, we are often in close contact, so it is necessary to take precautions to keep from passing a cold, flu, or other illness among participants. The best defense is good hand washing. Take a lesson from the Center for Disease control in the video at right.

 Security For youth travelling with SEAYLP, it is important to stay with an adult leader, host family parent, or with staff whenever you leave the program site or hotel. Also, remember to keep your cell phone charged, turned on, and with you.

 Water Quality It is safe to drink the tap water in DeKalb, Chicago, and Washington, but you will also have frequent access to bottled water and other beverages.

 Air Quality Air quality is very good in DeKalb, generally, because it is a small town with reduced traffic. Chicago and Washington also have good air quality, but do have a larger degree of pollution due to high traffic.

 Food Quality Food in the US is very safe, overall, because of high Health Department standards for restaurants and cafeterias. However, if you ever feel that food has gone bad or is unhealthy, you may ask for fresh food. Raw fruits and vegetables are regularly eaten by Americans, but we do recommend washing fruits and vegetables before eating them.

Fast food and baked goods do not routinely use lard (pig fat) in cooking, but instead use vegetable oil. Some traditional Mexican or Chinese restaurants may, so it is okay to ask about what was used to prepare your meal.

 Healthcare If you are involved in an accident or become very ill and require immediate emergency medical attention, you can call 911 to reach police or the hospital. If you feel you need to go to the doctor for non-emergency care while with the program, contact a staff member. SEAYLP participants are covered under Bureau’s Accident and Sickness Program for Exchanges (ASPE).