| Is the InSPIRE experience only meant for individuals of Indian origin? |
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| No. Any individual of South Asian descent is welcome to apply. In the South Asian corner of the world, many similarities exist across cultures and nations. In that spirit of a common culture, we invite individuals of South Asian descent that are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of both themselves and of India through our Adult exposure program to apply. |
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| Can a person outside the U.S. apply to InSPIRE? |
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| Yes. Any individual of South Asian descent who is living outside of South Asia is welcome to apply. |
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| What are the qualifications for being an InSPIRE participant? |
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| InSPIRE seeks open-minded individuals that are genuinely interested in exploring themselves and their identity, earnestly willing to understand India, and sincerely committed to progress. Participants should be willing to push themselves to think, act and grow throughout the program. Applicants are required to be of South Asian origin, be in good health and fit into the desired age range of 25+. (However, we do consider exceptions; email with inquiries.) |
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| What are my chances of getting in? |
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InSPIRE is looking for individuals with a deep interest in experiential learning and a strong desire to connect with India and others in the group. We will do our best to find a place for all applicants who express these interests, if not within InSPIRE, with other organizations throughout India.
We will accept 15-25 participants for the program. Since we only have a limited number of seats and do not know how many applications we will be receiving, we cannot accurately estimate one’s chance of getting in. |
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| What do I need to bring with me if I am accepted? |
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| Soon after final selection into the InSPIRE program, participants will be sent an information packet detailing things like items to bring, health and safety precautions to take, things to expect, etc. Detailed rules and principles of the InSPIRE program will also be sent out at this time. |
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| Is there a language requirement? |
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| No. As we will be traveling through places like Gujarat, Delhi and Uttaranchal, Hindi (or Gujarati, for the Ahmedabad portion) would be useful to know; however it is not a requirement of the program. Through the InSPIRE experience, participants with no Indian language skills may learn the value of non-verbal communication. |
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| What is covered and not covered in the costs to participate? |
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| Lodging, board, transportation within India and activity-related fees are covered under InSPIRE costs. Participants will be required to book their own travel to and from India, as well as any other incidental costs. Refer to the finances section of this website for more information. |
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| What kind of shots, vaccines, and inoculations will I need? |
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| Check the Center for Disease Control website and your local physician for up-to-date recommendations on what is suggested for traveling to India. Please ensure that you make an appointment with your physician at least 3 weeks before departure. In reference to health requirements for InSPIRE, it is mandatory that all participants take malaria pills throughout the duration of the program. More information on this will be available upon acceptance. |
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| What will happen if I get sick? |
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| InSPIRE will work with local doctors to ensure that participants have access to appropriate medical treatment as the need arises. To prevent the contraction of malaria, all participants are required to take malaria pills throughout the duration of the program. InSPIRE also strongly urges participants to consult a family doctor before arrival in India for recommended immunizations. Please note, however, that all participants are liable for their own health and healthcare while on this trip. (More information on health precautions, and other health and safety guidelines, will be available upon acceptance into the program.) |
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| Is travel health insurance required? |
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| Travel health insurance is not required by InSPIRE, however is recommended for the duration of your stay in India. For a five-week period, some travel insurance companies offer coverage for less than $100 USD. More information on this will be available upon acceptance into the program. |
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| Who will be with the participants? |
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| We will have 2-4 coordinators that will be with the participants at all times. At least two of the coordinators will be Indian-Americans who have spent a significant time traveling, exploring, reflecting, working, and serving in India. The other coordinators are Indians who were raised in India, live in Delhi or surrounding areas, and are involved in various social work endeavors. |
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| How connected will I be to friends and family outside of India during this program? |
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All of the coordinators will have mobile phones, and the participants will be allowed to carry mobile phones as well. (However, it is not necessary.) Family and friends may call these phones.
We will have internet access only a few times during the entire program. |
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| Why are the majority of InSPIRE excursions set in the northern half of India? |
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InSPIRE is run by a handful of passionate individuals who have gone through the process of internal growth through external exploration in India, and see the value in making that experience more accessible to other non-resident South Asians. Keeping in the vein of its values, InSPIRE places a large emphasis on the power of personal relationships. In that spirit, all of the excursion trips planned as a part of the program have been organized with organizations and individuals that members of the InSPIRE core team know well on a personal level. The core team has spent more time in North India than South India, and therefore, the geographical bias of the program.
This aspect of the program is subject to change in subsequent programs if there is a high enough demand for it. |
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| How is InSPIRE different from all of the other travel programs out there? |
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| InSPIRE is not just a “touching-the-surface” India exposure program. InSPIRE really aims to give participants relevant exposure to individuals, organizations and realities that they may otherwise be unaware of when it comes to their country of origin. InSPIRE aims to make participants think harder about themselves, their aspirations and their role in the world through sincerely thought-through excursions, discussions and hands-on development and service work. Again, it’s important to point out that InSPIRE is run by a handful of passionate and inspired individuals who have gone through the process of internal growth through external exploration in India, and see the value in making that experience more accessible to other non-resident South Asians. This humble structure and foundation makes InSPIRE substantially unique from all other travel/exposure programs. |
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| What if I want to spend time in India before or after the InSPIRE program? How can I do that? |
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| One of the main driving aims behind InSPIRE is for participants to build a fluid network connecting them as passionate individuals to each other and to organizations. So one option is to use the InSPIRE exposure program to make contacts with different organizations in India, and have conversations regarding work that you would be interested in doing with them after having gone through the program. InSPIRE is a huge proponent of providing this type of forum for participants to make connections with individuals and organizations in India for future development work post-program. For example, individuals that will need to return to work following their InSPIRE experience can use the contacts they made while in India to set up an internship or even a fellowship for later on. For more specific enquiries, or for work that you may be interested in doing pre-program, email us at info@inspire-now.org with details regarding your field(s) of interest in India. |
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