Of course! If your child (children) will be younger than 14 by the start date of the Build, their fundraising goal will be 50% off the standard fundraising goal. Please contact our office for more details and to determine what Build options would be most suitable for your family. Unless otherwise requested, we will keep children on the same team as their parent(s)/guardian(s) so that you are able to share this amazing experience together. Children younger than 14 are required to stay on the same team as their parent(s) and/or guardian(s).
We do not accept applications for leadership on our LiveDifferent Builds. Leaders are our staff members or Volunteer Builds Leads. Volunteer Build Leads are experienced LiveDifferent volunteers with exceptional leadership skills who have completed further LiveDifferent leadership training by invitation.
Yes! Once your LiveDifferent Build has ended, please contact our office and we will send you a letter stating that you have completed volunteer hours with us. You may also bring your own letter from your school for us to sign.
We want LiveDifferent Builds to be safe for all of our volunteers and the communities we serve. This is why we require a criminal record check (CRC) from all adults 18 years and older. If you need to discuss your CRC with us, please feel free to contact our office. To apply for a CRC, you must visit the police station in the city or town in which you live. Once you are registered for a Build, if a CRC is required there will be a letter you can download/print through your registration on your mylivedifferent account that can be brought into your local police station. This letter can be helpful in explaining to others the purpose of the CRC request.
Yes. A valid passport is mandatory for all LiveDifferent Builds destinations. Don’t worry if you don’t have one at the time of registration, you can notify us when you receive it. If you hold a passport from a country other than Canada, it is your responsibility to ensure you have met all the requirements for entry into the country you are visiting, and for some, this may include acquiring a visitor’s visa. If you don’t currently have a passport, be sure to apply for one as soon as possible to avoid any delays.
If you hold a Canadian passport, you do not need a travel visa to participate in a LiveDifferent Build. If you hold a passport from a country other than Canada, it is your responsibility to ensure you have met all the requirements for entry into the country you are visiting, and for some, this may include acquiring a visitor’s visa. Please contact your destination’s embassy or consulate in Canada or your country of residence well before your departure for accurate and up-to-date information on visa requirements.
No, but it does help! On each of our Builds, we will always have local translators available to facilitate conversations. We do our best to provide our volunteers with many opportunities to communicate with the people they are working with. In the Dominican Republic and Mexico, the official language is Spanish. In Haiti, they speak Creole, which is a French/African-based language; there are also Haitian communities within the Dominican Republic that speak Creole as well. If you speak French, you will be able to communicate fairly well with Haitians! For Thailand, it’s Thai! It’s always great to brush up on some useful phrases in the language of the country you are visiting.
Staying connected is easy! Prior to departure, we will provide you with emergency contact information that loved ones back home can use if they need to get in touch with you. Our staff leading your Build will also have cell phones with data plans so if you really need to get in touch with someone at home, we can help you do that. If you’re looking to be able to message, call and keep up with social media during quieter times, there will be access to wifi at the accommodations in each country (if there is an additional cost, we will let you know prior to your departure). Some volunteers choose to add a “roam like home” package on their cell phones prior to leaving. If this is of interest, please contact your cell phone service provider to see if they have a plan that’s right for you and the destination you are travelling to.
This would be a question for the insurance company. Schools that purchased full insurance packages prior to covid were able to get full refunds that included flights and registration costs. LiveDifferent was not involved in the claims or any payments. That was completely between the schools and the insurance providers.
LiveDifferent is not a government agency. However, LiveDifferent is a charitable organization registered with the Government of Canada. Our registration number is 86123 2890 RR0001.
Centro Medico Cabarete is the clinic used if going from the hotel (1.7 km to CMC) or work sites in Arroyo Seco (6.6 km to CMC) or La Union (9.4 km to CMC). Centro Sanitario is the Clinic used if we are in Nuevo Renacer (2.3 km from CS). Both clinics are fully staffed and provide excellent care and service.
1. First Aid is provided onside by a trained LiveDifferent staff.
2. If further medical attention is required a bilingual LiveDifferent staff member would go with the student to the closest clinic along with a teacher/chaperone from the school.
3. LiveDifferent staff would have access to medical and insurance information and initiate communications between the insurance company and the clinic.
4. Communications with the student's parent/guardian would be coordinated between the LiveDifferent staff and teacher/chaperone.
5. Completion of an Incident Report to document the circumstances of the incident, the response and any required follow up.
LiveDifferent has a long history of safe, positive and life-changing humanitarian travel projects. Since 2005, we have taken over 5,000 students on Builds with no serious injuries or incidents. All of our staff are very passionate about what we do and we believe that we all have a responsibility to help those in need and to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. LiveDifferent maintains excellent community relations and works diligently alongside community leaders, other NGOs working in the area, and often government officials in each country that we work in. Safety is always our number one priority. All of our key staff are first aid certified and we always have access available to quality medical attention (if needed) in all countries where we work.
No, you are not required to fundraise; you can self-fund your Builds trip if you wish. We encourage fundraising and offer suggestions for ways to fundraise. See our fundraising page for more information: https://livedifferent.com/programs/builds/fundraising/