SPI Participant Info

Getting to SPI	SPI Courses	Services at SPI
Visas Payment and Refunds Health insurance Transportation Information Campus arrival/departure Weather/clothing	Educational philosophy Classes Taking Courses for Credit	Lodging Food Health care services Additional services

SPI 2019 Handbook

COVID Precautions and Decision-Making

As much as we hope to see you in person, we realize that the reality of COVID may force us to change plans. We are in close contact with Eastern Mennonite University's Crisis Management Team, the Virginia Health Department, and the Center for Disease Control. At the moment, we are being told that the omicron variant will wind down long in advance of our May and June courses. If this changes, we will let you know as soon as possible.

Visas and Travel Planning

We recognize that international participants need to apply for visas as soon as possible and we will do what we can to help you by providing letters of acceptance and other paperwork as needed. Unfortunately, if we are forced to go online, we will not be able to reimburse you for any visa-related expenses. We will, however, give international participants a discount equal to the cost of their visa appointment if they take a course online.

For those traveling to Virginia by air, we suggest you do not purchase tickets until closer to the start of the Summer Peacebuilding Institute. Another option is to purchase trip insurance from a reputable insurer that will reimburse you for the airfare if the in-person portion of our programming is canceled. 

Vaccination requirement

All participants attending courses in person must show proof of vaccination prior to their arrival at Eastern Mennonite University. Vaccination type must be on the CDC approved list. Booster to all vaccines are also required. If you were unable to get a booster prior to attending, we will help you to secure one while you are in Virginia. 

Lodging on campus

All SPI lodging will be in single bedrooms in suites where two to four people share a common kitchen, bathroom, and living area. In the past, SPI gave participants the option of single of double lodging, where double lodging meant sharing a bedroom with another person. Due to COVID precautions, we have revised our lodging protocols and there will be no more shared bedrooms.