Transportation to the Training School Venue and Booking Your Flight
At this time, the information provided during the application process regarding transport from CLE remains correct: Participants should arrive to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE). Transportation from the airport to the island will be provided for all participants. To facilitate this transfer, we ask that all participants be ready to depart CLE for the island by 10:30 am EDT (daylight EST) on 13 September, 2015.
From CLE, participants will be transported via charter bus to the Catawba Point Miller Boat Line Ferry Terminal. A ferry will then be taken to South Bass Island (Put-In-Bay). Once on South Bass, participants will take a short bus trip to the Stone Lab Research Dock. From the Research Dock, participants will be transported by University boat to Gibraltar Island, the location of the training school.
Training school activities will run through the end of the day on 18 September. Transportation back to the airport will be begin after breakfast on 19 September. The same boat, bus, and ferry transport used to arrive at the training school will be completed in reverse, ending at CLE. Participants will be returned to CLE no later than 5 pm on 19 September 2015. All food, lodging, transportation, and any other paid services are provided from the time participants are picked up from CLE at 10:30 am on the 13th, until participants are returned again to CLE on the 19th.
As stated above, the 10:30 am pick-up time remains correct and is our current best estimate. However, the exact pick-up time is not finalized. We are still waiting on several applicants to accept their travel grant awards and confirm enrollment. Once enrollment is finalized, we will be able to book charter bus transportation and provide the exact airport pick-up time. While pick-up may be later than 10:30 am, it will not be earlier. Therefore, all participants should plan to be ready for transport from CLE by 10:30 am on 13 September, 2015. Similarly, the exact drop-off time on 19 September may be earlier than 5 pm, but it will not be later.
***If you received a travel grant award, you are responsible for booking and purchasing your plane ticket and you will be reimbursed for this cost, up to the limit of your award funds, after you complete your travel. Please carefully read through the extensive instructions provided to you in your travel grant award email.***
Lodging
Depending on your city of origin and available flight arrival times, it may be necessary to arrive on 12 September and stay overnight in a hotel to meet the 13 September, 10:30 am EDT departure from CLE.
***If you received a travel grant award, you are responsible for booking and purchasing your hotel and you will be reimbursed for this cost, up to the limit of your award funds, after you complete your travel. Please carefully read through the extensive instructions provided to you in your travel grant award email.***
Lodging for the duration of the workshop (10:30 am on 13 September - 5 pm on 19 September) is provided for free. Participants will be staying at the Harborview Dorms on Gibraltar Island, Lake Erie. Each room in Harborview includes two sets of bunk beds and houses four occupants. Included are individual wardrobe wall lockers (bring your own lock if you wish to secure personal items), dressers, writing tables, and a bathroom. In some cases, students may be housed in other dormitories where the facilities may vary. Laundry facilities are located in Harborview Dorm.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get an invitation letter to apply for a visa?
If you would like to request an official invitation letter to apply for a visa, please send an email to polenet.school@gmail.com along with your full address. Please check your address for correct formatting and typos. It will be used exactly as provided. Note – you will be sent a letter via email. Your address is simply needed as content within the body of the letter.
My flight arrives on the 12th. How do I book a hotel near CLE?
Hotels in the U.S. allow online reservations. You may simply search "CLE airport hotels" in Google to find many options.
Once I book my hotel, how do I reach the training school venue from the hotel?
You must be at CLE airport by 10:30 am on the 13th of September. Transportation to the training school island will depart from CLE at this time. If you stay in a hotel the night of the 12th, you must return to CLE on the morning of the 13th to make the 10:30 am transport.
Regarding transport between the hotel and CLE: many hotels offer a free shuttle service to transfer you from CLE to your hotel. This same free shuttle service will transport you from your hotel back to CLE. For example, the Ramada Cleveland Airport West hotel (http://www.ramada.com/hotels/ohio/fairview-park/ramada-cleveland-airport-west/hotel-overview) offers free breakfast, free shuttle transportation to/from the airport, free Wi-Fi, etc., for under $75 per night. This is just one of many hotels offering these services.
How do I book my hotel during the training school?
Food and lodging for the duration of the training school are free. This means that all food, lodging, transportation, and any other paid services are provided from the time we pick you up from CLE at 10:30 am on the 13th, until we return you again to CLE the evening of the 19th. Therefore, you do not need to organize any food, lodging, or transportation within the time window between 10:30 am on 13 September and 5 pm on 19 September. However, outside of this time window, you are responsible for booking and purchasing your lodging and transportation. To be clear: if you book a flight that arrives on the 12th and departs on the 20th, this means you will need to book a hotel for the night of the 12th and the night of the 19th. You do not need to book a hotel for the nights of the 13th – 18th.
Frequently Asked Questions - instructors and applicants receiving a travel grant only
I don’t have a social security number. Do I have to fill out the “OSU W-9 Form”?
Yes. All instructors and participants receiving a travel grant award must fill out this document. Non-resident aliens without a US Social Security Number or FEIN number may leave the “Taxpayer Identification Number” section blank. The form must be signed and dated.
Please follow the directions provided in the travel grant award instructions for submitting this form to Lynn via fax or secure website link.
I don’t need a rental car. Do I have to complete the “Travel Request Form” document?
Yes. All instructors and participants receiving a travel grant award must fill out this document. This form is meant to cover all possible expenses. If you will not be needing a particular item, you do not need to fill out that section. You do not need a rental car, so you should not fill out the rental car section.
Please follow the directions provided in the travel grant award instructions for submitting this form via email to Lynn and Stephanie.
For answers to other questions, please contact polenet.school@gmail.com