Preparing for a COST placement can be time-consuming and stressful. As with all overseas travel, a little bit of organization and pre-departure preparation can go a long way. Follow these tips for being organized and prepared.

COST Notebook

This folder (physical or electronic) should include everything dealing with COST and your specific institutional student teaching requirements. COST expects you to actively pursue collecting all of the information on this list prior to your departure. 

Your COST Notebook should include:

• Your institution's program specific requirements, i.e., Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, Music, Special Education, or Physical Education internship requirements.
• Checklist(s) given to you by your Coordinator that you can use to check progress towards the overseas placement.
• COST Pre-departure Checklist
• Emergency Plan Document for all US and abroad contact information as well as details for closest US Embassy.
• Copies of Important Documents: Passport, VISA (if needed), bankcards, flight schedule, confirmation of background clearance, MEDEX contact information, list of prescription medicines, etc.
• Timeline or calendar from the time of departure to time of return from placement. Include a placement school calendar for term of internship.
• Budget and expenditure sheet estimating projected costs: flights, VISA, local housing, etc. (See our Finances page to help you begin).
   

The following country-specific information for your placement:

• U.S. State Department travel information
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report (immunizations and other health recommendations)
• Information about the educational system and curriculum of your placement school and grade (There's a link to help you begin your discovery on each Program's page).
• Answers to questions posed in Key Things to Know.