ERESE Teachers Workshop 2005
Frequently Asked Questions

Housing and Travel

Do I need to make my own airline reservations ?

Yes. You are responsible for making your own travel arrangements. Please make plans to arrive in San Diego (airport code SAN) no later than Sunday evening, July 17, and depart on Saturday, July 30. We will reimburse your up to $350 for airfare.

How do I get from the airport to Muir Apartments ?

A number of shuttle companies service the airport and surrounding area. Most do not require a reservation. Upon exiting the baggage claim, signs will direct you to shuttle services. Check the San Diego Airport's Website for a link to shuttle services and other information.

For further information on the Muir Apartments, please browse the UCSD Conference Website. There is a great link for airport and transportation information.
You can also download a Map of UCSD.

What time can I check into Muir ?

The front desk at Muir is open from 7:30 am until midnight daily.

Are there laundry facilities at Muir Apartments ?

Yes. There are coin-operated machines.

How do I get reimbursed for my travel ?

Please bring your airline receipt (a printout of an E-Ticket is acceptable) and save any transportation receipts (shuttle, taxi, rental car, etc.). We will reimburse up to $350 for all travel-related expenses.

Packing

What should I bring to the workshop ?

Dress throughout the workshop is casual. The weather in San Diego is variable in the summer, with cool mornings/evenings, but with warmer temperatures during the daytime. We may have a "marine layer" in the morning. Shorts are fine, however, occasionally a sweatshirt or long pants might be more comfortable.

On Thursday, July 21, we will tour the seagoing research vessels R/V Horizon and the R/V Sproul (see http://shipsked.ucsd.edu/ for ship scheduling information). You must have close-toed shoes. Flip-flops or sandals are not allowed for safety reasons.

If you can bring a copy of your Earth science textbooks that would be great. Also, if you have a reference for your state standards (online or hard copy) please bring it with you. Finally, bring your EarthRef.org user name and password that you received during the workshop registration in a confirmation email. If you have misplaced your user information, please use the Forgot Password tool to retrieve your user information again based on your email address.

Extra's might include a camera (digital, if you have one), bathing suit and whatever else might make your visit here relaxing and enjoyable.

Do I need to bring a laptop ? What kind ? What operating system ?

No, you do not. We will provide either a PC laptop or desktop for each participant. They will be available daily in our work area from 8:30 am until 5:30 pm. If you have your own laptop there are wireless "hotspots" on-campus which you may join. If you would like to have internet access after hours or on weekends you might want to bring a laptop. Also, for a $10 fee you can access the internet from your Muir apartment room if you have a computer. (You can pay at the desk when you check-in.)

We will set up UCSD computer accounts and wireless access for all participants. Most of the work we do will be computer intensive.

Upon completion of the workshop we will copy all of your personal documents onto a CD. All of the applications we will use work with Microsoft Windows XP and Macintosh OS X operating systems. Although we expect that the applications will work in older operating systems, we are not sure.

The applications we will use throughout the workshop can be downloaded for free. We will make extensive use of the popular public-domain Mozilla tools for browsing and composing web pages. Please browse the Mozilla.org Website.

Workshop Overview

What is our schedule ?

You may download a more complete schedule from this site the week before the workshop.

After dinner on Sunday night July 17 we will have a casual gathering, sort of a "Meet and Greet", at 6 pm at the Muir Apartments. In the courtyard of the apartments there is an area called "El Mercado". This will also be identified as "Muir Conference Desk". We will meet in the first-floor lounge adjacent to the conference check-in desk, across from the mini-store. Parking on weekends is FREE on UCSD's campus (NOT at Scripps!).
Weekdays we will meet from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm, with some exceptions.
Thursday July 21 we will leave campus in carpools at 8:30 am for the tour of the Research Vessels New R/V Horizon and R/V Sproul. We will return to campus in time for lunch.
Saturday and Sunday July 23 and 24 are free days for you to explore San Diego. There are MANY sights to see and things to do in the La Jolla/San Diego area. We are working on scheduling free access to the Birch Aquarium.
Tuesday July 20 and Thursday July 22 we may schedule informal sessions in the evening (6:30 pm) if necessary.
The workshop will be complete on Friday July 29 by 4:00 pm.

Where will the workshop be held ? How do I get there ?

Most workshop sessions will be held at Munk Conference Room in the Munk Lab of IGPP. Check out the Map of Scripps for exact location.

Teachers staying at Muir Apartments can catch the SIO Shuttle from "upper campus" (as UCSD's main campus is called) to Scripps. It runs from 7:15 am until 9 pm, weekdays only. You will want to board at Mandeville Auditorium and get off at the last Scripps stop, the Director's Office. Please go to the SIO Shuttle Website for more information and to download a map.

Those commuting to campus will want to park as close to Scripps as possible on one of the residential streets. Beware of "No Parking" and "Restricted Parking" signs. Both University and local police ticket frequently. Purchasing a permit is an option, however somewhat pricey. Check out the Transportation Services site for more information on parking and permits. Those staying at Muir will receive an "S" permit as part of their package. This is good for one of the Lots near IGPP. We can help you sort this out on Sunday night.

What about food ?

Participants residing at the Muir Apartments have already pre-paid for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Muir breakfasts and dinners will be served at Sierra Summit, adjacent to the apartments. Weekdays during the workshop Muir lunches will be delivered to Scripps daily at noon.

Participants NOT staying at Muir will be responsible for their own meals. There are many eating establishments within varying distances, some are a 15-minute walk along the beach, others a short car ride. Snackropolis is located right on the Scripps campus and sells breakfast and lunch. Check out Snackropolis!

Do I have any free time to explore San Diego ?

Every evening, Saturday July 23 and Sunday July 24 are free.

Miscellaneous

How do I receive my fellowship stipend ? What about travel and housing reimbursements ?

Upon completion of the workshop a fellowship stipend of $500 will be awarded to all participants. We will process the stipend and any reimbursements you are due as soon as we have received receipts and you have completed the necessary UCSD forms (we will distribute them at the workshop).