Virtual Programing

Borderlinks would like to invite you to register for our virtual programing! With commitment to our community safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have adapted and expanded our work to be able to offer fully online delegations.

BorderLinks staff consult with trip leaders to plan itineraries that meet the goals and needs of the delegation. Programming includes interactive workshops, meeting with community partners, time for reflection, and action planning. To secure a delegation spot, you can fill out the delegation scheduling form or reach out to Cailan Cordwell at cailan@borderlinks.org. We are busier than ever and look forward to hearing from you soon!

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Goals of a BorderLinks experience:

Explore historical and current immigration policies and their impacts on communities across the borderlands and throughout the Americas
Speak with people directly affected by migration, including migrants and others who live in the borderlands, and with advocates for migrant justice
Build connections with people and organizations fighting for migrant justice on both sides of the border
Think critically and intersectionally about solutions to the root causes of migration
Develop tools to take action for positive social change in your home communities

How it works in person:

Each delegation is a group of individuals that are committed to learning about the policies and circumstances that have affected thousands of lives across the border. Delegations are typically pre-existing groups from universities, schools, civic associations, etc.

Delegations can range in size from 7-24 people and a delegation’s length of stay can range from 1-14 days. BorderLinks charges $250 per person per day; that fee includes all programing, interpretation, lodging, meals, and transportation (excluding airfare). BorderLinks staff consult with trip leaders to plan itineraries that meet the goals and needs of the delegation. We engage every delegation in workshops that delve into complex topics and current issues. BorderLinks staff end each day with a group reflection and conduct an action planning activity at the end of a delegation's visit to develop strategies and tools for taking action in your local communities.

Delegates stay in our dorm, located in our building just south of Tucson's downtown business and entertainment district. Delegates will enjoy lunches and dinners prepared daily by BorderLinks staff, who can meet any dietary needs. Delegates make their own breakfasts in our kitchen, using food provided by BorderLinks. We maintain a vegetarian kitchen.

If you are interested in our programming, and would like to schedule a delegation, make sure to submit the delegation scheduling form AT LEAST 3 months prior.

At BorderLinks, we are committed to the lives, health, and safety of our staff, delegates, community partners, and wider public health. As we begin leading in-person delegations again, we want to do our part to prevent exposure and curb the pandemic. This is why our staff and board has decided to all get vaccinated and require both staff and delegates to be vaccinated, with the legal exception of people who are not vaccinated for medical or religious reasons. We recognize that we have the privilege of access to the vaccination and want to be in solidarity with those at most risk in our community.
We require delegates to take a COVID test 3 days before travel and have a negative COVID result, and they should also take a rapid test when arriving at BorderLinks. We will be implementing social distancing and mask-wearing protocol aligned with the most up-to-date CDC and local health department guidelines.
We are not requiring community partners to get vaccinated because we recognize hesitancy present in some communities of color from the history of racist medical practices in the United States as well as limited access to the vaccine. Most of our community partners are vaccinated; for those who are not, we will make appropriate arrangements to keep everyone safe, which could include outdoor or virtual presentations.
Within the uncertainty of this constantly evolving pandemic, if a delegation needs to cancel, we have a flexible policy, including offering virtual programming in their place, etc.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Josue Saldivar at josue@borderlinks.org
With community, participant, and staff safety in mind, BorderLinks has decided to set a clear guideline based on COVID metrics for when to switch in-person programs to a virtual format. BorderLinks will not conduct in-person programming if daily new COVID cases in Pima County are over 100 per 100,000 two weeks prior to the first day of the program.* Practically, this means that a BorderLinks staff member will check-in with groups who have a scheduled program 14 days before it begins. If the data shows that daily new COVID cases are over 100 per 100K, the decision will be made to switch the program to virtual. If under 100 per 100K, the in-person program can move forward.
While the metric of daily new cases is not the only one we look at to make decisions about COVID safety, it does indicate the severity of the virus’ presence in the community. Daily cases over 100 per 100K are extreme and have only occurred in Pima County when COVID is spiking drastically. We have observed that COVID is more likely to strike closer to home during these spikes, has caused unreasonable stress for staff and participants, and has forced unsustainable safety measures during in-person programs.
BorderLinks continues to follow its comprehensive COVID safety protocol when in-person programming is conducted—this includes mask wearing, testing, vaccination, and more. It is also our current policy to schedule in-person programs so there is no overlap with other groups in order to reduce the likelihood of cross-community spread. Delegations and workshops should be scheduled as soon as possible in order to secure your desired dates. Some dates are already being secured for 2023.
Thank you for your understanding during this unprecedented and difficult-to-navigate global pandemic as we strive to keep you, our staff, and community safe.
*We will be referring to this particular website for this metric which states that “our daily new cases number is a seven-day average divided by every 100K people in a location”: https://covidactnow.org/us/arizona-az/county/pima_county

opportunities for individuals and small groups

Individuals and groups of less than seven may be able participate in BorderLinks programs at special times during the year. Send us an email (info@borderlinks.org) and we’ll let you know if there are any upcoming opportunities.

Activities for delegations:

Walk migrant trails in the desert
Witness migration-related court proceedings
Meet with community members, activists, and academics throughout Tucson and the surrounding borderlands
Travel to Mexico or stay on the US side of the border to explore the Arizona context more deeply.
Listen to many different voices and hear the stories of people who are impacted by border and immigration policies in a variety of ways.