Logistics, stipends, Evening Excursions
HU PBL Workshop August 3-5, 2021
Travel Arrangements
Travel arrangements will be made individually with Christopherson Travel, the official travel vendor for Howard University. Once the travel authorization is processed, participants will be contacted by Christopherson Travel to make arrangements. Participants coming from outside of the local area will be covered for travel, hotel, per diem and miscellaneous costs. Travel by air, train or bus and 4 nights of hotel accommodations will be pre-paid. Breakfast is included in the hotel package. Lunches will be provided at the workshop for August 3,4,5. You will receive an allotment for dinner each day. There is a restaurant in the hotel and various ones within walking distance of the hotel. You may also take the metro to explore dining areas in Washington, DC. You will also receive an allotment for miscellaneous expenses. The miscellaneous expenses include transportation from the airport, train or bus station depending on how you are arriving. If we cannot pre-pay the per diem and miscellaneous expenses, you will complete a travel voucher after the workshop in order to be reimbursed.
Hotel
The workshop hotel is the Holiday Inn in College Park, MD. The hotel phone number is 301 345 6700. Our hotel contact is Susan Santa Cruz. Accommodations at the hotel will be in single rooms for everyone with check-in on the evening of August 2 and checkout on August 6. Breakfast will be provided each morning. There is a restaurant in the hotel. There also are various restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. The Holiday Inn will provide shuttle transportation to and from the workshop each day so you should not need a rental car. The shuttle will also be available after 6 pm for evening transportation to local venues.
Stipends
All students will receive a stipend for attending the workshop. The exact amount will be determined after we have covered all the other costs of the workshop but should be in the range of $500-$800. Students who participated in the HU PBL virtual workshop in 2020 will receive a larger stipend. We will initiate processing of the stipends after the workshop is completed so you can expect to receive your stipend later in 2021. In order to receive your stipend you will need to file forms with HU so that a direct deposit to your bank account can occur. Below is the list of what is needed. Please put them all together in a single pdf and send to me.
- ACH Authorization Form
- Substitute W9
- Image of a cancelled check from your bank account
- Here is the form where you can upload your pdf document!
Evening Excursions
The shuttle bus at the Holiday Inn is available to take hotel guests to locations within a 5 mile radius. Here are some ideas for what to do:
- Excursion to DC (DC Metro Map)
- Unfortunately the last 4 stations on the DC Metro Green line are undergoing repairs. Ft Totten is the closest station that is open but it is too far for the hotel shuttle. Metro provides a shuttle bus from the College Park metro to Ft Totten but a better choice for going into DC may be to team up and take an Uber to the Ft Totten metro station. The Chinatown metro station accesses a wide variety of restaurants and is about a 15 minute ride from Ft. Totten on the Green line - no transfers.
- Local Eateries. There are many good choices either within walking distance of the hotel or accessible by the shuttle. This Washington Post article is somewhat dated but gives a good idea of what's available in Beltsville to the north of the hotel. Other options to consider in the College Park and Greenbelt neighborhoods:
- Terrapin Kitchen at the Holiday Inn. An obvious choice if you're tired and not feeling adventurous or if the weather is lousy. Open from 6:30 - 11 am for breakfast and 4-10 pm for take out dinner.
- Milk and Honey (10280 Baltimore Ave, College Park, MD). Within walking distance of the hotel. One of Chef Sammy's three local restaurants that specialize in brunch items. Check out Chopped Season 10 Episode 5 and watch Chef Sammy win the "Redemption Competition".
- Ikea restaurant. Believe it or not quite a nice and very budget friendly choice that is an easy walk from the hotel.
- Hanami Japanese Restaurant (8145 Baltimore Ave #M, College Park, MD). Fine choice for Japanese food in College Park.
- Aroy Thai Restaurant (4511 College Ave, College Park, MD). Excellent Thai food.
- Silver Diner (6040 Greenbelt Rd, Greenbelt, MD)
- Greenbelt National Park (6565 Greenbelt Rd, Greenbelt, MD)
- Get away from the bustle, have a look at the map, and take a hike in this nearly 1200 acre park within 10 miles of the center of DC. The roads are currently closed for re-paving but the trails *are* open for hiking.