KARE 11 Sunrise Show with ClearCause

StaySafe Picks  

Thank you Kare 11 Sunrise Show, and Media Relations, Inc., for the opportunity to protect and inform America's next generation about safety risks before they go abroad.  There isn't enough gratitude in those words!  Here's a recap and links to some awesome tools to help our students 'StaySafe':

Get your ASAPP Checklist.  A Student Abroad Preparedness Plan Checklist includes more than 50 checkpoints to insure your abroad experiences fulfills its promises.  Please don't leave America without it.


American students abroad are often cash-strapped and under-insured.  Save money and Fly for Good!  Fly for Good is a strategic partner and proud sponsor of ClearCause.  Every time you book a flight with Fly for Good you get personal assistance and their 'lowest possible' airfare. Make sure to mention that you heard about Fly for Good from ClearCause and we'll get a donation to help students StaySafe! To request a quote please contact Linda Furry.  Use the money you save to buy trip insurance with StuCard and Volunteer Card...


TravelGuard underwrites the insurance for StuCard and Volun+eer Card.  We are working together on a pick list of insurance offerings to offer the best possible coverage while you are in a foreign country.  Until then, please be aware that you may need more insurance than StuCard provides.  StuCard offers insurance to repatriate you if necessary, emergency medical insurance, protects your stuff and offers a toll-free international help line with a translator to assist you when needed.  ClearCause Founder Sheryl Hill relied on this insurance personally when she fell on a sharp in Chile.  The best news, these guys are in our backyard in Burnsville, MN.  We can knock on their door and work together to advocate for you. ClearCause receives a donation when you buy your StuCard from this link.  Thank YOU!


Most SMART PHONES can be unlocked by your carrier before you go abroad.  This is a very good idea because it is possible to buy a sim card for most phones that will work in the foreign country for much less than roaming rates.  Many unfortunate things happen to students when they commute from their housing to find WiFi hotspot areas so that they can do homework or engage in social media.  Novatel Wireless makes many intelligent wireless solutions for mobile broadband that almost every major carrier  resells.  If possible, get a mobile hotspot so you have affordable Internet wherever you are. It's a small price to pay for the convenience and safety, especially when a carrier serves the area you are in.

People die every year from hotel and housing fires around the globe.  FlareSafe is an awesome portable device you can use for years.  A high intensity flashlight, siren and smoke alarm. Pack one in your backpack and use it for coach surfing or those stays in low cost hospices where fire safety may not be on the top of their pick lists.  Check your dorm room to be sure fire safety alarms, extinguishers and escapes are available.  Then use your FlareSafe as a backup.  Have a story to share - contact us!


Most parents want their kids to have safe locks abroad and at college.  Especially because you can't be guaranteed who has access to  your room or  how flimsy the lock is. You can never be too safe.  The Add-a-Lock installs quickly and easily without any tools. It probably won’t prevent a pick ax from knocking down your door, it will provide added security.  Insure your stuff! Keep registration numbers and pictures of your stuff on www.dropbox.com so you can claim it.

Door Stop Alarm p

• lace this device underneath a door to prevent it from being opened.  An o
• ptional 120 decibal alarm will trigger when someone attempts to enter. When the door begins to press on the door stop, it pushes a lever down which triggers the alarm!

Its great for securing students in a dorm room, apartment or home.  Costs less than $10 generally.

Never ceases to amaze us how often stuff gets stolen.  Students would never leave hundreds of dollars on the dresser but their cameras, smart phones and personal computers are.  Put your small devices in a safe.  Lock your laptop to a nonmovable object with a PC Cable.  You can get one for about $20 generally. Passwords should be protected and personal information should not be available on your devices.

Long flights, train and bus rides make a weary traveler.  It's so easy for someone to lift your backpack and all 'your stuff' with it while you are crashed out sleeping on a long commute.  While its not foolproof, PacSafe is an affordable option that deters thieves from taking your backpack or luggage easily.  It has an adjustable high-tensile stainless steel locking device designed to cover and protect bags from tampering, pilfering and theft. Suitcases, backbacks, dive bags - they come in many sizes. Shop around for the best price.

The Personal Water Filter "LifeStraw" is small and convenient.  It removes 99.9% of waterborne bacteria and waterborne protozoan parasites.  It's a small tube with specialized filters inside. Place one end in unfiltered water  a glass, water bottle, river, or puddle!) and suck resulting clean water up through the top. Anyone who can use a drinking straw can easily use a LifeStraw.

Most of these products are readily available on Amazon or other Internet shopping sites.

We rely on community support to fund ClearCause and advance safe global youth travel.