Information for Parents and Families

Whether your child is on campus for a summer camp, on a school visit with their teachers, for an internship, attending ImagineRIT or participating in another of the many other fun activities RIT hosts each year, program staff and volunteers, as well as the entire RIT community, are expected to conduct themselves with the highest standard of moral and ethical behavior when interacting with youth, in order to help us provide a fun and stimulating educational experience in a safe and supportive environment. When your child registers for an RIT youth program, you will receive all the specific information you need from the program organizer. No matter which program your child is attending, we ask participants and their parents/guardians to adhere to certain conduct expectations, which are listed below.

Participants in an RIT youth program should:

• Comply with all RIT policies
• Demonstrate civility, respect, decency and sensitivity towards other participants and staff
• Behave in a manner that contributes positively to the welfare of the community
• Join all activities on time and participate fully. Notify a program administrator about late arrivals
• Follow staff and guest instructions and raise concerns respectfully
• Complete assigned individual and group projects on time (if applicable)
• Dress appropriately for in-person programs and for appearing on video meetings
• Find a quiet location during virtual program sessions and be aware of the surroundings and background on video

If a participant does not meet expectations of the program, there may be consequences, including:

• A warning regarding behaviors and actions that are not allowed and, in most cases, an opportunity to correct the behavior
• Depending on the behavior, staff may also contact the participant’s parent or guardian

These behaviors may result in being dismissed from the program:

• Cyberbullying, harassing, or using derogatory language towards another person or group of people.
  • This includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about others online
  • This also can include sharing personal or private information about someone else online.
• Sexual discrimination or harassment toward another participant or program staff member
• Possessing, allowing to be visible on video, or being under the influence of alcohol, tobacco, drugs or weapons
• Damage or destruction of RIT or other individuals’ property.
• Other prohibited behaviors included in RIT policies D.18, D.19, and C06.0
• Repeated absences or failure to meet agreed upon program requirements

Parents and guardians can support their child’s participation in this program and respect other participants and staff by:

• Making arrangements so their child is available to participate in the program during specified times
• Allowing time for their child to complete required assignments (if applicable)
• Communicating with staff prior to program start time if their child must be absent
• Working together with program staff to resolve issues that arise with their child
• Having a conversation with their child about online safety and understanding that program staff are not able to monitor, nor responsible for, what their child does online outside of program activities
• Not capturing images or video of other participants’ names or faces during their participation in the program

Just as we ask youth and their parents and guardians to conduct themselves appropriately, program staff are held to high standards of conduct during the program. Program staff commit to:

• Respectful and effective communication with all participants and their parents/guardians
• Helping participants have a safe and fun experience
• Limiting direct contact with participants to established times for program activities
• Include another staff member or a parent/guardian in any direct electronic communication with a participant
• Not engaging with participants on social media from non-RIT accounts
• Addressing problems that are brought to their attention
• Creating an environment where everyone is welcomed and given the opportunity to succeed