Transporting Youths

The more often youth are moved from one location to another, and the further from a secure environment, the greater the risk.

dark green

Very Low Risk Exposure

Youth spend the program in one secure location.

Examples:

  • Use of a room or rooms solely dedicated to your program
  • Dedicated, secure outdoor space only accessible to a youth program

light green

Low Risk Exposure

Youth are moved around campus during the program to relatively secure locations.

Examples:

  • On-campus “field trips” to the NEH Museum
  • Moving from classroom to an outdoor meeting space
  • Moving from residence halls to a classroom

yellow

Moderate Risk Exposure

Youth are moved around campus to relatively unsecured locations.

Examples:

  • TSC common areas
  • The Quad
  • Athletic facilities or fields that are not dedicated to a specific youth program

orange

High Risk Exposure

Youth are transported off-campus to a relatively secure youth-appropriate location.

Examples:

  • Field trip to a museum, the zoo, etc.

red

Very High Risk Exposure

Youth are transported to an unfamiliar, crowded, or non-youth oriented location.

Examples:

  • Downtown areas
  • Waterfront
  • Out of state or country

Reducing Risk

Tips for reducing risk for Transporting Youths

  • When transporting youth around campus, even on foot, there are vulnerabilities- a child can separate from the group, or struggle to keep up with the pace of the group. Staff attention is divided between moving from one place to another and supervising the children. Ways to reduce risk include:
    • Ensure there are adequate adults to support any
      transition in location.
    • Have a routine group walking plan that includes staff positioning, walking route, formation of the group, etc.
    • Monitor the front and back of the group as well as the middle, depending on age of children or size of the group.
    • Avoid paths of travel that are busy with other people, have trip or fall hazards, or have poor line of site of the whole group.
    • Communicate ground rules to youth for your travel, and enforce these roles.
  • When transporting youth off campus in vehicles, ensure that vehicles have proper safety equipment for the age group and size of children you are transporting.
    • Communicate and enforce special ground rules to youth for field trips in unfamiliar or crowded locations.
    • Communicate to youth what to do if they are separated from the group.
    • Have additional adult presence to manage smaller groups of youth in a busy or unfamiliar environment.
    • Have youth and adults wear visual identifiers such as t-shirts that allow youth to be easily recognizable.