Safety Guidelines

Gifted Youth Program Safety Guidelines

Supervision

Parents or guardians are, at all times, responsible for their children at any Mensa event, whether or not the event is part of the Gifted Youth Program. Most Mensa Gifted Youth Program events require parent/guardian and child participation. For children younger than 12, a parent, guardian, or other adult designated in writing must be present at all times during a GYP event. No drop-off option is available.

For children 12 and older, parents and guardians who leave a child for an activity are expected to retrieve their child at the designated time. Parents and guardians (or other adults designated in writing) must be available via phone at all times during the event. These people must be able to retrieve the child within 20 minutes, if necessary. Written permission is needed in advance for children to leave a Mensa event with anyone other than their parent or guardian or the adult who brought them to the event, and their identification should be established at the drop-off.

If a parent or guardian fails to retrieve the child, and other arrangements are not established, the supervising adult must contact the local police or other authorities 30 minutes past the pickup deadline. Families who are chronically late for pickup may be denied access to Gifted Youth Program events.

Communication

No one-on-one contact between an adult leader and a GY in all interactions – whether in person, online, through a web conference, over the phone, via text, or in any other form. In the event where the GY’s parent/guardian’s email is not provided or available, American Mensa’s Gifted Youth Programs Manager, Molly Bundschuh shall be cc’ed on emails.

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