On February 20, a message was sent to all Extension Specialists, Educators, Assistants and Support staff inviting you to complete an annual review of the Youth Activity Safety Policy and the Youth Activity Worker Guidelines. Based on questions some have had, we wanted to give you more background.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) has a strong interest in protecting the safety of youth at our University; therefore, in 2012, the University implemented a Youth Activity Safety Policy. This policy provides minimum specific guidelines for youth activities sponsored by UNL and for activities sponsored by other organizations but held at the University. We anticipate many Extension staff and faculty will engage with a University (Extension or 4-H) sponsored youth event during the year. That was our intent with the blanket message to all Extension staff, not just those in 4-H positions.
As you review the training module, you will see reference to an Activity Registration Form. You will not need to submit this forms per each individual event, instead we have submitted an annual blanket form for all UNL Extension/4-H sponsored events. There will also be opportunities as Extension faculty and staff when we present or teach at events that are not sponsored by UNL Extension/4-H. Those events do not require an Activity Registration Form, however, you should still comply with the practices outlined in the Youth Activity Worker Guidelines and ensure that any staff and volunteers that represent UNL Extension/4-H at youth events have been properly screened for their role.
If you have any questions regarding those requirements, please direct them to the 4-H Coordinators or Jill Lingard in the State 4-H Office.
Please follow the Qualtrics link below to access an online Youth Safety Training and Review the Activity Worker Guidelines and submit your signatures of completion by March 15th. This is the same link you received in the 2/20 email from Angela Rushman. Following March 15th, a link to the complete list will be shared and updated monthly.
https://ssp.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5iJDWgbjJFSi7m5