Adventure Handbook
Trips/Excursions/Travel Guidelines

These guidelines were developed by ANSER staff and parents during the 2005-2006 school year. They model guidelines in place for other organizations, including other Expeditionary Learning schools, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts. Family Council reviewed the draft guidelines on August 9, 2006 and developed additional language specifically relating to camping. The guidelines can be revised as needed. Please contact Suzanne Burton with ideas or concerns.

Before the Trip/Excursion/Travel
During the Trip/Excursion/Travel
After the Trip/Excursion/Travel
Use of Personal Vehicles
Camping Guidelines
Transportation Guidelines

Before the Trip/Excursion/Travel

1. Review individual student health forms and individual education plans (as applicable) to ensure that the outing is staffed/planned to accommodate the special needs of kids as they may exist. A plan for securing and administering medications should be developed.
2. Review with students and parents the fact that participating in outings is a privilege which must be earned. If students are not participating in an outing (for any reason), the student will be expected to attend school. The teacher will notify parents that their child should be in school and make other arrangements for the student during the outing.
3. Plans for the number of adults needed to accompany a group of children should take into consideration the adeptness of the group, group cohesion, destination, duration, and activities planned. Consideration should be given to the gender of accompanying adults on all outings that require overnight stays.
4. A checklist of all gear needed by students on the outing will be provided to parents in advance of the outing. On the day of the outing, students must bring a copy of the checklist, signed by the parents and certifying that the student has all of the required gear. Group gear should be checked in advance to assure that all necessary gear is packed and loaded for the outing.
5. At least one school-owned cell phone should be taken on the trip. A list of all cell phone numbers for adults on the outing should be left with the office.
6. At least one adult on the outing must be personally familiar and trained with the area, terrain, and logistics in which an activity or trip will take place. Current conditions (road access, campground availability, etc.) should be checked immediately prior to the outing.
7. A complete outline of the activity, including travel routes, campground sites, departure and return times, and emergency contact numbers must be left with the Education Director and the Office Manager.
8. Activities with elements of risk should only be undertaken with proper preparation, equipment, clothing, supervision, and safety measures.
9. At the onset of any trips/excursions/travel, staff must conduct a safety briefing to set an appropriate tone, establish expectations, and acquaint students with activities, routes, hazards, and environmental concerns. During the first portion of any trips, students must be briefed on emergency procedures appropriate to the outing.
10. The lead teacher must prepare a lost child prevention plan for the activity, as well as a contingency plan for student in the event they become lost. These plans must be presented to students and chaperones prior to the outing.
11. The lead teacher must assure that an appropriate first aid kit accompanies the group on all outings. For multi-day trips, student medical forms should be taken.
12. Potential hazards must be identified and contingency plans developed for all outings. (For example: loose rock, hypothermia, lightning, overcrowded public bus, vagrants in the park, busy streets, heat, etc.)
13. Field work permission forms signed by the parent, guardian, or legal custodian of the student must be on file for each participant. For overnight activities, or when required by a third party contractor, a signed permission form describing the activity(s) to be embarked upon to the fullest extent possible must be collected.
14. No one besides ANSER staff, parents, and students may participate in an ANSER-sponsored overnight activity without the permission of the Education Director. Siblings who are ANSER students should not participate in an overnight outing for one of their siblings’ classes. Requests for exceptions to this should be submitted to the Education Director.
15. For outings during the school day, teachers should notify the Education Director and the Office Manager of the outing, including mode of travel, departure and return times, and a contact (cell phone) number. It is recommended that a school owned cell phone be taken on each outing.

During the Trip/Excursion/Travel

1. Use of tobacco, alcohol, or mood-altering drugs by anyone during school sponsored trips, excursions and travel is prohibited and warrants immediate termination of the trip for the offender.
2. Students in the groups must stay together when traveling.
3. During transportation to and from planned ANSER outings (except in an emergency situation)

1. Meet for departure at a designated area.
2. Prearrange a schedule for periodic checkpoint stops as a group.
3. Plan a daily destination point.
4. If two adults are not available for each vehicle, the minimum required is one adult and two or more students. One adult may not travel with one student, unless it is the student’s parent.
5. Teachers’ energy, alertness and competence instill confidence in students.
6. Two adult leaders are required on all overnight trips and outings. Coed overnight outings require male and female adult leaders.
7. Adult leaders must respect the privacy of students in situations such as changing clothes and taking showers at camp, and intrude only to the extent that health and safety require.
8. Male and female leaders must have separate sleeping facilities. Married couples may share the same quarters if appropriate facilities are available.
9. Male and female students may not share the same sleeping facility.
10. Adult and youth of the same gender may occupy single-room or dormitory-type accommodations, with an optimal ratio of two adults to four students. An adult will not be alone in a sleeping area with a single student, unless that student is his/her child.
11. Note: This item requires further discussion. When camping, no student is permitted to sleep in the tent of an adult other than his own parent or guardian. Separate shower and latrine facilities should be provided, if at all possible, for males and females. When separate facilities are not available, separate times for male and female use should be scheduled and posted for showers.
12. Proper clothing for activities is required.
13. ANSER character expectations will be maintained. Discipline used should be constructive and reflect ANSER’s values.
14. Parents and adult volunteers are expected to focus their attention on the students during the outing.

After the Trip/Excursion/Travel

1. Teachers must report to the Education Director or Administrator any concerns regarding program activities, routes, vehicles, equipment or food whenever those concerns arise. Concerns about individual students should be directed to the Education Director.
2. A general debrief of the outing should be held for all participating staff.

Use of Personal Vehicles

1. When parent or staff owned and operated vehicles are used for outings, a copy of the parent/staffs’ driver’s license and proof of insurance must be on file in the office.
2. Parents and staff should be advised that in using their personal vehicles on school business, it is their responsibility to notify their insurance carrier of this fact. In the event of an accident in a personally owned vehicle, the vehicle owner’s insurance is the first to be accessed.

Camping Guidelines

1. Staff and parents must camp in the vicinity of students and maintain adequate supervision.
2. There will be separate sleeping tents for children and adults. Adults will sleep in close proximity outside of the “children’s tent.”
3. A form releasing ANSER from liability will be available for parents to fill out to request their child sleep in a tent with an adult or themselves. Copies of this form will be available at the camping site in case there is a change that needs to be made. In the event a change needs to be made and the parent is not on the camping trip, the lead teacher will contact the office and ask that they obtain the release of liability/permission form from the parent.
4. Students must be instructed not to leave the camp area (beyond calling distance) without first checking with the lead teacher. A student who receives permission to leave the area must travel with at least one other student.
5. Student sleeping arrangements which risk opportunities for sexual activity must not be allowed.
6. Proper campsite selection ensures students’ safety and comfort. Campsite considerations should include:
   • Basic campsite selection
   • Availability of water
   • Protection from rain, wind, flooding, falling rocks and dead tree limbs
7. Students should be prepared for sleeping in cold or inclement weather. They should know how to protect themselves from the elements through tent setup, use of proper gear, etc.
8. Adults will handle any fuels used for cooking or lighting. Students may not work with or handle fuels. When working with fuels, the following safety rules should be followed:
   • Filling or lighting of gas stoves in tents or cabins or in the proximity of another open flame is prohibited.
   • Fuel must be stored outside tents, cabins or tipis.
   • Whenever stoves are used, fuel bottles must be distinctly marked. Stove refueling must be done at a distance from any source of flames. Stoves should not be used in or near tents.

Transportation Guidelines

1. Every child must be appropriately restrained at all times, whether in a booster seat or with a lap/shoulder belt.
2. Any child who is under age 7 must use a booster seat. This is the new law and there are no exceptions to this. We encourage (but the law does not require) you to use booster seats for children 7 and older who are less than 4’ 9” tall.
3. Children age 7 and older must use a lap/shoulder belt.
4. If at all possible, children under the age of 13 should not ride in the front seat of a car.
5. All drivers must have a valid driver’s license that has not been suspended or revoked for any reason. If the vehicle to be used is designed to carry more than 15 persons, including the driver, the driver must have a commercial driver’s license.
6. An adult driver (at least 21 years of age) must be in charge and accompany the group.
7. If a station wagon is used for transporting passenger, passengers should not ride on the rear deck of the station wagon.
8. Trucks may not be used for transporting passengers except in the cab.
9. All driving, except for short trips should be done in the daylight if at all possible.
10. A cell phone should be in each vehicle, with the number of each cell phone left in the office. Except in an emergency, drivers should not talk on a cell phone while driving.
11. All vehicles must be covered by automobile liability insurance with limits that meet or exceed requirements of the state.
12. Driving time is limited to a maximum of 10 hours and must be interrupted by frequent rest, food, and recreation stops. If there is only one driver the driving time should be reduced and stops made more frequently.