STUDENT AMBASSADOR
PARENT/GUARDIAN CONSENT AGREEMENT
Dear Parent or Guardian,
Before your child can participate in our volunteer program as a Student Ambassador, we want to clearly communicate the requirements and expectations of this position, as well as our commitment to safeguarding your child. If you find the following information agreeable, we ask for your consent in the form a digital signature on the application page that your child will fill out and submit for consideration. This will allow your child to participate in NREF programs and work directly with NREF board members and volunteers.
Our Commitment to Protecting Youth
NREF is dedicated to expanding access to environmental education to learners of all ages, including those under the age of 18. It is our responsibility and moral imperative to create safe spaces by protecting children and teens from abuse and exploitation and by taking necessary remedial action when children are in such situations. At NREF, we believe that child abuse is the business of anyone who knows about it. All NREF board members and representatives are trained in how to report and who to contact when any concern for child safety arises, no matter how seemingly small or trivial.
As part of your child’s onboarding as a Student Ambassador, they are required to complete an online, self-paced Child Protection Training Module so they understand NREF’s child protection and abuse prevention policies, learn about the resources available to them, and what kinds of things they should report.
Necessary Communication
For your child to participate in our program and be successful as a Student Ambassador, our board members will need to communicate with them across a variety of platforms, including:
· Text message
· Phone calls
· Zoom video conferencing
These platforms will be used to communicate with your child only by NREF board members and committee members to share information on current educational and restoration initiatives, event reminders, training documents, and other resources pertinent to the duties of the Student Ambassador. Due to the nature of the responsibilities of the Student Ambassador position, permission to communicate with your child using the above-listed platforms is not optional. If permission cannot be granted, your child will not be permitted to take on the Student Ambassador role.
Use of Photos, Videos, Original Artwork, and/or Interview
As a Student Ambassador, your child will serve as an important representative of NREF and a spokesperson for New Jersey coastal habitats. With your permission, we request all rights to utilize images, videos, artwork, interviews and/or written works by your child in printed and digital media published for the purpose of furthering NREF’s mission to deliver environmental education experiences and promote the conservation of coastal habitats in the Barnegat Bay Watershed. Examples of how media of your child may be used include but are not limited to: sharing photos and videos of your child participating in educational programming or habitat restoration events on social media and in newsletters or quoting their spoken and written word in online articles, public reports, and other publications.
Both you and your child have the right to withdraw this media consent agreement at any point. Declining or withdrawing consent will not affect your child’s ability to participate in our program as a Student Ambassador. Consent may be withdrawn at any time by sending an email to info@nrefnj.org.
Security and Use of Personally Identifiable Information
We will never share your child’s personal data (name, birth date, graduation date, demographic information, home/mailing addresses) or contact information with anyone external to NREF without your child’s explicit consent and permission, which will be asked for on a case-by-case basis. Your child is permitted to share their own contact information with other students, NREF members, volunteers, and community members as they deem appropriate.
Reporting Safety Concerns
In the event that your child experiences any kind of safety concern, you, your child, or any trusted individual is strongly encouraged to report that concern in any of the following ways:
Report the concern directly to an NREF board member you and your child know and trust.
File an anonymous report online using this form. The form will be sent directly to our info@nrefnj.org inbox which only executive board members may access.
NREF has a strict zero tolerance policy in connection with any form of retaliation against someone who has reported a concern in good faith. All concerns regarding the safety of a child are taken seriously, and retaliation or harassment will result in discipline against the harasser, up to and including discharge from the organization.