Anti-Bullying Policy
In order to ensure the physical, mental, and emotional safety of our staff and students, POE has instituted an anti-bullying policy. This includes, but is not limited to, a ban of discriminatory, inflammatory, or adult language (this includes swear words and conversation topics that are not age-appropriate), non-consensual physical violence (we allow consensual physical play such as roughhousing; not things like throwing punches), gaslighting, and other bullying tactics.
Students who perpetrate bullying behavior will be subject to our disciplinary policy.

Disciplinary Policy
Generally, we hope to perform disciplinary action as little as possible. However, where disciplinary action is necessary (such as incidents that present a safety concern and/or incidents of discrimination and/or bullying), it should feel fair to all parties involved and should be underpinned by clear expectations. The primary concern of POE is the safety and well being of the students and communities we serve. POE therefore maintains a zero tolerance policy for bullying, assault or aggravated assault, drug/alcohol use, and sexual harassment or sexual assault. Incidents involving these behaviors will result in immediate and permanent expulsion from all POE programs on the part of the instigating child.

Given the nature of any program involving children, behavior management practices must sometimes be used to ensure the safety of students, staff, and the general public. Behavior management practices used will be at the discretion of POE and its representatives. Such practices may include, but are not limited to:

• Verbal warning
• Temporary removal from space/activity
• Conversation with child’s adult(s) about behavior
• Loss of access to tools or equipment
• Behavior agreement (contract) between staff and child/families
• Restorative justice conversations between staff and child
• Temporary suspension from program
• Expulsion from program

The basic outline of the disciplinary action:
A verbal warning may be issued by a counselor with a clear description of why the incident was unacceptable. Students may be coached on ways to avoid the triggering incident or unacceptable behavior.
If the behavior persists past a verbal warning, a written incident report will be made and presented to the child’s adult(s). These reports detail the time, date, and location of the incident, the details of the incident itself, and what, if any, corrective action is recommended by counselors.
If the behavior continues or is of considerable severity (to be determined at the discretion of the administration), a conversation with the child’s adult(s) will be had on the actions and a plan made together to insure the safety of all children.
Continued incidents will result in a review of the child’s continued enrollment. Depending on the severity and frequency of the incident(s), your child may be removed from program to ensure the safety of all.

Other Safety Information
Each counselor is trained in adult, child, and baby CPR and first aid through The Red Cross.
Each counselor has access to a personal first aid kit which is kept stocked at all times.
A larger first aid kit with additional supplies is kept on site at all times.
In the event of a severe injury, adults  will be called to inform them of the incident. An ambulance may also be called if medically necessary.

PLEASE BE AWARE:
POE staff are NOT certified or licensed to perform holds of any kind for children who may need intervention due to emotional distress or behavioral issues which may present a danger to themselves or others. This includes but is not limited to running away from camp, a tendency toward violence (hitting, kicking, biting, etc.), or destruction of property (whether it belongs to themselves or others). We are supportive of all needs, however, we are unable and/or unlicensed to meet and/or support some such as those listed above.
If you are uncertain whether POE staff would be unable and/or unlicensed to meet your potential child’s needs, please reach out to us at info@pdxoutdoorexplorers.com to discuss.
It is always our goal to provide a safe and fun environment for our explorers, which may be impossible if your child requires more than we are able to provide.

Camp Names
POE runs most of our programs in public parks. As such, anyone within those spaces may overhear the names of our students. In order to add an additional layer of protection for ourselves and our students, everyone is given a Camp Name. These are typically nature-based names, and completely up to the child using the name!