Policies

Camp Cancellation Policy

Bright Lights reserves the right to modify camps if needed, and/or to cancel camps due to low enrollment. Enrolled students will be given the option of transferring to a different camp or receiving a full refund if a camp is canceled by Bright Lights.

Refund Policy

A minimum of $15 per camp will be charged if a student withdraws through April 1. A minimum of $50 per camp will be charged if a student withdraws between April 2 – May 15. After May 15, no refunds will be issued unless the camp is canceled by Bright Lights.

If your plans change and your student is unable to attend their registered camp, we will make every effort to place the student in an alternate choice, subject to availability. We do not charge a rescheduling fee if the student transfers to a different camp taking place in the current summer. Credit can’t be issued for a future session and cannot be applied to another student’s account.

If you need to switch camps, please contact the Bright Lights office at 402-420-1115 ext. 46 or email registration@brightlights.org. A student may be transferred to another camp by Bright Lights staff at no additional charge, subject to availability. If you choose to register your student for another camp online yourself and then want to cancel the initial registration, the above refund policy for cancellation will apply.

Refunds or partial refunds will not be issued for any no-shows or missed camp days.

No refunds will be given for Before Care or Lunch Care after May 15.

Waitlist Policy

If the camp session you want is currently full, you can choose to be placed on the camp’s waitlist by adding the camp to your cart and completing the registration process. We will contact you if space opens, and payment will be due at that time. Placement on the waitlist does not guarantee a spot in a camp.

Behavior Policy

Students are expected to be safe, respectful and responsible to be successful in Bright Lights camps. Parents may be contacted if a student is unable to follow these expectations. Teachers and staff may redirect or remove the student from an activity. If the student continues to be disruptive or inappropriate, demonstrates physical aggression or presents a flight risk, the student will be dismissed from the program for the remainder of the summer without a refund.

Bright Lights makes every effort to accommodate student needs. If your student has medical, learning, physical, social behavior, or other special needs (such as specialized equipment, additional adult support/supervision at school, learning/social/medical/behavioral accommodations, etc.), please indicate this in your registration and contact the Bright Lights office at least two weeks before the end of the school year to allow for best planning and placement of your student.

Families are responsible for hiring and paying for individual classroom support personnel for their student. Individual support personnel must have completed ninth grade, be at least four years older than the child he/she is assisting and may not be a family member. Assistants 19 and older will be subject to a background check. Classroom support personnel must complete a Camp Assistant application and attend a Camp Assistant orientation.

All students must be independent in toileting to attend Bright Lights camps.

Appropriate use and care of classroom/site property, equipment and supplies is required by students. Any malicious damage will be the financial responsibility of the student and his/her parent/guardian.

Bright Lights is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged property. All personal property should be labeled. Students are discouraged from bringing nuisance and/or valuable items to Bright Lights that do not pertain to the camp they are attending.

Medication Policy

Bright Lights follows a medically approved health protocol.

The dispensing of medications at Bright Lights is strongly discouraged except when necessary for the management of your student’s health and well-being. Parents should consult the physician or pharmacist as the dosage intervals of medications may be adjusted so that the times for taking the medication fall outside Bright Lights hours. Emergency medical attention may be given to your child.

A request to provide medication will only be administered at Roper Elementary School during Bright Lights summer program weeks 1, 4 and 5. A physician’s authorization is required for medication to be provided. The prescriber’s authorization may be on the pharmacy label attached to the medication. Send the original container with label intact. Home packaging will not be accepted due to safety considerations. If an Epi-pen is administered, 911 will be called.

Medical information is kept confidential. However, it may be shared with the appropriate education staff to ensure your student’s safety.

Illness Policy

Please do not bring your student to camp if they have a fever or other contagious illnesses. If your student becomes ill during camp, you will be notified and asked to pick them up as soon as possible. Your student must be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to camp, which includes fevers, vomiting and diarrhea. Should your student sustain a head injury, we will notify the emergency contacts listed in your registration.

More serious injuries or health concerns may be treated with emergency care at the campers expense.

Food Policy

If your student has a food allergy, please make sure to indicate this on their registration form. If a snack is offered during camp, students who have indicated an allergy will be given a different choice or may bring their own snack.

When it supports the curriculum, food may be incorporated into the camp. Parents are asked to share food allergies on their student’s registration. All food served in the Bright Lights classroom from teachers or students should be store-purchased and labeled with ingredients or created in the classroom with fresh ingredients. Teachers will follow appropriate food preparation and safety guidelines. When choosing camps, please note that those with food-based curricula may not be the best fit if your student has a food allergy. Please talk with your student’s teacher about any concerns on or before the first day of camp.

Medical information is kept confidential; however, it may be shared with the appropriate education staff to ensure your student’s safety.

Lice Policy

If a student is examined by the program nurse and found to have live lice, the parent/guardian of the student will be contacted and asked to pick up the student immediately so treatment can be started. The student may resume Bright Lights camps after being examined by the program nurse and determined to be free of lice and nits (lice eggs).

Cell Phone Policy

Bright Lights recognizes that cell phones are a way to communicate with your child, however campers will not be allowed to use them during programming time. If you need to get in touch with your child in case of an emergency during camp, please call our Roper Elementary school site at 402.436.1492. If a student struggles with directions to put away their phone, contact will be made with the parent to create a plan for better regulating the device.

Anti-Bullying Policy

Bright Lights provides physically safe and emotionally secure environments for all students and staff. Positive behaviors (non-violence, cooperation, teamwork, understanding and acceptance of others) are encouraged in the program and are required of all students and staff. Inappropriate behaviors, including but not limited to bullying, intimidation and harassment, must be avoided by students and staff.

Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy as to Students

Bright Lights admits students of any race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students in the program. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship program and other school-administered programs.

Anti-Harassment Policy

It is Bright Lights’ policy that any harassment of employees, classroom assistants, volunteers, students, or parents based on membership in a legally protected class will not be allowed. Failure to follow this policy will lead to disciplinary action up to and including termination.

All employees, camp assistants and students should be able to be in an environment free of discrimination and any form of harassment based on age, sex, color, race, creed, national origin, religious persuasion, marital status, disability or membership in any other protected category protected by law. Harassment of employees, camp assistants, students or parents is counterproductive to the organization’s goals and will not be tolerated.

To help ensure that no one feels that they are being subject to harassment and in order to create a comfortable environment, we prohibit any offensive physical, written, or spoken conduct regarding any of these items, including conduct of a sexual manner.

Harassment includes, but is not limited to, the following forms:

• Unwelcome or unwanted advances, including sexual advances. This means patting, pinching, brushing up against, hugging, cornering, kissing, fondling, or any other similar physical contact.
• Unwelcome requests or demands for favors, including sexual favors. This includes subtle or blatant expectations, pressures or request for any type of favor, including a sexual favor (this includes requests for dates), whether or not it is accompanied by an implied or stated promise of preferential treatment or negative consequences concerning employment status.
• Verbal abuse or kidding that is oriented toward a prohibited form of harassment, including that which is sex-oriented and considered unwelcome. This includes offensive comments which harass an individual based upon his or her sex, race, age, national origin, disability, or marital status; telling “dirty jokes” that are inappropriate and considered offensive; or any tasteless, sexually oriented comments, innuendoes, or actions that offend.
• Creating an environment that is intimidating, hostile, abusive, or offensive because of unwelcome or unwanted conversations, suggestions, requests, demands, physical contacts, or attentions, whether sexually-oriented or otherwise related to a prohibited form of harassment.

The very nature of harassment makes it virtually impossible to detect unless the person being harassed registers his/her discontent to the Executive Director. If any employee believes he/she or any other employee, students, camp assistants or parents are being subject to any of these forms of harassment, or believes he/she is being discriminated against because other employees are receiving favored treatment in exchange for prohibited behavior, he/she must:

• Discuss the grievance with program directors immediately.
• Contact the Executive Director if the supervisor is part of the problem.

Any complaints will be kept confidential, and an employee, camp assistant or student can be assured that he/she will not suffer negative consequences as a result of bringing his/her concerns to the organization’s attention. All complaints received will be promptly and thoroughly investigated. If the investigation reveals that the employee, camp assistant or student has been harassed, disciplinary action will immediately be taken against the appropriate individuals, up to and including termination.

Failure of any employees involved in the investigation of a harassment complaint to keep the complaint confidential shall be a separate violation of this policy. A separate violation shall also occur if any retaliatory action is taken against or directed at any employee, camp assistant or student that has made a harassment complaint. Violations will result in disciplinary action. Bright Lights reserves the right to provide information regarding any harassment complaint or retaliatory conduct to the necessary legal authorities if the organization, in its sole discretion, believes illegal conduct has occurred.

Concealed Weapon Policy

Bright Lights prohibits all persons who enter the Bright Lights offices, or the location of any Bright Lights program, from carrying a handgun, firearm, or prohibited weapon of any kind onto the property regardless of whether the person is licensed to carry the weapon or not. This policy applies to all Bright Lights employees, students, and visitors. Likewise, Bright Lights employees are also prohibited from carrying a weapon while in the course and scope of performing their job, whether they are on Bright Lights property at the time or not and whether they are licensed to carry a handgun or not. Prohibited weapons include any form of weapon or explosive restricted under local, state, or federal regulation. Failure to abide by all terms and conditions of this policy may result in discipline up to and including termination.

Background Checks on Staff

Teachers: If a teacher is currently under contract in a school district, a reference from his/her school principal is requested. All other teachers provide three references and background checks are processed. Teachers with a lapse in service to Bright Lights will be asked to fill out a “References for Bright Lights” form and a background or reference check will be required.

Camp Assistants: Background checks are processed on camp assistants new to the program who are 19 years of age and older.

Safety Policy

The management of Bright Lights is committed to creating a safe and secure environment for all its employees and students. Each employee is required to work in a safe manner and use good judgment in his/her actions to prevent injury to him/herself or others. Any injury that occurs, both during the summer program and throughout the year, whether it is an employee or volunteer, should be reported to the Executive Director immediately.