School and Group Programs

Organizing Your Trip

Chaperone Expectations and Responsibilities

ALL ATTENDING ADULTS MUST BE FAMILIAR WITH THIS INFORMATION

Your primary responsibilities as an attending adult are:  
SUPERVISION, PARTICICIPATION, and SAFETY

Upon arrival
During your program here at Yosemite Institute, the Lead Instructor and the Site Manager will be your two primary contacts.  The Site Manager will greet your bus as itarrives and will check in with you briefly to collect any remaining paperwork as the studentsand other chaperones unload the luggage.  Once the unloading process is complete, there will be an orientation talk by the Site Manager and the students will move into their cabins.  After eating dinner, the students will attend an evening program to introduce them to the wonders of Yosemite.  During this program, the Site Manager and the other chaperones will hold a meeting with all the chaperones to discuss in detail the schedule for the week and the residential part of our program.  Our time together with all adults in one place is limited, but essential for introductory discussions of participation expectations, discipline policies, and group management.  The next morning chaperones will meet with their designated group of instructors to discuss the field component of the program.  The Lead Instructor will be the liaison in the field, and will be your contact person for any questions or concerns that arise from the curriculum or hiking portion of the program.

Supervision  

Attending adults provide supervision of the students for all hours besides during the hiking day from 8:30 am- 4:00pm.  You are responsible for supervising students during their stay at Yosemite Institute. Students must be under teacher and/or chaperone supervision at all times.  This is more of a challenge in Yosemite Valley where there are many city-like distractions, but no less important at Crane Flat where emergency aid is miles away.  Curry Village is especially challenging as your student’s cabins often neighbor with other student groups, concessionaire employees, and the general public. Your increased vigilance is required so those students remain respectful of their neighbors and do not disrupt the experience of other visitors.

Supervision systems
Many schools have a system in which each chaperone is responsible for a group of students.  Students must check in with that chaperone before leaving the cabin area, at morning meeting, in the cafeteria, and at evening programs.  The chaperone is also responsible for those students being in their cabins and quiet at night.  Chaperones are expected to help their students through the cafeteria lines.

Students who can’t go out in the field
Occasionally students do not go on hikes (due to illness or disciplinary action).  When this happens, an adult chaperone must stay in the cabin area with the student.  Curry Village cafeteria box lunches can be provided for those that cannot hike with their group.  Please notify the Site Manager to make arrangements.  Remember that no group can be in the field without a chaperone, so it may be beneficial to bring at least one extra adult in case a student needs to stay back.  Participants are required to go on hikes unless they are physically unable or are being disciplined.

Recreation and free time
Chaperones have primary supervisory responsibility for students when they are not out in the field with a YI instructor.  These times include:

Cabin time
You will supervise a cabin group in the evenings and through the night. At Crane Flat students will be in bunk room of up to 26 people; in the Valley, the cabins accommodate groups of four. At both sites, students share a common restroom.  It is your responsibility to establish a calm and respectful atmosphere in the cabins and restrooms. Students can use cabin time to read, write in their journals, or do quiet activities.  On the last morning of your visit, the cabins will be cleaned by the students and inspected by a chaperone to ensure that they are in the condition they were found in. Any damage to facilities will be charged to the school or responsible party.

Instructional groups
You will join a YI Instructor-led trail group from roughly 8:30 am to 4:00pm.
Each morning please be sure that the students in your instructional group have:

Packed into their day packs ready to depart for the field after morning meeting.    Your primary responsibilities while on the trail are to support the Instructor by facilitating student participation in group activities, assist in supervision of the students, and provide backup in emergency situations.  


Meal times at Crane Flat
Chaperones are expected to assist students in arriving promptly for mealtimes and in following mealtime procedures, since a delay in meals can transfer to a delay in all other components of the program.  After meals, students will be assigned to kitchen clean-up by trail group with the assistance of their chaperone and the Crane Flat staff.

Meal times in Yosemite Valley
In Yosemite Valley, meals are provided by the park concessionaire and served in the Curry Village cafeteria.  This facility is open to other guests of Curry Village who are not with the Yosemite Institute. Participants are given wristbands to allow them passage into the cafeteria.  The meals are included in your program.  We require that students never be in the cafeteria without the supervision of a chaperone from their group.  In addition, chaperones are asked to help foster proper behavior during mealtime and ensure that students bus their trays and clean their tables properly.  

Gift shops
Participants must be supervised when they go to any gift shops.  Our agreement with Delaware North Concession Services is that no more than three participants from each group be in any shop at one time, that they leave their daypacks outside and that they must be accompanied by a chaperone.

Campus care
As part of our stewardship ethic, students are asked to participate in clean up activities at both Crane Flat and at Curry Village. Duties include, dining hall clean up, bathhouse cleaning, and dormitory cleaning.  

Discipline
Should students be especially disruptive, compromise the safety of themselves or the group or refuse to cooperate after warnings and disciplinary action, they may be expelled and sent home.  It is the group’s responsibility to return the student home, so discuss this topic with your key administrator before you depart.  Most schools call upon the students’ parents to pick up the child.  Communicate your behavioral expectations of your group at a pre-trip orientation for parents, students and chaperones.  Establish a concrete discipline policy before you arrive.  Make clear what disciplinary actions may be taken, including expulsion from the program.  

As part of the pre-trip planning for a program, it is important that this is clearly communicated to parents.  This will avoid any confusion or awkwardness should you have to call parents and ask them to come to Yosemite for their child.

Remember that federal laws apply in Yosemite National Park.  As an attending adult, be prepared to take swift action with anyone from your group that involves possession or consumption of alcohol and illegal drugs.

Participation

Positive attitude
Your positive attitude and active participation can have a great affect on students’ attitudes and willingness to take part in new challenges.  Students look to all adults as role models; for this reason it is especially important that chaperones effectively model compassion for all students, a respect for the natural world and enthusiasm for the learning.
Part of your responsibility is taking an appropriate, engaged role in field activities, group challenges, and discussions during the daily hikes.

Program expectations


Expectations of students
Students are required to go on hikes unless ill, injured, or being disciplined. If a student must stay on campus a chaperone is required to remain behind and supervise the individual. Please alert the Site Manager to any students who will be staying at the cabins during the instructional day.

Safety

Included among your chaperone responsibilities is helping maintain a safe environment during all aspects of the program. While acting in your role as chaperone, always err on the side of safety.


Medical facilities
There are limited medical facilities in Yosemite Valley at the Yosemite Medical Clinic, which is a five minute drive from Curry Village and a half an hour from Crane Flat.  More serious emergencies must be transported to medical facilities located over 100 miles away.  As always in remote settings, the best treatment for most injuries while at our program is prevention.  For this reason, we ask that chaperones do as much as possible to instill a sense of safety and personal responsibility in the students.

Students taken ill or injured are under the care and supervision of the group’s leader and adult chaperones, who will call to confer with the parent/guardian if the need arises.  In Yosemite Valley, a chaperone can transport the injured student by shuttlebus.  However, if your school will be staying at the Crane Flat campus we strongly suggest having at least one emergency vehicle in the group for emergency transport.  The Registration Forms contain important medical information and must accompany each student and chaperone in the event that medical treatment is necessary.

Student medications
No medication (including aspirin or any pain reliever) will be administered to a participant by an YI staff with the exception of when it is necessary to address a potentially life threatening allergic reaction or when specific written permission has been given. Epinephrine and an anti-histamine may be administered in these cases under a standing order with a physician.  It is the schools’ responsibility to work with parents to assure that student medications are properly administered while in Yosemite.

Insurance
We require that all participants with their own insurance coverage attach to the Registration Form a photocopy of the front and back of their health insurance card.  The Registration Forms contain important medical information and must accompany each student and chaperone in the event that medical treatment is necessary.

The clinic’s policy is to never refuse coverage to anyone - with or without health insurance.  If a participant does not have insurance the parents will be billed directly. Check all registration forms for completed insurance information and addresses.

Trail groups & medical/dietary alerts
Additionally, it is the group coordinators responsibility to accurately summarize all medical conditions and food allergies on the Trail Groups & Medical/ Dietary Summary Form and to sign off that you have received all registration forms, that the liablility waiver has been signed and that all information is reported accurately to Yosemite Institute.  Failure to complete these forms and deliver them to Yosemite Institute will result in students not being allowed to participate in the program until the completed form has been procured.  If you create your own version of this form, it is still necessary for you to sign the first page of our form, indicating that you have performed the above responsibilities.  It is the group coordinators responsibility to make sure all Registration Forms have been filled out and the YI liability waiver has been signed for all students.  


Miscellaneous

Community
Other groups will be participating in YI programs at the same time that your school is here. Each school will have its own instructional groups and Lead Instructor. Please be aware of this and help maintain a safe and communal atmosphere during your stay here.

Communication
There is a public pay phone are available for personal calls on the Crane Flat campus and numerous pay phones available at Curry Village.  
Cell phones have some coverage in Yosemite Valley and at Crane Flat.  Tri-mode phones do best but cell phones should generally not be relied upon for communication in most other areas.  Internet Access is still limited in Yosemite.  Yosemite Institute does not have any wireless access for our customers to use at this time.  

Evaluation
At the end of your program, each chaperone will receive a Post-Trip Evaluation form for our program to be filled out and returned to us before you leave.  Your much-appreciated feedback about your visit will provide valuable information that will help us enhance the program and ensure high quality for future group.

Preparing for your trip
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