NOTE: All NCSY employees, volunteers, guests, vendors and participants must comply with the NCSY Policies outlined and publicly available at ncsy.org/standards. This page is meant to highlight the parts particularly important for parents and participants to understand. If you have any questions about these or other policies, please direct them to the Regional Director.
The safety of our participants, and of all of our volunteers and staff is our number one priority.
- NCSY strives to create a healthy environment where each person is treated with dignity and respect.
- NCSY Participants have a responsibility to conduct themselves properly at all times and treat both NCSY Adults and Participants with respect.
- Safety and security instructions laid out clearly at the beginning of the event must be adhered to. This includes staying out of areas that are off-limits, staying within the chaperoned shabbaton area, curfew, and program attendance.
- NCSY reserves the right to limit the participation of any participant in any activity if there is sufficient reason to believe a particular individual lacks the ability or willingness to follow directions and instructions as required.
NCSY has a zero-tolerance policy for the following behaviors, which will result in immediate dismissal from the program and removal at the earliest practical time.
- Violence or threatening behavior, smoking or vaping, possession and/or use of alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs and controlled substances or weapons are always prohibited.
- Bullying, Hazing, Harassment, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Assault, and consensual sexual activity is incompatible with NCSY’s goals and standards and is therefore always prohibited, whether it occurs in person, on the phone, online, or via any other medium.
When it is determined that teens must be removed from the event due to breaking of the NCSYer behavior guidelines, their travel home is the responsibility & cost of their parents. If a parent cannot arrange for someone to pick their child up, a taxi or public transportation may be arranged on the parent’s behalf.
In some cases, additional disciplinary measures, engaging law enforcement and contacting your school may be necessary, in consultation with our Regional and National leadership.
*Please note: NCSY reserves the right to conduct bag and room checks on our events, both at random and in the event of a concern for our participants. Please check your bags beforehand and do not bring anything with you that could result in your dismissal from the program.
Medication:
In order to be qualified to attend an overnight NCSY program, a teen who is taking any daily medication should be able to administer it on his/her own and must bring only the appropriate amount needed for the length of the program.
All information must be disclosed on medical forms that will only be seen by designated supervisory personnel and will be kept private.
Shabbat Program Guidelines:
- All participants and guests on Shabbatons are expected to help us maintain a Shabbat atmosphere in public and shared space. NCSY is mindful that many of our participants are less familiar with these practices, and affords all participants the room to grow in their individual observance and knowledge.
- In all shared and public spaces, we ask that you do not use any electronic devices over Shabbat.
- All participants and guests on NCSY Shabbatons are expected to be dressed appropriately for an immersive experience based around a meaningful Shabbat:
At all times: Everyone should be wearing tops with sleeves and an appropriate neckline. No sheer clothing, mini-skirts, or shorts.
On Shabbat: Boys should wear a kippah, nicer pants and a polo or button down shirt. Girls should wear a blouse and skirt or dress.
See our full standards and guidelines at ncsy.org/standards.
REPORTING PROCEDURE
If a participant feels unsafe at an NCSY event, whether because of the actions of another participant or staff, they should immediately report to:
- OU’s OUTSIDE REPORTING HOTLINE at 1-866-57-THE-OU [866-578-4368]
- NCSY Managing Director: Rabbi Moshe Benovitz (benovitzm[at]ncsy.org)
This page updated August 29, 2023