9/21/2021 COVID-19 PROGRAMS UPDATE
9/1/21: COVID-19 UPDATE
Dear Skate Like a Girl community members,
As you know, the pandemic is still not over. With the news of the variants and infection rates going back up, we have had to make some tough choices to ensure we are continuing to serve our mission without putting our community in unnecessary danger.
For this coming fall, we are excited to continue programs in all 3 chapter cities, including social distance clinics with high-needs youth, community meetups, Women &/or Trans Sessions, and events like Shop Hangs.
With this choice to continue programs, we wanted to ensure our community understands the measures that will continue to be in place to keep our participants, volunteers, and staff safe:
Masks Required!
Masks will be required to be worn at all Skate Like a Girl programming and events, for staff, volunteers, and participants of all ages. The only exception to this mandate is outdoor community meetups, as these are hosted at shared public spaces that we cannot control. At these outdoor community meetups, masks are highly encouraged and additional masks will be available for anyone in need.
No Contact! Pad up!
Our staff and volunteers will continue to facilitate Skate Like a Girl programming without contacting participants. Skateboarding is a dangerous activity, and therefore we encourage the use of helmets and elbow/knee/wrist pads for skaters in our programs. Helmets, pads, and skateboards, will be provided to any skater in need, to keep. We will continue to not loan gear out to minimize contact and contamination. If you’d like to request gear please complete our Gear Request Form by clicking here.
Refunds are Easy!
We strongly encourage our community to stay home if they are feeling ill, or if they have been exposed to anyone who is ill. Any participant in a fee-based Skate Like a Girl program is entitled to a full refund if they are potentially experiencing symptoms of Covid-19, or potentially exposed to someone with Covid-19. Additionally, if a program is cancelled due to a Covid-19 exposure, participants will be refunded fully.
Our intention with this memo is to acknowledge that we are still in a pandemic and are taking precautions to keep our community safe while skateboarding with us. We appreciate your patience and support as we continue to navigate our new reality. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact us at info@skatelikeagirl.com.
Best,
The Skate Like a Girl Team
Dear Skate Like a Girl community members,
As you know, the pandemic is still not over. With the news of the variants and infection rates going back up, we have had to make some tough choices to ensure we are continuing to serve our mission without putting our community in unnecessary danger.
For this coming fall, we are excited to continue programs in all 3 chapter cities, including social distance clinics with high-needs youth, community meetups, Women &/or Trans Sessions, and events like Shop Hangs.
With this choice to continue programs, we wanted to ensure our community understands the measures that will continue to be in place to keep our participants, volunteers, and staff safe:
Masks Required!
Masks will be required to be worn at all Skate Like a Girl programming and events, for staff, volunteers, and participants of all ages. The only exception to this mandate is outdoor community meetups, as these are hosted at shared public spaces that we cannot control. At these outdoor community meetups, masks are highly encouraged and additional masks will be available for anyone in need.
No Contact! Pad up!
Our staff and volunteers will continue to facilitate Skate Like a Girl programming without contacting participants. Skateboarding is a dangerous activity, and therefore we encourage the use of helmets and elbow/knee/wrist pads for skaters in our programs. Helmets, pads, and skateboards, will be provided to any skater in need, to keep. We will continue to not loan gear out to minimize contact and contamination. If you’d like to request gear please complete our Gear Request Form by clicking here.
Refunds are Easy!
We strongly encourage our community to stay home if they are feeling ill, or if they have been exposed to anyone who is ill. Any participant in a fee-based Skate Like a Girl program is entitled to a full refund if they are potentially experiencing symptoms of Covid-19, or potentially exposed to someone with Covid-19. Additionally, if a program is cancelled due to a Covid-19 exposure, participants will be refunded fully.
Our intention with this memo is to acknowledge that we are still in a pandemic and are taking precautions to keep our community safe while skateboarding with us. We appreciate your patience and support as we continue to navigate our new reality. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact us at info@skatelikeagirl.com.
Best,
The Skate Like a Girl Team
FAQS FOR IN-PERSON PROGRAMS REGARDING COVID-19
Last Updated: May 5th, 2021
NOTE: We reserve the right to amend and adjust these protocols at any time due to updated CDC and local guidelines
Q: What are the COVID-19 screening procedures being conducted by Skate Like a Girl prior to the clinic beginning?
A: All participants must participate in a covid screening checkpoint upon arrival, which includes: a series of questions about recent symptoms or possible exposure to COVID-19 and a temperature check. If someone is unable to pass the screening checkpoint they will be turned away & issued a refund.
Q: What COVID-19 safety procedures and PPE are being provided to staff AND participants throughout the entire clinic that will guarantee that no germs are being spread during this clinic?
A: Skateboarding is uniquely suited for reduced-risk programming since it is an individual activity where physical contact can be mitigated. All individuals will be given hand sanitizer before/after the session and masks must be worn properly over nose and mouth at all times by participants and facilitators. We will ask & remind our participants to maintain a distance of 6 feet at all times. Unlike typical Skate Like a Girl programs prior to the pandemic, we will not be physically supporting, contacting, or holding participants in any way. Instead, we will provide clear boundaries and skate goals skaters can try without physical support or contact. Our protocol is that each staff member must wear gloves the entire time. Also, to further avoid contact with participants, we will NOT be providing any loaner gear, with all gear we distribute being donated to the participant to keep in perpetuity. If a participant tries on a piece of equipment and it doesn’t fit, the equipment will be sprayed with alcohol-based sanitizer and set aside for another participant to try.
Q: Are parents/guardians allowed to watch their kids skate?
A: This depends on the size of program and space where it is occurring. Please check with your program lead staff if there is capacity to stay to watch your kid skate. If they allow spectating, please maintain an absolute minimum of 6 feet distance from the main group.
Q: Assuming there be no physical contact to help participants with riding their boards or putting on equipment, how will you ensure physical safety and support for each participant?
A: We have modified our curriculum to ensure social distance skating and demonstrations from coaches at a safe distance. All participants will be provided safety equipment and thorough instruction on reduced-risk ways to start skateboarding. We’ll continue to give tips and one-on-one advice to ensure that participants are staying within their ability level, while still being able to learn. In the case of a participant needing some extra support with skating, some ways to safely help them may look like a one on one social distance demonstration with a coach in the grass, or even tightening the bolts of the skateboard to adjust the stability on board.
Q. My child is under 7 years old, can they participate in programming?
A: No. In order to ensure that our staff can confidently and safely support participants, the minimum age requirement for our programs is 7 years old.
Q: What is the risk of COVID-19 spread in this program?
A: According to CDC.gov our program is Lowest Risk: Small groups of participants who stay together. Participants remain at least 6 feet apart and not share objects. Outdoor activities are prioritized. All participants are from the local geographic area (e.g., city, town, county, community). All participants are wearing masks and there is no physical contact. If participants are unable to pass the covid checkpoint upon entry they will be asked to return home and self-isolate for 14 days. All parties are encouraged to stay home if they have symptoms or recent exposure to Covid-19.
Q: How will Skate Like a Girl move forward with clinics if a participant or staff member becomes infected with COVID-19 after attending a program?
A: If a participant/staff/volunteer has a confirmed case of COVID-19 after attending one of our programs, we will cancel the the following lessons that fall within a week post-exposure
All participants will be notified of the potential exposure and everyone will be encouraged to get a COVID-19 test to monitor for symptoms. The individual with COVID-19 will not be able to return to programming until 14 days later.
Q: What happens if a program is cancelled due to COVID?
A: Due to COVID related cancellation or illness, you will be refunded for any days missed. There will be no processing fee.
Q: What is the liability for Skate Like a Girl if a participant or staff becomes infected with COVID-19?
A: Despite all of our implemented safety precautions regarding COVID-19, participants are always playing at their own risk. When a skater participates in one of our programs, they are willingly accepting the potential risks.
Q: How will participants stay involved with Skate Like a Girl once the clinic is over?
A: Participants can stay involved by checking out our unique skateboarding tutorials, community trick tip videos and interviews on our Youtube Channel. We also encourage participants/parents or guardians to join our general newsletter by visiting skatelikeagirl.com and entering their info into the form in the bottom left of the page. We use that newsletter to announce any future programs/camps, so you can stay in the loop! Following @skatelikeagirl on Instagram is also a great way to see all our program flyers as they're released (you'll get all the same updates, but it's probably a lot more fun than being on our mailing list). Plus, that's where we post about our special events, tutorials, and giveaways for our community!
NOTE: We reserve the right to amend and adjust these protocols at any time due to updated CDC and local guidelines
Q: What are the COVID-19 screening procedures being conducted by Skate Like a Girl prior to the clinic beginning?
A: All participants must participate in a covid screening checkpoint upon arrival, which includes: a series of questions about recent symptoms or possible exposure to COVID-19 and a temperature check. If someone is unable to pass the screening checkpoint they will be turned away & issued a refund.
Q: What COVID-19 safety procedures and PPE are being provided to staff AND participants throughout the entire clinic that will guarantee that no germs are being spread during this clinic?
A: Skateboarding is uniquely suited for reduced-risk programming since it is an individual activity where physical contact can be mitigated. All individuals will be given hand sanitizer before/after the session and masks must be worn properly over nose and mouth at all times by participants and facilitators. We will ask & remind our participants to maintain a distance of 6 feet at all times. Unlike typical Skate Like a Girl programs prior to the pandemic, we will not be physically supporting, contacting, or holding participants in any way. Instead, we will provide clear boundaries and skate goals skaters can try without physical support or contact. Our protocol is that each staff member must wear gloves the entire time. Also, to further avoid contact with participants, we will NOT be providing any loaner gear, with all gear we distribute being donated to the participant to keep in perpetuity. If a participant tries on a piece of equipment and it doesn’t fit, the equipment will be sprayed with alcohol-based sanitizer and set aside for another participant to try.
Q: Are parents/guardians allowed to watch their kids skate?
A: This depends on the size of program and space where it is occurring. Please check with your program lead staff if there is capacity to stay to watch your kid skate. If they allow spectating, please maintain an absolute minimum of 6 feet distance from the main group.
Q: Assuming there be no physical contact to help participants with riding their boards or putting on equipment, how will you ensure physical safety and support for each participant?
A: We have modified our curriculum to ensure social distance skating and demonstrations from coaches at a safe distance. All participants will be provided safety equipment and thorough instruction on reduced-risk ways to start skateboarding. We’ll continue to give tips and one-on-one advice to ensure that participants are staying within their ability level, while still being able to learn. In the case of a participant needing some extra support with skating, some ways to safely help them may look like a one on one social distance demonstration with a coach in the grass, or even tightening the bolts of the skateboard to adjust the stability on board.
Q. My child is under 7 years old, can they participate in programming?
A: No. In order to ensure that our staff can confidently and safely support participants, the minimum age requirement for our programs is 7 years old.
Q: What is the risk of COVID-19 spread in this program?
A: According to CDC.gov our program is Lowest Risk: Small groups of participants who stay together. Participants remain at least 6 feet apart and not share objects. Outdoor activities are prioritized. All participants are from the local geographic area (e.g., city, town, county, community). All participants are wearing masks and there is no physical contact. If participants are unable to pass the covid checkpoint upon entry they will be asked to return home and self-isolate for 14 days. All parties are encouraged to stay home if they have symptoms or recent exposure to Covid-19.
Q: How will Skate Like a Girl move forward with clinics if a participant or staff member becomes infected with COVID-19 after attending a program?
A: If a participant/staff/volunteer has a confirmed case of COVID-19 after attending one of our programs, we will cancel the the following lessons that fall within a week post-exposure
- Example for a program that runs weekly on Mondays: if someone with a confirmed case of covid attended an event on Monday, Jan 5th, we would cancel the event on Monday, Jan 12th and resume again on Monday, Jan 19th.
- Example for daily camp: as soon as a confirmed case of COVID-19 is detected the camp is cancelled, and the staff members are pulled from programming for the following week.
All participants will be notified of the potential exposure and everyone will be encouraged to get a COVID-19 test to monitor for symptoms. The individual with COVID-19 will not be able to return to programming until 14 days later.
Q: What happens if a program is cancelled due to COVID?
A: Due to COVID related cancellation or illness, you will be refunded for any days missed. There will be no processing fee.
Q: What is the liability for Skate Like a Girl if a participant or staff becomes infected with COVID-19?
A: Despite all of our implemented safety precautions regarding COVID-19, participants are always playing at their own risk. When a skater participates in one of our programs, they are willingly accepting the potential risks.
Q: How will participants stay involved with Skate Like a Girl once the clinic is over?
A: Participants can stay involved by checking out our unique skateboarding tutorials, community trick tip videos and interviews on our Youtube Channel. We also encourage participants/parents or guardians to join our general newsletter by visiting skatelikeagirl.com and entering their info into the form in the bottom left of the page. We use that newsletter to announce any future programs/camps, so you can stay in the loop! Following @skatelikeagirl on Instagram is also a great way to see all our program flyers as they're released (you'll get all the same updates, but it's probably a lot more fun than being on our mailing list). Plus, that's where we post about our special events, tutorials, and giveaways for our community!