ON-BOARDING & POLICIES

BACKGROUND CHECKS

You have now cleared your criminal background check through Sterling Volunteers - Congrats and thank you for doing that! All volunteers must complete this step to begin signing up for volunteer opportunities. As an organization that works directly with young people, the background check is a safety measure and safeguard for our students, and all staff and volunteers must pass their background check before they can begin their work with us. Things to know:

• Sterling Volunteers refreshes everyone's background every month.

• Your background check is good for 12 months. After 12 months we will ask you to re-submit your information.

Click on the link that corresponds to your address history and needs:

• Have you only lived in Chicago/Cook County within the last 7 years? Please follow this link (Fee: $16)

• Have you lived somewhere other than Chicago/Cook County within the last 7 years? Please follow this link (Fee: $26)

• The options above require a Social Security Number. If you can’t provide one, please follow this link.

VOLUNTEER APPLICATION

In order to properly catalog all our wonderful volunteers in our system, we require each new volunteer to fill out this application form. The form inquires about biographical information as well as your interests and skills. The link to this application is below.

https://www.826chi.org/volunteer-form

VIRTUAL VOLUNTEER AGREEMENT

Given the circumstances of the past year, a new virtual agreement has been implemented with our onboarding policies. The link to the agreement is below and remedies a traditional paper copy we had our volunteers sign in the past.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdUrEICXMyz7DjylAYeNEdPfJlyoZTKaInIiZ_rj8sACVrxhw/viewform

VOLUNTEER CALENDAR

The Volunteer Calendar is the main portal to signing up for volunteer opportunities. The calendar includes opportunities from across program areas and also includes shifts in the Wicker Park Secret Agent Supply Co, training, and events.

826CHI Volunteer Calendar

CANCELLING VOLUNTEER SHIFTS

If you’ve signed up for a volunteer shift but are no longer able to make it, please email us at volunteers@826chi.org with at least a 48-hour notice. We understand that schedules change, but we also know from experience that regular cancellations -- especially last-minute -- negatively impact the quality of our programs. Volunteers that cancel three or more shifts within a month will have their volunteer status deactivated and will no longer be able to sign up for shifts until they meet with someone from the volunteer team.

CELL PHONES

Please keep your cell phones away and out of sight while working with students, unless you are using them to assist your tutoring. Students deserve your undivided attention. We expect them to keep their phones away, and we ask volunteers to model that behavior. If it is necessary to answer a call or send a text, please excuse yourself from the table and take the call in a place away from the students. Otherwise, please keep your cell phone in your bag, jacket, or pocket.

DRESS CODE

826CHI is an organization that works with young people and needs to be represented as such. During working hours, we expect staff members and volunteers at 826CHI to dress in a professional manner consistent with their responsibilities. While casual dress is acceptable, exposed midriffs or undergarments are examples of outfits that are inappropriate for our space.

EMAIL

The emails we send you are important. We send a weekly Volunteer Opportunities email and assorted other correspondence about important events, parties, and book release celebrations. Please check your spam and promotions folders for emails from us.

STUDENT SAFETY

Since 826CHI is an organization that works with children, all staff members are Mandated Reporters. This means that all staff members are legally required to ensure a report is made when abuse or neglect of a child is observed or suspected. If you ever have a conversation with a student that indicates that they are in harm’s way or contains any suggestion of abuse or neglect, your responsibility is to notify a staff member immediately out of earshot of students in the space. Do not take action yourself to protect the student. All staff is trained to take the steps necessary to ensure students’ safety.

INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR

Some of this may seem obvious, but we must be explicit about what is inappropriate behavior when working with our students.

• Do not follow or connect with students on social media. If students find you on social media, please ignore or decline their requests and do not engage with them. If they ask for your information, please let them know that the 826CHI policy does not allow you to share that with them.

• Your only contact with students should be in a space or context facilitated by 826CHI staff members. You should not set up appointments with any students outside of the center or communicate with them through email or phone.

• A good rule to follow: if you think a student’s parents would be uncomfortable if they were present, you are probably in inappropriate territory. This includes cursing and conversations about sex, alcohol, drugs, or violence unless the conversation relates directly to the work you two are doing - facilitated by 826CHI staff.

• Never talk about students within even remote earshot of other students. If you need to notify a staff person of a problem or observation, pull that staff person into the office or the store before explaining the situation.

• Do not drive students anywhere at any time.

• Never post a student’s photograph or last name anywhere. We do not have legal permission to use student images outside of 826CHI’s immediate needs. Additionally, not all parents sign a photo release form.

• If you ever feel uncomfortable or unsure in a situation with a student, we encourage you to reach out to Jennifer at jennifer@826chi.org, Maya at maya@826chi.org, or Natasha at natasha@826chi.org.

By volunteering, you agree to abide by these guidelines.

IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS TO READ

Working with Minors: Boundaries (from Carnegie Mellon University Child Protection Training)

Working with our Students: General Rules and Pointers