ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Megan,
What age are these "older kids"? Twelve, younger, older? This came up at a children's museum I worked for when a parent wanted to leave the kids with the babysitter as chaperon. The kids were under ten and the sitter maybe only 16. I'm afraid we said no. The problem with teens is they range all over the map when it comes to responsibility. You can have a very mature twelve year old and then a sixteen year old total-butt-show.
From your web site it looks like you cater to all ages so maybe you can create a great policy for visitors over a certain age. My gut says 16 but that again is an arbitrary number. 18 would of course be the age of adulthood but that doesn't solve your problem.
One possibility is to look at this as an opportunity to develop some afternoon/after school teen programs. Possibly an extra fee, but more importantly you run it like a camp with set drop off and pick up times and the paperwork guarantees you have contact info, medical info and a signed agreement from the responsible adult. Could be a great thing.
Erich
Erich Rose Design
807 The Living End
Austin, TX 78746
512-626-9930; [log in to unmask]
http://www.flickr.com/photos/erichrose/
On Jan 9, 2014, at 11:47 AM, Megan Pratt <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
>
> The Pensacola MESS Hall is a new museum, and we are slowly working on
> dealing with issues that many of you have probably confronted in the past,
> so I hope you can help. We work to bill ourselves as a "family learning"
> experience, encouraging parents and kids to work together. However, we are
> starting to have parents try to drop their older kids off. While I really
> want my own kids to have freedom to go to things in our town without me as
> they get older, I also am very anxious because of all of the potential
> unknowns that could happen, particularly with kids. (I know from
> experience, for instance, that any kid could suddenly start having seizures
> without anyone having any prior knowledge.)
>
> I was wondering if any of you would be willing to share either you public
> unaccompanied minors policy or your internal procedures for dealing with
> unaccompanied minors, particularly in terms of potential emergencies or if
> the parent doesn't pick up by closing, etc.
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
> Megan
> ------------------------
> Megan Pratt, Ph.D.
> Founder and Executive Director
> Pensacola MESS Hall
> www.pensacolamesshall.org
>
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For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
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