Safety & Security

Student safety isn't a one-person job; it takes a community approach. That's why we've partnered with experts in the field to keep our students protected. We also have partners that provide emergency services should they be needed.

• Universities – At each of our partner universities, we work with university housing, campus safety, student health and wellness, and counseling centers to make sure our critical safety protocols and plans are in place should they be needed. Our university partners provide their guidance and expertise in the field of campus safety.
• Insurance – SIG works with Trip Mate Insurance Agency Inc. to provide optional travel protection and medical coverage for our U.S. and Canadian students and GBH Insurance for our international students. Should it be needed, students can access 24/7 medical assistance, emergency evacuation, global medical records services, world-class hospitals and more. We also partner with AMSkier, the country’s largest insurer of summer programs and camps, to provide emergency services in times of crisis.
• Staff – Our campus directors are teachers, educators, professors, and principals that spend their summer serving our students. All of our Counselors are 21 years or older and have been through SIG’s safety training. We utilize background checks and extensive screening protocols for all staff members to ensure the best quality support for our students.
• Parents – Parents have an active role to play in student safety. Our parents must complete student forms that provide essential information about student needs, health, and visitation allowances. Parents must approve all external visitors.

We've been delivering experiences to gifted, talented, and creative students for over 35 years. And after nearly four decades, we are still learning. Safety and security challenges are always changing. Each year, we evaluate and evolve our safety protocols to assure our standards and processes are top-notch and meet current trends. Below are just a few of our notable practices.

• Student Ratios
  We are intentional about our student to staff ratios. We want our students to be on a first-name basis with all our staff. We want staff to know faces and names. This creates a more enriching experience for our team and your student! Even more importantly, our low student/staff ratios also help us ensure the safety of our students.
• Safety Protocols
  The key to safety is having a process. When we take our students on off-campus trips, we have systems in place for making sure all students are accounted for traveling to the destination, at the destination and returning from the destination. Students are always chaperoned during SIG off-campus trips. We make rounds nightly to ensure all students are in their rooms at check-in times. We have sign-in and sign-out processes to ensure students are where they are supposed to be. Expectations are provided to students in their Student/Parent Handbook before arriving on campus and are reviewed at orientation. Students that don't follow given safety practices risk termination from our program.
• Identification
  All students are required to have a campus-issued or SIG lanyard/ID. This identification allows us to restrict access to buildings and residence halls to SIG students. ID's are required to be worn at all times on a SIG-provided lanyard.
• Personal Attention
  If your student is not feeling well or has a medical emergency, we won't send them off to fend for themselves. SIG staff make all medical appointments, accompany students to medical facilities, manage and distribute all  medications (both prescription and non-prescription), and notify parents after or during medical visits. We meet our students at the airport on arrival day and transport them back to the airport on departure day. Your student is more than a number; they are a part of our family.
• Home Areas
  Each university campus has been evaluated, reviewed and physically walked to determine the areas most suitable for our students.  We want students to have freedom, but it must be balanced with responsibility. Read below for specific policies related to each group. All home area policies will take effect on the third day of the program to allow students to become familiar with the area and the policies. 
  • Middle School (Grades 6-8): A home area map will be established determining boundaries on campus ONLY in which the students will be allowed to travel without direct supervision (meaning walking unescorted by staff) in a group of at least 2 other students. While staff are not accompanying the groups of students, they will be stationed in specific locations where they can still see the students. Students will be provided with all the information regarding the policies, as well as a map and emergency contact numbers required to travel in groups of 3 or more.  These students will NOT be permitted to travel beyond these boundaries or off campus without a staff escort.
  • High School (Grades 9-12): A home area map will be established determining boundaries on/off campus in which the students will be allowed to travel without direct supervision (meaning traveling unescorted by staff) but always with another student. Students will be provided with all the information regarding the policies, as well as a map and emergency contact numbers required to travel in groups of 2 or more. There will always be staff stationed off campus at predetermined flashpoints that students are made aware of at the times that students are permitted to enter town.  These students will NOT be permitted to travel beyond these boundaries without a staff escort.

When attending our programs, your child is our responsibility. We are honored that so many parents have entrusted us with their students over the past 37 years. Our goal is to provide peace-of-mind to parents and a valuable experience for our students. If you have any questions about our safety practices or policies, please contact the office at admissions@giftedstudy.org.