Camps & Programs Involving Children

University-Affiliated camps and programs are camps, programs, activities, or events involving children* hosted by or sponsored by the University, or a University school, department, or unit in any location. These programs are required to register with the University at least three weeks prior to the start date.

Even if your department or unit requires all employees to obtain Child Protection Clearances as a part of your regular operations, all camps/programs must still be registered. Please see the Clearances for Employees web page or contact the Office of Human Resources for clarification. 

Examples of University-Affiliated camps/programs that need to register with the University include the following:

• School/Department/Unit-sponsored K-12 outreach or educational experiences (field trip, visit, activity, tabling, demonstration, etc.)
• Academic coursework whose curriculum requires students to interact with children
• Athletics camps and programs involving children
• Sponsored research or other non-Institutional Review Board research studies involving children
• Online or virtual programs involving children
• Unpaid internships, mentorships, volunteering, or job shadowing for children
• Paid or unpaid lab experiences for children
• Minors being hired to work for the University in any capacity

Examples of camps, programs, and activities that would not need to register with the University include but are not limited to:

• Academic coursework where the only children enrolled are degree-seeking matriculated students at the University of Pittsburgh
• Programs or activities where the only children involved are degree-seeking matriculated students that are enrolled either here or at another institution of higher education
• Events open to the general public where parents or guardians are expected to or are required to accompany children
• Human-subjects research studies involving children that have been approved by the Institutional Review Board
  • Principal investigators will be required to verify that all members of research teams have the appropriate Child Protection Clearances during the IRB approval process
    • Rosters of research team members can be submitted to the Office of Human Resources for CPC verification and processing following the employee clearance process

* Children are defined as individuals under the age of 18. If you have questions about registration requirements, please contact the Office of Human Resources.

University-Affiliated Camp and Program Registration

University-Affiliated camps and programs involving children must have a designated Program Facilitator who is responsible for the camp/program compliance with University requirements.

Program Facilitators must:

• Be a University employee

• Have valid Child Protection Clearances on file with the University

• Complete the required Mandatory Reporting Training

• Adhere to the following registration process:

1. Download and complete the RC Certification Form. You will submit this form in Step Three.
2. Create a list of all employees and volunteers that will be interacting with children during the program. You will submit this form in Step Three. Items necessary to complete the Roster include: the employee's or volunteer's full name, email address, and phone number. You must also document if the individual is being paid or unpaid for their participation in the camp/program and if the RC is paying for the clearances or if the individual is responsible for paying. You will enter this information into the table during the registration process in step three. The Roster will be cross-referenced with Child Protection Clearances the University currently has on file. Employees and volunteers on the roster will be contacted by phone and email by ProVerify if their clearance information is not in the system or will expire before the end of the camp/program, to begin the clearance process and are expected to cooperate with ProVerify’s outreach process.
   1. Individuals who do not have all required Child Protection Clearances on file prior to the program start date will not be permitted to participate in the program. In addition, if adult to child ratios are not met, a camp/program will be cancelled. Programs found to be out of compliance with Child Protection Clearance requirements are subject to cancellation by the University.
3. Complete and submit the Registration Form annually, at least three weeks before the program start date. The form can be found under the Manage Camps/Programs option under the Main Menu tab of the Child Protection Hub. You will be asked to RC Certification Form from step one during the registration. You will also need to completed the roster from step two during the registration process.

Responsibility Center Administrators will have access to see the status of an individual's clearance status at any time by logging in to the Child Protection Hub using your Pitt credentials.

View a recorded presentation on University-Affiliated camps and programs involving children

Non-University-Affiliated camps and programs are any organized program, activity, or service (e.g., camp, event, ceremony) held at the University or otherwise related to the University for which the University is not a sponsor (i.e., the program, activity, or service is not sufficiently supported by University resources) and/or is not under the University’s control. All Non-University-Affiliated camps and programs are required to complete the registration process below regardless of which department/unit they are working with at the University.

In all cases, no camp or program employees or volunteers are permitted to have contact with any child in connection with a camp or program until Child Protection Clearances are on file with the organization hosting the program, and the Child Protection Clearance Certification Statement (see below) is submitted to the University.

Non-University-Affiliated Camp and Program Registration

Non-University-Affiliated camps and programs involving children must register with the University at least three weeks before the program start date.

During the registration process, the third-party organization hosting the camp/program must designate a point of contact for the camp/program who will be present at the event. 

1. Third-party organizations must coordinate with the appropriate designated area of the University to obtain and complete a Licensing Agreement. These areas include:
   • Conferencing Services
   • Athletics
   • Regional Campus Conferencing Services
   • Campus Recreation
     ​Questions about this process should be directed to the Office of Human Resources.
2. Download the Roster template and create a list of all employees and volunteers who will be interacting with children during the camp/program. You will submit this form in Step Three. Items necessary to complete the Roster include: the employee's or volunteer's full name, email address, phone number, and state of residence.
3. Complete and submit the Registration Form annually, at least three weeks before the program start date. You will be asked to upload the completed Roster template from Step Two during registration.
4. The third-party organization must submit a Child Protection Clearance Certification Statement provided by the department coordinating the Licensing Agreement, certifying that they have collected, reviewed, and approved all required PA Child Protection Clearances prior to the program start date.
   1. In some cases, non-PA residents may be able to submit their own state’s equivalent to the Child Protection Clearances if they can prove they are volunteering in PA for less than 30 days in the calendar year. Please review this guide (PDF) to assist in determining which clearances are needed. Please contact the Office of Human Resources with questions about submitting out-of-state clearances.
   2. Note: Individuals who do not have all required Child Protection Clearances on file with the third-party organization prior to the program start date will not be permitted to participate in the program. All camps/programs involving children found to be out of compliance with Child Protection Clearance requirements are subject to cancellation by the University.

• Non-Affiliated Camps and Registration Training for University Employees
• Camp and Program Registration Training for Third Parties