Health & Safety Guidelines for Youth Programs
Kala Health & Safety Guidelines & COVID-19 Protocols
Our top priority is to ensure a safe, fun, educational, and memorable experience for all participants.
Kala keeps up with the latest updates on COVID-19 and other health and safety concerns and we will update our guidelines and protocols according to the policies dictated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the State of California, the County of Alameda, and the City of Berkeley guidelines regarding COVID-19 and other health concerns.
Requirements for In-Person Youth Programs
Waivers/Agreements/Vaccination Card
• Media, liability, and health waivers along with program participant agreements are required and must be signed and submitted by families before the start of the program. Please refer to the program waivers in the registration forms.
• All youth participants ages 5 and older will be required to be fully vaccinated and boosted (if eligible). Families are required to upload their child’s proof of vaccination before the start of the class or email youtharts@kala.org.
Masking / PPE
• (UPDATED 2/14/23) In alignment with Bay Area public health and local school guidelines, indoor masking at Kala San Pablo is now recommended but no longer required for staff, program participants, and visitors. We encourage participants to make whatever masking decisions best suit themselves and their families and to respect the decisions of others.
• Please note that everyone should mask for 10 days after exposure to a COVID-19 case and for 10 days after testing positive. Anyone who develops symptoms should test immediately and stay home. Anyone who tests positive must follow isolation requirements. The CDC, as well as state and local health departments still recommend regular mask use for those who are medically compromised or unvaccinated for COVID-19, especially when COVID-19 community levels are medium and for everyone when levels are high.
• We recommend at least a 3-layer mask or a N95/KN95 mask.
• Learn more at CDC- How to Protect Yourself.
If your child has symptoms of COVID-19
• If your child is experiencing any symptoms consistent with COVID-19, please notify Kala staff immediately via phone or e-mail, and refrain from entering Kala facilities. Participants and their families are encouraged to get tested as soon as possible if they suspect possible symptoms of COVID-19.
• If your child tests positive for COVID-19, please notify Kala staff immediately and follow CDC isolation and precautions.
• If a participant is experiencing any symptoms, they will be unable to participate in person for the rest of the week/program.
General Safety Protocols
Our top priority is to ensure a safe, fun, educational, and memorable summer experience for all participants. Before arriving at the program, participants and parents/families should assess their child’s health for any health issues (COVID-19, flu, cold, etc).
Symptom check – If your child is experiencing any symptoms consistent with COVID-19, please notify Kala staff immediately and refrain from attending the program. Learn more at CDC- How to Protect Yourself.
Hygiene, Sanitization, Air Circulation
• Participants will be asked to sanitize or wash their hands throughout the day.
• Breaks for all students during indoor instruction and activities a the San Pablo lawn
• Staff, Teaching Artists, and volunteers are required to wash their hands throughout the day.
• Kala will provide hand sanitizer in the classrooms, program spaces and gallery.
• Kala will have open windows, fans, and air purifiers to aid in the ventilation of all classroom and program spaces.
If student refuses to comply
• If a participant refuses to comply with healthy and safety guidelines, and refuse to follow instructions from the the instructors, parents/families of the student will be notified by phone and asked to pick the student up for immediate early dismissal.
• Participants will be allowed to return to the program if they agree to follow guidelines/ instructions the next day.
• If a participant repeatedly refuses to comply with safety protocol on multiple occasions/days, parents/families of the student will be notified by phone and asked to pick their child up for immediate early dismissal and to refrain from attending the rest of the camp week. In this situation, families may receive partial credit to be applied at another time for Kala classes. Please refer to the “After School Program Kala Parent and Participant Agreement” in the online registration.