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Guidance for technology based youth activities

Online, or technology based interactions can allow youth programs to reach to wider audiences and engage participants in creative and effective ways. However, they also pose unique risks to youth which must be factored into program design and implementation. 

Follow the guidance below to ensure compliance with University expectations for safe online interactions with minors (youth).

Program planning guidance

Activity planning guidance

Review the UW Privacy Office’s Privacy Guidelines for Engaging Youth Online. This guidance outlines the expectations and parameters of using technology with youth. The Engaging youth virtually FAQs provide additional details about specific UW technologies, including Canvas, G Suite, Microsoft Office 365, Panopto, and Zoom.

In addition, programs should also understand and abide by:

Select appropriate software to use with participants.

Use only communication tools that adhere to the Privacy Guidelines for Engaging Youth Online. See the Engaging youth virtually FAQs for examples of allowable use cases for various youth-involved activities. 


Using Zoom safely with youth

Additionally, select platforms that prevent private, unmonitored interactions. Examples include:

  • Shared @uw.edu email addresses accessible by multiple personnel
  • University messaging services personnel can use for calls, texts, or emails.  Personnel must not use personal phone numbers or email addresses
  • Program sponsored social media accounts

Research and enable security features.

Choose technology with security features to strengthen safety and enable these features whenever possible. Examples of these features include those that prevent unauthorized people from joining without permission, accessing content or interacting with youth, or that limit unmonitored peer-to-peer sharing or chatting. 

Provide notice and solicit consent for certain activities.

As detailed in the Privacy Policy for UW Youth Programs, prior consent is required before “sending communications relating to announcements, assignments, logistics, mentoring, or similar matters to participants who are under 13 years of age during a UW Youth Program.”

  • If consent is not given, alternative options include sending communications through the participant’s parent/guardian, making assignments or logistics visible online, or sending them in paper form.
  • If consent is given, we still encourage including parents/guardians in communications with participants under age 13. One option is to send communication to a youth on an account to which their parent/guardian also has access.

Design activities to eliminate private, unmonitored 1:1 interactions.

Have two authorized personnel present with one or more youth, or find ways to ensure that your online encounter is observable and interruptible.
This includes each breakout room in platforms like Zoom.


Using Zoom safely with youth

Update participant conduct codes.

Incorporate online safety expectations into existing participant codes of conduct. See our templates for participant conduct codes, including specific references to virtual interactions.

Reinforce online conduct expectations with personnel.

Review the UW Standards for Interacting with Youth, required for all authorized personnel who have contact with youth or with youth’s personally identifiable data in University activities or research. 

Address activity-specific scenarios in your staff training.

Topics to consider addressing include: 

  • What do 1:1 interactions look like in an online environment? What additional preparations need to be made to ensure 1:1 interactions are observable and interruptible?
  • How can personnel set and maintain appropriate boundaries online? For example, communicate your ‘on-hours’ to participants and their families and strictly avoid ‘off-hours’ contact. 
  • The importance of using official University accounts at all times for program activities and communicating with participants. What might be challenging about using shared accounts, and how can you overcome those challenges to ensure transparency and youth safety?

Actively monitor virtual interactions and address conduct code violations.

  • Have ongoing conversations with all program personnel about how the program is running, including virtual interactions. Solicit and address any group concerns.
  • Monitor communication between program personnel and participants to ensure safe and appropriate interactions. Immediately address any concerning behaviors or violations of the conduct code. A Sample monitoring checklist is available in PDF.  

Clearly communicate to parents/guardians about the technology you are using and how youth will interact with them, and encourage parents to discuss online safety with their children. 

Solicit consent for participation in online youth programming. Provide details about how, when and by what means youth will be interacting virtually with your program. See the Privacy Guidelines for Engaging Youth Online and Engaging youth virtually FAQs for assistance.

Convey that parents are responsible for monitoring their child’s online experience and that program staff are not able to monitor this with distance learning. Encourage parents/guardians to be present in the room with participants during online engagement or programming. 

Share any resources, including those below, that may assist parents in supporting their youth and achieve successful participation in the program.

Resources

Resources

When possible, use University-sponsored technologies. UW-IT Connect lists all available technologies and any use restrictions or limitations currently in place. The Engaging youth virtually FAQs list parameters of use with youth for Zoom, G Suite, Microsoft Office 365, Panopto and Canvas. An additional Zoom safety webpage can be found here. 

If using a non-UW technology, first ensure it does not conflict with UW-IT’s licensing restrictions: see the Engaging youth virtually FAQs for guidance. All technology should be appropriate for use with your age group, and  provide the protections noted above.

Questions?

Contact the UW Privacy Office by e-mailing uwprivacy@uw.edu, or the Office of the Youth Protection Coordinator by e-mailing uwminors@uw.edu.