Code Of Conduct

General

The below document ‘Code of Conduct’ shall serve as an agreement between Teens in AI and you (the ‘User’).

Your attendance at events (online or offline) should be deemed as acceptance of this agreement.

You shall adhere to the below Code of Conduct’ at all times and at all events branded and associated with ‘Teens in AI’.

The Code of Conduct

Respect and inclusion

Be respectful. Harassment and abuse are never tolerated. If you are in a situation that makes you uncomfortable at a Teens in AI event, if the event itself is creating an unsafe or inappropriate environment, or if interacting with a Teens in AI representative or event organizer makes you uncomfortable, please report it using the procedures included in this document.

Teens in AI stands for inclusion and diversity. We believe that every single person has the right to hack in a safe and welcoming environment.

Harassment

Harassment includes but is not limited to: offensive verbal or written comments related to gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

If what you’re doing is making someone feel uncomfortable, that counts as harassment and is enough reason to stop doing it.

Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. Failure to do so will result in further consequences, as seen reasonable and appropriate.

Sponsors, judges, mentors, volunteers, organizers, Teens in AI staff and anyone else at the event are also subject to the anti-harassment policy.

In particular, attendees should not use sexualised images, activities, or other material both in their hacks and during the event. Both staff (including volunteers) should not use sexualised clothing/uniforms/costumes, or otherwise create a sexualised environment.

If a participant engages in harassing behavior, Teens in AI may take any action Teens in AI deems appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the event with no eligibility for reimbursement or refund of any type.

Child Protection Code of Conduct

All volunteers, mentors and members of staff, directly employed by Teens in AI or associated with, are to abide by the Code of Conduct and points raised below.

Please follow these rules when you interact directly with children and young people in any capacity at any of our events, offline or online.

• Always prioritise the safety and wellbeing of the child, at all times.
• When working online in Discord or over Zoom or other calls, never stay on a call with one child, but with a group (min 2) of children instead.
• Never insist on turning the video on as it is their right to have it off at all times.
• If you have your video on during a call, make sure you are dressed appropriately for the call as you are working with young people. We recommend having a video off for the purposes of mentoring and stick to voice-only calls
• Always act within professional boundaries – ensure all contact with children is essential to the programme / project / activity you are working on.
• Never give out your personal contact details, do not ‘friend’ or ‘follow’ children you are working with on social networking sites. This includes LinkedIn, unless they are 16+, which is acceptable age for using LinkedIn
• Never lose sight of the fact that you are with children – behave appropriately and use appropriate language at all times.
• Listen to and respect children at all times, don’t patronise them and avoid favouritism.
• Treat children and young people fairly and without prejudice or discrimination.
• If you observe children engaging in bullying behaviour or other behaviour that may put them at risk, you must report it to our Safeguarding Officer Elena Sinel.
• Ultimately, if you have any concerns about the welfare of a child or feel someone is behaving inappropriately around children, you have a duty to report your concern.
• Never offer work experience or company insight days to event participants unless explicit authorisation was provided by staff employed by Teens in AI. For recruiting opportunities, please contact the CEO at [email protected] or speak to the Event Lead who will arrange contact with the CEO for you.

Reporting Procedures
If you are being treated badly, feel uncomfortable and know a User is behaving against the Code of Conduct described in this agreement, notice that someone else is being treated badly or feel uncomfortable or have any other concerns, please contact Teens In AI immediately using the reporting procedures using the methods below.

We expect participants to follow these rules at all hackathon venues, online events, hackathon-related social events, and on hackathon supplied transportation.

All reporters have the right to remain anonymous.

You can report misconduct by:

Speaking directly with the event leader or any representatives of Teens In AI, who usually wear Teens In AI branded clothing or have identified themselves as members of staff.
Speaking to the persons responsible for the venue.
By sending information to the general reporting line. Your report will go to any or all of the Teens In AI representatives including the founder and CEO Elena Sinel: [email protected].
Your report will be treated with complete confidence and acted upon reasonably and proportionately to the reported matter.

An investigation into the User’s report may begin and parents/ guardians and appropriate authorities will be notified.

Teens In AI representatives will be happy to help participants contact campus security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the event. We value your attendance.

Special Incidents

If you are uncomfortable reporting your situation to one or more of these people or need to contact any of them directly in case of emergency, direct contact details of our CEO, Elena Sinel, are listed below.

Elena Sinel: [email protected]

Misconduct

Any misconduct will not be tolerated by Teens In AI and appropriate actions will be taken by members of staff or appointed representatives, including but not limited to actions such as:

A reminder of the Code of Conduct
Removal from the event with no issue of refund
Ban from all events associated with Teens In AI
Reporting of actions to appropriate authorities
Final remarks

Teens In AI reserves the right to revise, make exceptions to, or otherwise amend these policies in whole or in part.

If you have any questions regarding these policies, please contact Teens In AI at [email protected]

This guide was last updated on: December 10, 2021