ImaginOn belongs to everyone! These policies emanate from the guiding principle of fair and equal access for all groups. Groups visiting ImaginOn on group visits are welcomed and encouraged to take advantage of all that ImaginOn has to offer in terms of programs, facility features and staff expertise. Groups visiting ImaginOn are reminded that their visit is structured to maximize the children’s and teens’ experience and to ensure that resources are fairly shared across all interested youth groups.

Requests & Reservations

• All Group Visit Requests should be made electronically through a single contact person. Requests made by phone should also provide an e-mail contact for confirmation materials.
• Group visit requests should be received at least two weeks in advance of the intended date of the earliest group visitation.
• Groups are scheduled for theatre visits through the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte.
• Groups larger than 100 young people are encouraged to divide their visit over more than one day, with exceptions for group visits that also include a theatre production.
• ImaginOn reserves the right to set group-visit limits during peak season, especially summer, in order to balance access for all interested youth-serving organizations.
• Formal group visits are available Tuesday through Friday.


• Groups of over 10 young people are encouraged to make a reservation.


• Drop in group visitors are welcomed, space permitting, but must register and abide by the group visit policies applicable to all groups visiting ImaginOn.


• The recommended visit length for groups is 90 minutes. During peak visitation, this limit will be more strictly enforced to guard equal access for all interested groups.


• Groups must arrive and leave together

Buses and Parking

• Complimentary bus parking is located more than a mile away, which prohibits the bus driver from also being a chaperone. Vans up to 8’ may park in the ImaginOn parking lot for 90 minutes free with a validated parking ticket


• ImaginOn and its constituent partners are not responsible for the safety of the vehicles or the vehicles’ contents.


• Buses must pick up and drop off their youth on 7th Street at ImaginOn’s front entrance.


• Automobile parking is also available on a first-come/first-served basis as described on the ImaginOn website.

Groups

• Groups of over 10 young people visiting ImaginOn are encouraged to make a reservation.
• Groups of over 150 young people are encouraged to divide their visit across more than one day.
• Drop in group visitors are welcomed, space permitting, but must register and abide by the group visit policies applicable to all groups visiting ImaginOn.


• The recommended visit length for groups is 90 minutes. During peak visitation, this limit will be more strictly enforced to guard equal access for all interested groups.


• Groups must arrive and leave together.

Chaperones

• Each group must have a designated adult leader who checks in and out at the Welcome Desk with an official identification card from the organization represented.


• The adult leader is expected to have a list of all young people in the group, their emergency contact information and the sponsoring organization’s contact information.


• Adult chaperones must accompany all groups of eight or more.


• A ratio of one chaperone per eight children/teens is required. A ratio of one chaperone per five young people is preferred.


• Chaperones are expected and encouraged to serve as active leaders in the ImaginOn experience, as attentive monitors as well as creative, interactive educators aware of all the young people in their charge at all times.


• Chaperone cell phones are for emergency purposes only.


• Chaperones not in compliance with ImaginOn’s expectations for active leadership will be:
  
  
  1. Issued a verbal warning and instructed to correct the behavior after the first infraction.
  2. If the infraction recurs, the chaperone will be issued a written warning and a copy of the warning will be e-mailed to the chaperone’s supervisor, followed by a phone call to the supervisor.
  3. If the infraction recurs a third time, the chaperone and the chaperone’s organization will be asked to leave ImaginOn and be unable to enter ImaginOn for one month following the infraction, provided a meeting is held with the offending chaperone, the chaperone’s supervisor and an ImaginOn representative and an understanding is reached.

Lunch Procedures

• ImaginOn does not have a cafeteria. Groups are encouraged to eat before or after visiting ImaginOn.


• During the school year, ImaginOn accommodates indoor lunch requests on a first-come, first-served basis with the limited spaces available.
• During the summer, ImaginOn does not accept indoor lunch requests.
• All groups eating lunch inside or around ImaginOn are required to cleanup after themselves.

Areas Around ImaginOn

• Groups are encouraged to enjoy the green and play spaces in the block surrounding ImaginOn.
• Those enjoying the green areas are responsible for cleaning up after themselves.
• Adults working with groups of children in these areas are reminded their organization is liable for the young people’s safety and discouraged from playing any games or activities that should not occur near heavy traffic or on a hard surface.
• In the summer, chaperones are not allowed to seat groups of young people in the green and play spaces around ImaginOn for more than 45 minutes for both health and safety reasons.

Safety & Security

• All young people in the group should wear name tags that include the youth’s first name and the organization they represent.


• All chaperones should also wear nametags that include the chaperone’s and organization’s name.


• The lead chaperone must carry an official name badge from the sponsoring organization.


• The lead chaperone must check his/her group in and out.


• All visitors (children, teens, adults) must abide by ImaginOn’s rules and regulations.


• Computers are reserved for young people ages 0-18. No adults may use ImaginOn computers, unless assisting a young person.