Covid 19 Protocols for in person sessions
Please note, there are BOTH ACE National Protocols and ACE DC Protocols. Participants must be aware of both (read entire page!). You are also responsible for knowing the protocols for the county where you school meets. Please take the time to read the full document. These will be updated as needed (last updated 9/21/22)
ACE NATIONAL PROTOCOLS ACE DC Additional Protocols Protocols by County
ACE National Requirements for In Person Meetings
The cornerstone of the ACE Mentor Program is the meeting of mentors and students together, in person, to develop strong relationships. Over the past two years, the program has been focused on keeping our students and volunteers safe. The program has successfully taken place with both virtual and in-person meetings. National has continued to monitor the situation carefully. National recognizes the importance of in-person mentoring to both our students and the affiliates that serve them.
The following are the protocols that we will require for in-person meetings. These protocols would remain in place until further notice.
1. The parent consent form in the ACE database will include a waiver for COVID and all students must have a completed consent.
2. In the mentor registration, all mentors will have to complete a waiver for COVID.
3. Vaccination is strongly recommended for all mentors* and students participating in in-person sessions.
4. Masks for indoor meetings for all participants should follow below: Individuals should follow COVID-19 Community recommendations, government, school, and site requirements.
5. Meetings may take place at schools or offices. ALL ACE Mentor protocols, in addition to that of the meeting site, must be followed by all participants.
6. Letters to be sent home to parents explaining the safety protocols of the ACE Program. (sample available)
7. Students and mentors should be reminded that they should not attend meetings if they have been exposed or have symptoms.
8. Distribute attached exposure protocols to all team leaders (see below)
9. If the relevant protocols are not followed, mentors are to provide a warning to the students. If protocols continue to be unmet, mentors are to bring mentoring sessions to a close.
10. If meeting location or school moves to virtual formats due to COVID, ACE programs must also move to virtual platforms.
*Definition of Fully Vaccinated, from CDC guidelines: • Two (2) doses of Pfizer or Moderna • One dose of Johnson & Johnson • RECOMMENDED: Booster(s) for all who are eligible (six months or later)
School Based Meetings
1. Affiliates must confirm that the school will allow outside visitors on school grounds.
2. Affiliates must have received a copy of the COVID protocols being applied by the school and make arrangements for prompt notification should the school’s protocols change.
3. All protocols in place at the school location must be followed. If locations are requiring confirmation of vaccination, affiliates will need to present proof of compliance with vaccination requirements by attendees. 4. Determine all governmental requirements.
5. Confirm that mentors are allowed and comfortable going into schools (it is foreseeable that not every mentor will be allowed or comfortable). ACE will be guided by the preferences of mentors should they choose to be more conservative than these protocols require, including reverting to remote mentoring.
COVID Isolation/Quarantine Guidelines (ACE National) Notifications
For the safety of the ACE community, please monitor your group’s health by confirming each participate has not been exposed in the past 14 days and has no symptoms. Confirmation should be recorded in the daily attendance log.
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Common symptoms of COVID-19 include:
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Fever or chills
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Cough
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Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
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Fatigue
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Muscle or body aches
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Headache
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New loss of taste or smell
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Sore throat
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GI Distress
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Please refer to the CDC website for a full list of symptoms.
If an ACE participant tests positive for COVID and they have been in close contact with other ACE participants in the last 14 days, the team lead should notify participants via email and/or phone call within 24 hours. Also, please notify the national office at info@acementor.org or regional director.
For additional contact tracing guidelines, please refer to the CDC website.
For vaccinated Individuals (greater than 2 weeks out after completing the full series)
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Do not need to quarantine if negative.
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Fully vaccinated people should get tested 3-5 days after their exposure, even if they don’t have symptoms and wear a mask indoors in public for 5 days following exposure or until their test result is negative.
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Isolate for 5 days if they test positive for COVID.
ACE DC Additional Guidelines for Return to In Person Programming
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If a school is permitting in person after school programming, ACE DC will permit in person programming accordingly. If a school is not permitting in person after school programming, that team will meet virtually.
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Principals must confirm ACE DC can resume programming in the school and will confirm covid protocols and exposure notification procedures.
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Volunteers are required to follow school Covid protocols in addition to ACE protocols. School protocols supersede ACE protocols.
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Each volunteer will be provided a link to the school/county protocols (see list below for links for each county). Team leaders should check in with teachers throughout the year to ensure there have been no changes in Covid Protocols
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Social Distancing requirements will be determined by the Lead Teacher/School.
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Face masks requirements will be determined by each school site
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Food or drink will be permitted based on school requirements.
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Volunteers, Teachers and parents will all be required to sign a covid waiver as required by ACE national when they register in the database
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ACE Mentors are required to track attendance of volunteers and teachers at each session to ensure notifications can be made in the event of a Covid exposure, in accordance with school policies. As such, ACE Mentors will have all participants and students sign off on the attendance sheet that they have not been exposed to Covid nor have they haven't test positive in the last 14 days and have no symptoms at the time of the session.
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Fairfax County Public Schools Covid Protocols HERE
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Montgomery County Public Schools Covid Protocols HERE
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Prince George's County Public Schools Covid Protocols HERE & HERE
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Arlington County Public Schools Covid Protocols HERE
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Alexandria City Public Schools Covid HERE
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DC Public Schools HERE (please also email washingtondc@acementor.org before sessions begin as volunteer requirements change)
ACE DC Exposure Protocol for all School Based Meetings.
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Students, Mentors, teachers and guest speakers who have attended an ACE session in the last 14 days who test positive for Covid 19 will report within 24 hours of receiving the test results. Participants must notify the Affiliate Leader, Team Leader and Teacher via email.
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Students and volunteers who test positive for covid shall not return to an ACE Session for 14 days.
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Affiliate leader and Team Leader will notify the ACE School teacher who will respond and advise according to school and county covid policies. ACE will cooperate with the school personnel as needed.
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If the school requests that ACE handle the positive case notifications, ACE DC will follow ACE National's exposure guidance (see above).