Youth, Communities, Nature
Given the current, fluctuating nature of travel in the United States, Project Imo is not able to offer programs out of the State of Connecticut or to any participants identified by the State of Connecticut as a risk through the Travel Advisory.
All of our programs will include strict social distancing measures and every participant will undergo a temperature screening prior to being admitted to the program environment. People will be asked to remain social distancing unless they arrived together. People from the same household will, of course, be free to clump right up!
If you're reading this, the world is still a bit upside down but Project Imo programs operate following industry best-practices. All Project Imo programs will follow State of Connecticut guidelines.
For a listing of the most up-to-date Connecticut guidelines, click below.
Face coverings are required on ALL Project Imo programs. Every participant is advised to bring at least 2 masks with them at the start of a single-day program. If you are unable to afford a mask, Project Imo may be able to provide a cloth mask for you. You can learn more about masks on the U.S. Center for Disease Control website.
Safe gear is a cornerstone of adventure education even outside of the COVID world. The safety of gear in our programs meets industry standards for inspection and operation at all times.
For health safety in the COVID world, all of our gear used in programs will remain sequestered from other gear for a minimum of 72 hours or otherwise sanitized between uses. Imo uses sanitizers approved under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)
Team Imo program facilitators will ensure that each participants follows current social distancing guidelines, sanitizes regularly, and wears a face mask when appropriate.
Our practice in field programs is to:
There is always inherent risk in any adventure program although Project Imo industry professionals are highly trained in appropriate risk mitigation practices. Depending upon the program, some Imo staff in a backcountry setting are able to act and provide various levels of wilderness first aid. In these situations, our team will utilize proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when rendering aid.
Some program activities require safety spotting. This is a practice where participants and/or facilitators will be in close proximity to someone just off the ground on a low challenge element, bouldering, or engaging in similar activities. Imo facilitators are trained in the proper techniques to assist spotting using ropes or PVC rods where possible. If the situation requires hands-on spotting, the activity will adapted or we'll do something else just as cool but allowing us to keep distance.