Welcome Kit

Safety First! Special Safety Notice to Legal Guardians: 

Please help ensure that your youngster’s electronic equipment (such as computers, phones, chargers, and electrical gear (such as table lamps, wires, etc.) is physically and operationally safe. 

• A COMPUTER and ONLINE CONNECTION

Your youngster will need a computer with Webcam capabilities, and that supports video conferencing software, namely Zoom. Many students are already using this program for school, so it is likely already on their computers. But if they have not, you will need to download the application on the computer your youngster will be using. Also, be sure to test the software to make sure that the computer camera and audio are operational. 

• A MOBILE PHONE with CAMERA

Your youngster will need a legal guardian’s cell phone with a camera, for sharing images of unfolding work via text messaging. The phone will also be used to communicate with our support staff in case your youngster loses connection, or has any technical difficulties with the video conferencing software.

Safety First! Special Safety Notice to Legal Guardians: 

Please help ensure that your youngster’s workspace is physically and operationally safe, comfortable, and quiet. 

A SAFE WORKSPACE 

• Your youngster’s workstation will need to be a quiet space, away from noises and distractions.
• Kindly ensure that your youngster has access to a clean, smooth workspace. Keep no food or liquids in the immediate vicinity. Be sure to first wipe down the area to remove any residues, and then dry thoroughly. Any moisture or gunk can easily damage or ruin artwork.
• Your youngster will need ample working surface to place their computer and phone, working surface, model, and materials. Consider a minimum of four feet long and three feet deep.
• Your youngster will need to work with controlled, direct lighting. Overhead lighting in a room might not suit our needs for seeing and studying our models. It’s best to use a table-top directional lamp that can be placed nearby, but slightly to the side of their work station. If possible, the table-top directional lamp should be to the left of the artist if they are right-handed, and to the right of the artist if they are left-handed. This will keep their arms or hands from casting shadows over their work. Please set-up the lamp for your youngster, supervise the youngster, and clarify your house rules for handling electrical appliances.
• Your youngster will need to sit higher at the workspace than when sitting at a table to eat. This will mean either using a lower table or a higher chair. If needed, use cushions or pillows to adjust their height in their seats. However, a child should not sit so high as to risk being top-heavy, and taking a tumble. If their feet do not reach the floor in this scenario, they also will need support such, as a footstool, to rest their feet, and for both comfort and safety.
• Once the workstation is set up, your youngster will need to position their computer at an angle and distance that allows us to see both the practitioner and the workstation. Please see the photo of AAHP artist Aaron, below, for an example scenario. 

GEAR STORAGE 

Your youngster will need a place to safely store their materials between use. Their paper pads will be especially fragile and require extreme care. Kindly help your youngster secure this space near their studio workspace. 

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, SUPERVISION 

Studio work is process work. We will work online with our trained Online Safety Moderators/Studio Mentors (OSMs) on active watch, keeping a close eye on safety while our online classes unfold. We kindly ask that, at home, your youngster receive competent adult support and supervision during class prep, during the actual class, and during class take-down, as we can not exercise online the same, intense supervision that live studio allows us. 

Studio materials can comprise substances, tools, instruments, and processes that can be hazardous if not used as directed. Such gear and their uses remain potentially hazardous even when taking the form of common household objects, or school supplies, such as white glue and safety scissors.

Sharp Instrument Protocol for Parents 

AAHP does not allow youngsters to use sharp instruments during remote studio classes, or when working on their homework off-screen, unless supervised by a competent and consenting adult. We ask that parents please handle sharp, cutting instruments (scissors, craft knives, etc.) whenever such handling is necessary to the youngster’s project. Such instruments are not listed on the materials list, but may be needed at times.

Brands of art materials sold in the USA must pass regulatory tests and be certified for safety on their product labeling. If purchasing overseas brands, please pay close attention to ingredients and the validity of safety claims, or lack thereof. 

In light of potential hazards, AAHP requires that our subscribed practitioners work under the supervision of a competent adult at all times, whether working live online with AAHP staff, or if working home alone on off-screen assignments. 

• Please keep small children, other adults needing assistance, guests, pets, and wildlife away from the practitioner’s gear and work area at all times.
• Materials may be made of latex, or other common allergens, and/or present particulate matter. Alternatives are possible. If interested, please contact AAHP for additional suggestions.
• Please assist with, or supervise, a youngster’s use of sharp or cutting objects, such as scissors, at all times.