Arts Education Policies

These Policies apply to all offerings by The Umbrella's Education Department.

Other Policy Pages for Specific Programs:

PAYMENT POLICY WITH AN UMBRELLA ACCOUNT:

A program spot is reserved only when payment is received. Tuition must be paid in full at the time of registration, unless a deposit is specified. Please note: For the Ceramics Program, early registration is offered to currently enrolled ceramics students.

Each tuition includes a non-refundable registration and processing fee, certain exceptions apply, see refund policy for details.

The preferred method of payment is with a credit card online through an individual’s account created for The Umbrella’s website. Account creation is strongly encouraged. If it is necessary to register with The Umbrella office by phone or in person, accepted payment options are all major credit cards, a check payable to The Umbrella, and cash.

WITHDRAWAL AND REFUND POLICY:

There is a $25 nonrefundable registration and processing fee for every completed registration and $50 nonrefundable registration and processing fee for camps and vacation weeks per week/session. For tuition or deposit under $100 the registration fee is 15%.

For classes meeting for 4 or more times students may participate in the first two classes and withdraw provided written notice (email) is given to the Education Director on or before the end of day of the 2nd class.

Refunds for a class withdrawal are that tuition, less the registration and processing fee, and less any prorated cost of classes PAST, including the 2nd class if within 24hours, will be refunded. No refunds will be issued after the day of the second meeting of any class.

Withdrawals for all workshops or classes that meet for 3 or less times, a refund of 50% tuition will be issued provided that written notice (email) is given to the Education Director by the start time of the first scheduled meeting. No refunds will be issued after the start of the first meeting.

Materials fees for all classes and workshops are non-refundable for withdrawals within one week prior to the start of any class or workshop. Before this deadline materials fees are returnable as part of the total, less any applicable fees.

No refunds are given for student absences or for unused portions of prepaid tuition.

In the case of a Vacation Week Program and Summer Camp: Tuition, less a $50 registration and processing fee, will be refunded if the request is made PRIOR to the registration deadline for the week for which the registration applies.

50% of tuition payments may be refunded on a case by case basis after a registration deadline up to the late registration deadline for each week. On or after the first day after the late registration period for each registered week, no refunds are given.

In the case of an accident or illness, please contact the Umbrella office. We may be able to arrange a later start date.

No refunds will be given for programs that are rendered unavailable due to hardware, software, network, internet connectivity, and/or the knowledge or technical ability of any participant. This clause does not apply when the source of failure originates from The Umbrella owned systems and can be documented as such. In this case, a make-up or compensation will be given.

Documentation must be provided to the Education Director for consideration of medical exceptions to this refund policy. See COVID-19 Policy.

Refunds may take 2 weeks or more to process fully.

COVID-19 POLICY:

By participating in a class, patrons attest that they:

Have NOT tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 10 days.
Have NOT had known contact with a person who tested positive in the last 14 days.
Are NOT currently experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms.

If answered YES to any of those conditions it is required that the individual immediately return home or stay at home and follow State and CDC guidelines for self quarantine.

Participation in any in-person Arts Education program assumes that the participant will comply with all COVID-19 requirements and follow all public health and safety precautions. These include but are not limited to:

No guests are allowed.
Wash hands with soap and water frequently for at least 2 minutes.
Notify the Education Director if necessary for contact tracing.

Should a participant become ill with COVID-19 we ask that if they had physical contact with The Umbrella building, staff, faculty, or other students, that they inform the Concord Board of Health with as much detail as possible and follow any other contact tracing procedures requested by health officials. Our response will be to sanitize all areas of exposure and notify all those at potential risk to self isolate and if necessary seek further medical advice.

Should an instructor or staff become ill with COVID-19, a procedure guided by public health officials will be followed and if then the remaining sessions of a program are cancelled, prorated refunds will be given to all registered participants.

A written note, signed by a medical professional provided to The Education Director will serve as an accepted exemption to the refund policy and a registered individual will be eligible for a prorated refund of the tuition payment for the remaining scheduled classes. Materials fees are nonrefundable.

I understand the Umbrella is not responsible for any personal safety measures and is not liable for any contamination or spread of the virus while on the studio grounds. To the best of our ability, The Umbrella is implementing precautions as outlined by the state for public health and safety. The Umbrella reserves the right to end programs and access at any time due to safety concerns or state regulations.

TUITION ASSISTANCE:

A limited amount of tuition assistance is offered by The Umbrella’s Education Department to cover no more than 50% of tuition costs depending on specific circumstances for individuals and families in need. Application and approval are required. Awards are made first come, first serve on a rolling deadline. Application processing may take a week or more from the time of submission, please plan accordingly. Contact the Education Department at education@theumbrellaarts.org or call 978.371.0820 ext. 202 for more information.

Consistent with our Board-approved resolution committing to expanding accessibility of our programs, The Umbrella participates in the Card to Culture program, a collaboration between Mass Cultural Council and the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program, and the Massachusetts Health Connector, broadening accessibility to cultural programming. EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders automatically qualify for financial aid for art classes and workshops, subject to space availability; tuition will vary, and some materials fees excluded. (See the full list of participating organizations offering EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare discounts.)

MEDIA CONSENT POLICY:

All Umbrella programs (classes, workshops, events, meetings, virtual gatherings and online classes...etc.) can be photographed and/or video recorded. Reasons to photo or video of programs include but are not limited to the use by The Umbrella staff for operational, observational, quality assessment, archival, or marketing purposes. Additionally, teaching faculty may record programs for purposes related to class assignments or to facilitate class structures.

Enrollment in any program authorizes The Umbrella to have, use, publish, and reproduce photographs or video of you and your children and/or any artwork for any operational, promotional and public relations purposes. You MUST contact The Umbrella office to submit a written request if you want yourself or your children to be excluded from photography or video recordings, to prevent any photo or video from being published, or for posted photography or video to be taken down.

With all Umbrella @ Home programs individuals have the right to turn off their own video and/or audio.

BEHAVIOUR POLICY:

The Director of Education reserves the right to dismiss a student from the program when, in his sole judgment, the student's documented or observed behavior and actions interferes with the rights and/or compromises the safety and well-being of others, and/or impedes the smooth functioning of the group or the activity. Depending on the severity of an incident referral to the appropriate law enforcement agency or additional legal action may be taken.

For most other instances of problematic behavior, action, or verbal statements an individualized behavior modification plan will be implemented with periodic evaluation, in the case of a minor this plan will be drafted and mutually agreed upon with parents or guardians.

For the purposes of distance learning through any of The Umbrella @ Home Programs the same policy about individual behavior applies in the "digital classroom." Furthermore, any misuse, unauthorized use, or posting of inappropriate content will be grounds for immediate expulsion and possible legal action.

ACCESSIBILITY:

All areas of our building and grounds at 40 Stow Street are fully accessible. Accessible bathrooms and marked handicapped parking are located on site.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

The Umbrella reserves the right to change programs, schedules, instructors, and to cancel any programs due to insufficient enrollment.

The Education Department staff and individual instructors reserve the right to determine class cancellations based on their sole judgement of risk to personal and participant health and safety. If a suitable and agreed upon alternative is not offered or available for an administrative cancellation or force majeure the refund policy will nullify and all documented payments will be refunded in full.

In general, no regularly scheduled classes will be held on Concord Public School vacation weeks/days including all federal and state holidays. Some exceptions may apply, please contact your instructor and/or the Education Department for specifics.

Cancellations due to COVID-19 exposure or quarantine of Umbrella staff or teachers will be evaluated on a case by case basis. Make-up classes will be scheduled, if possible, except for drop-in programs. See COVID-19 Policy for more details.

Weather Related Closings, Delays, Early Releases:

All in-person classes follow the Concord Public Schools and Town of Concord weather related closings, delays, early releases. No classes will be held on Concord Public School snow days. Students and parents should check local news, radio, and school websites for the most up to date information. As soon as an official announcement of a weather cancellation, delay, or early release has been made by the Concord Superintendent, a banner will be posted on the homepage of The Umbrella website www.theumbrellaarts.org. In the event of weather related cancellations, make-up classes will be scheduled, if possible. Make-ups are NOT required for cancellations of drop-in programs.

In the event of a public school delay, morning classes at The Umbrella will be cancelled, classes scheduled to start after 12noon will run on time. In the event of an early release, all morning classes (starting before 12noon, ending before 1pm) will run as scheduled but afternoon and evening classes will be cancelled. Make-ups will be scheduled, if possible, except for drop-in programs.

In the event of weather related cancellations during a weekend, during a holiday, a vacation week, or during the school summer vacation, The Education Department staff and individual instructors reserve the right to determine cancellations based on their sole judgement of risk to personal and participant safety. In general, class may be cancelled if hazardous conditions (Example: 3 or more inches of accumulating snow) are expected in Concord at least one hour before or one hour after the start and end time of a class or program.

For weather related cancellations of semester classes, make-up sessions will be scheduled, if possible. For vacation week programming, make-ups will NOT be offered but compensation in the form of a discount or credit towards future programming MAY be offered at the discretion of the Education department (but is not required or guaranteed).