Best Practices in my opinion help guide decisions. There may be exceptions but exceptions require additional rationale and critique.
The overall best practice guideline (IMHO) is that individuals participating in workshop builds (whether 3rd graders, graduate students or corporate event attendees) take PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for the cars they modify.
This practice will result in families, children, tools, cars, event attendees and the event location being treated with compassion, care and consideration.
Other Best Practice thoughts:
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Cars and attendance at the ‘workshops’ are free to families.
There may be circumstances where groups may have to require families to provide the car and/or parts of the modification kit (PVC, pool noodle etc.) but there should not be a ‘charge’ for the actual modifications.
Certain individuals (examples: clinicians, teachers, admin) may
a) be charged a fee for attendance.
b) gain other perks for attendance - example, continuing education units. -
A mechanical and/or electrical engineer should ‘sign off’ on the modifications.
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Someone with significant knowledge of each child’s abilities should be present during the build. In addition to family, teacher and/or pediatric therapist are often helpful.
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A group’s initial workshop should be as easy and fun as possible.
This means the simplest cars, the less involved children, the fewer the cars and the less stress the better. -
Remind families that mobility is risky.
Both the children and families are gaining meaningful mobility through a modified car.
This mobility may be completely new for them.
A child with a toy car has the ability to move (likely faster, easier and over more ground than ever before) – so keep a constant eye on the driver! -
When in (even the slightest) doubt about something, simply ask
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Have enough extra hands and eyes
This lessens the stress, increases the fun, gets questions answered and allow each family to be pampered just like they should be! -
Consider the liability.
Different groups address liability differently but all groups should discuss and address the liability of modifying cars. -
Use only top quality cars
please seek out information from the other chapters/groups modifying cars as to which cars are low quality and simply do not use them. -
Thank those that share their information, and share what you learn!
Go Baby Go spreads rapidly due to the time, effort, compassion and skill of those who join the movement. -
Go bigger, build better, share broader!