Every student who walks through a Pathway Site
is protected before they ever arrive.
Every business partner passes a mandatory 6-step certification process before any student interaction is permitted. No exceptions. No auto-approvals.
Policy last reviewed: May 2026 · Questions? safety@wealthwisekids.org
Our commitment: No student sets foot inside a Pathway Site until that business has been manually verified, background-checked, insured, and trained. This is a platform policy — not a goal.
The Certified Pathway Site™ Standard
Six mandatory steps. Every business. Completed in full before any student interaction is permitted. A business cannot appear in the marketplace, accept connection requests, or host any Field Lab until all six steps are verified and manually approved by our admin team.
Application Review
Required before activationEvery business submits a formal application including company details, contact information, EIN verification, and a description of the experiences they intend to offer. Incomplete applications are rejected — not deferred.
Background Screening
Mandatory · Re-verified annuallyAll designated site contacts who will interact with youth must pass a background check before any student activity is approved. This requirement is non-negotiable and cannot be waived. Re-verification occurs every 12 months.
Insurance Verification
Minimum $1M general liabilityPathway Sites must carry a minimum of $1,000,000 in general liability insurance and submit current proof of coverage. Insurance expiration is tracked by our admin system. Lapsed coverage results in automatic suspension.
Youth Safety Training
Required before first Field LabAll site contacts complete mandatory youth safety and professional conduct training before hosting any student. Training covers appropriate adult-student interactions, emergency procedures, and mandatory reporting obligations under state law.
Document Submission
3 documents required on filePathway Sites must have three documents on file before activation: a Youth Safety Policy, a Professional Code of Conduct, and a signed Youth Protection Agreement. All three are reviewed and approved by our admin team — no exceptions.
Manual Admin Approval
No auto-approvals. Ever.Every application is reviewed and approved by a member of the RWP admin team before a business can appear in the marketplace or host any student experience. There are no automated approvals on this platform.
Only after all six steps are verified does a business receive Certified Pathway Site™ status.
Certification is revoked immediately upon any lapse in background checks, insurance, or conduct violations. The platform admin team reviews every application manually.
How We Handle Student Data
We operate under FERPA and are COPPA-aware. Below is an explicit accounting of what we do — and what we are prohibited from doing — with any student information that passes through this platform.
- Operate as a "school official" under FERPA when receiving student data
- Collect only what is necessary to coordinate experiences and track outcomes
- Secure all data in transit and at rest using industry-standard encryption
- Provide organizations with the ability to request full data deletion at any time
- Retain student records for the duration of program participation plus one academic year for outcome tracking only
- Require verifiable parental consent for any student under 13 (COPPA)
- Sell, rent, or trade student data to any third party — ever
- Use student information for advertising or profiling
- Retain student records beyond the program participation window without explicit consent
- Share student data without proper FERPA authorization from the partnering organization
- Allow businesses to access individual student identities without organizational approval
What Each Partner Is Accountable For
Safety on this platform is a shared obligation. Here is what each partner type is responsible for maintaining.
Schools & Organizations
Before connecting your students to any Pathway Site, you are expected to:
- Verify partner certification status before approving any student participation
- Review Pathway Site credentials in the platform before scheduling a Field Lab
- Distribute the Parental Consent Template to families before any experience
- Consult our Youth Labor Law Reference Guide for work-based placements
- Report any concern to safety@wealthwisekids.org — we respond within 24 hours
Pathway Site Businesses
Becoming a Certified Pathway Site™ means committing to the following at all times:
- Complete all six certification steps before hosting any student activity
- Keep background checks and insurance documents current in your portal
- Report any safety incident immediately using the in-platform reporting tool
- Ensure only certified, trained staff interact with student groups
- Follow all federal and state child labor laws applicable to your industry
Report a Safety Concern
If you witness or experience anything that puts a student at risk — inappropriate conduct, a safety hazard, a policy violation — report it immediately through the platform. All reports are reviewed within 24 hours. A business can be suspended instantly pending investigation.
Questions about our safety protocols, certification requirements, or data practices?
safety@wealthwisekids.org →