2.9.11. Clearances

Because the museum is granting free special access for observation and testing visits, they require that all students who will work at the museum complete a free background check as a volunteer.

Please note that we cannot require you to obtain these clearances as a condition of completing the course, but this stipulation means that without them you will not be able to participate in activities at the museum. If this is an issue, please contact the instructors and we will work out alternate arrangements.

The following notes are a guide to applying for clearances. Please let us know if these are in error in any way. We’ll need to transfer copies of the clearance certifications to the museum, so you may also want to make sure you know how to save an web page as a PDF. You may also wish to gather the following information ahead of time:

1. a list of every address at which you have lived since 1975
2. a list of every person with whom you have lived since 1975 and their birth date

Procedure

There are two required clearances (PATCH and Child Abuse) and one optional clearance (FBI fingerprint check).

• PATCH: Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History
  1. Open https://epatch.state.pa.us/TandC_RCEAction.do
  2. Go to “New Record Check (Volunteers only)”.
  3. You’ll need to accept the terms.
  4. Fill out Personal Information form.
     1. Volunteer Organization Name: Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
     2. Volunteer Organization Telephone Number: 412-322-5058
  5. The clearance process may involve placing your request in a queue; please read the onscreen instructions carefully, you need to be sure to persist until you see a final downloadable certificate.
  6. Once completed, save the Certificate as a PDF.
• PA Child Abuse History Clearance
  1. Open the Pennsylvania Child Welfare Portal: https://www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis/public/home
  2. Go to “Create Individual Account”
  3. Follow the instructions for completing as a volunteer and complete the on-line submission.
• optional: FBI fingerprint clearances at https://www.pa.cogentid.com/index_dpwNew.htm

2.9.12. Prompt Questions for a Museum Observation Visit

The following prompts will assist you in a focused study during your visit to the Museum and serve as a template for a short blog post documenting your particular insights.

(Prompts TBD.)