Safety at Interlochen

Interlochen is committed to creating a nurturing environment in which our students can excel. Their safety and well-being are our top priority.

We have taken numerous proactive steps and put a series of controls in place to ensure our students enjoy a positive, inspiring experience.

All vehicle entrances to the Interlochen campus are secured through the use of gates and Campus Safety is housed at the Interlochen Welcome Center in support of safety programming and visitor management efforts.

Interlochen maintains a strong, 24/7 campus safety presence. We employ a dedicated staff to supervise and support our students both in and out of the classroom. All staff are mandatory reporters, and are trained on processes and procedures for disclosing any concerns that are brought to our attention.

Our focus in recent years has been on expanded employee / student training and onboarding to reinforce safety measures. All education staff are trained extensively on appropriate student contact and behavior management. We also require a series of background checks for all Interlochen staff including but not limited to:

• County Criminal Conviction Search
• National Criminal Conviction Search
• Nationwide Sex Offender Registry Search
• Staff over 21 must also be cleared by the Department of Human Services for a Child Neglect and/or Child Abuse Search.

Interlochen deploys security cameras and building card-access control across campus to leverage technology in safety and security efforts.

We also work with local emergency responders and emergency management staff in emergency preparedness and response to calls for service on campus. Additionally, local emergency responders participate in mandated lockdown and other safety drills throughout the year.

We have partnered with Safe Havens to conduct a comprehensive campus safety review, and are completing a Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) consistent with FEMA standards. We are members of the Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA) and utilize their robust model policies and procedures for gender based discrimination or harassment that is reported at Interlochen Arts Academy. In addition, our accrediting body reviews all of our operational areas, including our health, wellness, and safety policies, on a regular basis. All of this work is actively reviewed by the Audit & Risk Management Committee of our Board of Trustees, which meets regularly.

Safety concerns can be immediately reported to safetyconcern@interlochen.org or 231-276-7575.