Your Safety Matters at QRCA!
A safety guide for kids and teenagers
Welcome to Queensland Robotics & Coding Academy (QRCA)!
We want everyone who comes to QRCA to have fun, learn new skills, make friends and feel safe.
Whether you’re building robots, learning to code, working with your team or competing in an event, you deserve to feel safe, included and respected.
1. You Have Rights!
At QRCA, you have the right to:
- Feel safe — Nobody should hurt, threaten, bully or frighten you.
- Be respected — Everyone deserves kindness and fairness.
- Be included — You should feel welcome, whatever your background, culture, abilities or experience.
- Have your voice heard — Your ideas, opinions and concerns matter.
- Ask questions — You can ask for help or an explanation whenever you need one.
- Say something — You can tell someone if something makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
- Have your privacy respected — Your personal information and photographs should be handled carefully.
You also have the right to feel proud of who you are, including your culture, identity and family.
2. What Does Feeling Safe Look Like?
At QRCA, adults should:
- Speak to you kindly and respectfully.
- Help you learn without embarrassing or frightening you.
- Make sure activities and equipment are used safely.
- Listen when you have a question or concern.
- Respect your personal space and boundaries.
- Treat students fairly and help everyone feel included.
- Follow QRCA’s rules about supervision and communication.
It is never okay for an adult or another student to bully, threaten, hurt or deliberately make you feel unsafe.
3. Your Voice Matters
We want you to be involved in your QRCA experience.
You can share ideas about your robotics projects, team roles, activities and competitions.
You can also tell us if something is not working well, if you need extra support or if you have an idea to make QRCA safer and more welcoming.
You do not have to agree with everyone, and you can ask questions respectfully.
4. What If Something Doesn’t Feel Right?
Sometimes something might make you feel worried, upset, confused or uncomfortable.
It could happen during an activity, at a competition, online or somewhere else.
You can always speak up.
You do not need to be certain that something is wrong, and you do not need proof before asking for help.
If something makes you feel unsafe:
- Tell someone you trust. This could be Daniel, Sharon, your parent or guardian, a teacher or another trusted adult.
- Explain what happened. Use your own words. It is okay if you do not remember every detail.
- Ask for help. You can ask someone to stay with you while you explain.
- Keep telling a trusted adult until you get the help you need.
You will not be in trouble for raising a genuine concern.
If someone tells you to keep something unsafe a secret, you can still tell a trusted adult.
5. Staying Safe During QRCA Activities
We all help make QRCA a safe place.
Please remember to:
- Follow instructions when using robots, tools, computers and equipment.
- Stay in the activity areas and tell a supervising adult if you need help.
- Treat other students and their belongings respectfully.
- Tell an adult if equipment is damaged or something seems unsafe.
- Ask for help if you are injured, feeling unwell or worried.
- Follow QRCA’s arrangements for leaving activities and being collected.
Leaving QRCA: Students in Years 8 and below must be collected by a parent, guardian or authorised adult. Students in Years 9–12 may leave independently only when their parent or guardian has given QRCA permission.
6. Staying Safe Online
When using computers, robotics software or online platforms:
- Keep your passwords and personal information private.
- Be respectful when communicating online.
- Tell a trusted adult if you receive a message that makes you uncomfortable.
- Do not share someone else’s photographs or personal information without permission.
- Ask before taking or sharing photographs or videos of other students.
QRCA’s communication rules: Contractors must not privately message students through social media, email, messaging apps or other online platforms.
Only Daniel and Sharon may communicate directly with students in Years 9–12 through approved QRCA channels for legitimate program purposes. Communication with students in Years 8 and below goes through their parents or guardians.
If an adult contacts you in a way that feels inappropriate or uncomfortable, tell a trusted adult.
7. Who Can You Talk To?
You can talk to:
Daniel Ricardo or Sharon Ricardo
You can speak to them during QRCA activities or ask your parent or guardian to contact QRCA.
Email: admin@qrca.com.au
You can also talk to your parent, guardian, schoolteacher or another adult you trust.
If your concern is about Daniel, Sharon or another QRCA adult, you can tell someone outside QRCA. You do not have to speak to the person you are worried about.
Need Someone Else to Talk To?
Kids Helpline
Free, confidential counselling for children and young people aged 5–25.
Phone: 1800 55 1800
Website: https://kidshelpline.com.au
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000.
8. What Happens When You Tell Us Something Is Wrong?
When you tell us about a safety concern, we will:
- Listen and take you seriously.
- Help you feel safe.
- Explain what we can about what happens next.
- Respect your privacy as much as possible.
- Tell the appropriate people if that is needed to keep you or someone else safe.
- Help you find additional support when needed.
We cannot promise to keep safety concerns completely secret, because sometimes adults must share information to protect children.
Speaking up is the right thing to do.
9. Everyone Belongs at QRCA
QRCA welcomes children and young people from different backgrounds, cultures, identities and abilities.
We respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, their cultures, identities and connections to family and community.
If you need something explained differently, extra help with an activity or support to participate, please tell us.
Your differences, ideas and experiences are valued.
Our Promise to You
You deserve to feel safe.
You deserve to be respected.
You deserve to be heard.
You deserve to belong.
At QRCA, your safety matters just as much as your learning.
Queensland Robotics & Coding Academy Pty Ltd
More Information
QRCA Child Safety and Wellbeing Commitment