Rainbow DJ LabRas Tafari Inc. · Rainbow Beach Park, Chicago
Proposed:The Lab is not running yet. No class runs until every item on the launch checklist is complete.
Rainbow DJ Lab › About › Instructors

Instructors

Who will teach Rainbow DJ Lab, how coaches will be chosen, and the screening every adult must finish before working with children.

Where hiring stands

No coaches, mentors or volunteers have been hired yet. That's why no names appear on this site. When people are hired and have finished every screening step, their profiles will be posted on Meet the coach, with the date each step was completed.

The program lead and family contact is Stephen Henry, President of Ras Tafari Inc.

Who teaches a class

Each class will have:

  • Two resident DJ instructors, one man and one woman, who teach every class, do the "Watch Me Think" demonstration, keep the 9 blocks on time, award Passport stamps and run listen-back reviews. Each takes six students for coaching and stamps, so there are always at least two screened adults with children.
  • A guest woman DJ who takes the last 30 minutes of each class (5:30 to 6:00 pm).

Some classes bring in other guests. In Mission 12 (Mic, MC and Live Lab), a young drummer or keyboardist plays over a child's loop. Any guest who works with children goes through the same Park District background check as staff, and is never alone with a child.

What we look for

  • Real DJ skill, and the patience to teach it to an 8-year-old.
  • The ability to think out loud, so children hear the decisions behind each move, not just the moves.
  • Warmth with mistakes. Our coaches treat a crashed mix as "Data!", not failure.
  • Clean, kind language, on the mic and off.
  • A willingness to follow every rule on this site, including the ones that are inconvenient.

Women DJs for Empress Decks

Empress Decks, the girls-only track for about ages 9–17, will be taught by women DJs. They'll be recruited exactly like every other coach and go through the same Park District background check. None have been hired yet.

Screening every adult must finish first

These are policies Ras Tafari Inc. commits to. Formal board adoption is a launch requirement. Every adult who works with children completes all of these before their first class:

Step What it is Who runs it
Background check The Chicago Park District's background check for adults who work with children, under the Park District's rules Chicago Park District
References Reference checks as part of hiring Ras Tafari Inc.
Youth-protection training Training on abuse prevention, boundaries and our two-adult rule Lab requirement
Mandated reporter training The Illinois DCFS mandated reporter training Lab requirement

Background checks are run by the Chicago Park District, under its rules. Ras Tafari Inc. does not run a separate background-check process of its own, and re-checks happen on the Park District's schedule. The Park District's process applies to every adult on site during program hours, including Q-Ality Sound's sound and stage crew.

Under the Illinois Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act (325 ILCS 5/4), personnel of recreational programs and facilities are mandated reporters. Our staff report suspected abuse or neglect directly to the DCFS Hotline (1-800-25-ABUSE, or 1-800-252-2873), or to 911 for immediate danger. They don't need anyone's permission first.

At least one adult in every class holds current pediatric first aid/CPR/AED certification from the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association. See the First aid and CPR roster.

More detail: Staff screening and Mandated reporter training.

Trainers train, and that's all

DJ trainers are not members of Ras Tafari Inc. Mentors and trainers may be paid from the class budget; no Ras Tafari Inc. officer, director or staff member is paid for work on the Lab today, and any paid role needs approval by directors with no stake in it. Under the conflict of interest policy, trainers:

  • train only. They never select, recommend, rank or vouch for any child for a performance or opportunity, and they never count votes.
  • don't promote their own music, products or businesses to students through the Lab.
  • don't offer students paid private lessons while a child is enrolled or for 6 months after they leave, unless a parent asks in writing and the board approves.

Coaches do record each child's skill checks and attendance as met or not met against the published graduation criteria. That's a record, not a judgment call.

How coaches behave with children

  • Two adults, always. No adult is ever alone with a child out of sight.
  • Observable and interruptible. Any one-on-one moment, like a listen-back review, happens where other adults can see it and walk in. This standard is modeled on the U.S. Center for SafeSport's Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies, which limit one-on-one adult/minor interactions.
  • "Ask before you touch." Coaches ask before taking a child's hands off the gear or adjusting their controls.
  • Substance-free. No alcohol, tobacco, vaping or cannabis at any Lab activity.
  • No physical punishment, no shaming, and never withholding food, water or the restroom. See the discipline ladder.

The full rules are in the Youth protection policy. If you're worried about any adult, contact the Chicago Park District: the Rainbow Beach Park office, (312) 745-1479, or any Park District staff member. Suspected abuse goes to the DCFS Hotline, 1-800-25-ABUSE, and immediate danger to 911. See Report a concern and Enforcement.

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