Ascend Performing Arts places member and staff workplace safety in high regard when it comes to any and all forms of abuse or harassment. The Ascend Performing Arts Board of Directors ensures careful and consistent reviews of all harassment and discrimination policies that impact all 4 E’s that support Ascend’s mission areas: Education, Ensembles, Events, and Entertainment.
Our number one priority as a responsible organization is to ensure the safety and well-being of our members, students, administrative, educational staff, and volunteers. We have a responsibility to ensure everyone who works or volunteers for Ascend and the Blue Knights always has a safe and supportive environment.
Ascend Performing Arts strongly supports a zero-tolerance policy regarding harassing or other improper behavior by its executive team, staff and/or marching members. “In order for our support system to be effective, we must take a comprehensive approach with staff training, outlining behavior policies in our member handbooks, staff handbooks and volunteer handbooks,” said Griffin upon the update of these policies. “Background checks, compliance, training, and a continuous internal dialogue are all necessary to elevate the importance of safety, to raise our individual awareness, and to always insist on the most stringent behavior requirements when interacting with young people in our organization.”
Ascend Performing Arts has updated or introduced a number of policies including our whistleblower policy, staff, volunteer, and member handbooks, background check policy, and training requirements to provide more support to everyone involved in the organization to include those who partake in our Blue Knights ensembles.
Privacy Policy
Updated September 4, 2026
Ascend Performing Arts (“Ascend,” “Blue Knights,” “APA,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information when you interact with our websites, online store, programs, events, donation pages, email communications, and related online services.
By using our websites or services, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
- Information We Collect
You may visit our websites without providing personal information. However, when you interact with Ascend, we may collect information you voluntarily provide or information that is automatically collected through your use of our websites and services.
Information You Provide
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:
- Contact information, such as your name, email address, phone number, and mailing address.
- Order information, such as items purchased, billing and shipping information, order details, and payment confirmation. Payment card information is processed by our third-party payment processors. Ascend does not store full payment card numbers on its systems.
- Donation information, such as your name, contact information, donation amount, transaction information, and any information you voluntarily provide in connection with a donation.
- Program and event information, such as information provided when registering for auditions, clinics, camps, events, programs, volunteer opportunities, or other Ascend activities.
- Communications, such as information you provide when you contact us with questions, requests, feedback, or customer-support inquiries.
- Marketing preferences, such as whether you have subscribed to or opted out of particular communications.
- Other information you voluntarily provide to us in connection with your relationship with Ascend.
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our websites, we and our service providers may automatically collect certain technical and usage information, which may include:
- IP address;
- browser type and version;
- device type and operating system;
- pages visited and links clicked;
- referring website or source;
- approximate geographic information derived from your IP address;
- date and time of website visits; and
- information about how you interact with our websites and online services.
We use this information to operate, secure, analyze, and improve our websites and services.
- Cookies and Similar Technologies
Our websites may use cookies, pixels, tags, web beacons, and similar technologies.
These technologies may be used to:
- operate and secure our websites;
- remember preferences and settings;
- understand how visitors use our websites;
- measure website performance;
- improve our websites and services;
- understand the effectiveness of communications and campaigns; and
- support marketing or advertising activities where applicable.
We may use third-party services that place cookies or similar technologies on our websites or otherwise receive information about website activity.
You may be able to control or disable cookies through your web browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our websites.
- How We Use Your Information
We may use personal information to:
- process and fulfill orders;
- process and acknowledge donations;
- register and administer programs, auditions, clinics, camps, events, and other activities;
- communicate with you about purchases, donations, registrations, deliveries, customer support, or other transactions;
- provide information or services you request;
- send marketing communications about Ascend programs, events, performances, fundraising initiatives, merchandise, and other activities, where permitted by applicable law and consistent with your communication preferences;
- maintain, operate, secure, and improve our websites, online store, programs, and services;
- understand website and campaign activity and improve our communications;
- prevent fraud, abuse, or other unauthorized activity;
- comply with applicable laws and legal obligations; and
- protect the rights, property, safety, and security of Ascend, our participants, supporters, employees, volunteers, and others.
- Marketing Communications
We may send marketing communications where permitted by applicable law, based on your relationship with Ascend, your communication preferences, or your consent where consent is required.
Marketing communications may include information about Blue Knights and other Ascend programs, performances, events, auditions, merchandise, fundraising campaigns, volunteer opportunities, and related activities.
We use Mailchimp as an email marketing and communications platform. Mailchimp may process information such as your name, email address, communication preferences, and information regarding your interaction with our emails in order to deliver and measure email communications on our behalf.
You may opt out of marketing emails at any time by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link included in our marketing emails or by contacting us at info@ascendperformingarts.org.
Opting out of marketing communications will not prevent us from sending transactional, administrative, or service-related communications that are necessary to provide services or respond to your requests. These may include order confirmations, donation acknowledgments, registration information, important program communications, shipping updates, or customer-service responses.
We will honor valid unsubscribe requests in accordance with applicable law. Our commercial marketing emails include Ascend Performing Arts’ name and a valid physical mailing address.
- Sharing of Information
We do not sell or rent your personal information.
We may share personal information with third parties when reasonably necessary to operate our organization, provide services, administer programs, or fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.
These parties may include:
- Service providers, such as payment processors, shipping providers, website and hosting providers, email platforms such as Mailchimp, registration and event platforms, analytics providers, and technology providers.
- Professional advisers, such as attorneys, accountants, auditors, insurers, or other professional service providers when reasonably necessary.
- Legal authorities or other parties, when disclosure is required by law, regulation, court order, or other legal process, or when reasonably necessary to protect our rights, property, safety, or security.
- Other parties with your direction or consent, where applicable.
Our service providers may access personal information only as reasonably necessary to provide services to us and are expected to handle that information appropriately.
- Donations, Programs, Events, and the Online Store
Ascend may collect personal information when you make a donation, purchase merchandise, register for an event or program, participate in an audition, sign up for a clinic or camp, volunteer, or otherwise interact with our organization.
Information collected in these circumstances may be used to administer the applicable transaction, program, event, or relationship with Ascend.
Payment information submitted through our websites may be processed directly by third-party payment processors. Ascend does not store full payment card numbers on its systems.
Information associated with financial transactions may be retained as necessary for accounting, tax, auditing, fraud prevention, recordkeeping, and other legitimate business or legal purposes.
- Children and Minors
Some Ascend programs and activities may involve participants who are under 18 years of age.
Our general websites and online services are not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13 without appropriate authorization.
Where our programs involve minors, we may collect information from parents, guardians, or other authorized adults, as well as information reasonably necessary to administer the applicable program, event, audition, or activity.
We may also collect and use information about minor participants as reasonably necessary to provide services, administer programs, maintain appropriate records, communicate with parents or guardians, and meet legal, safety, or organizational requirements.
Parents or legal guardians who have questions regarding information collected about a minor may contact us at info@ascendperformingarts.org.
- Your Privacy Rights
Depending on where you live and the laws that apply to our collection and use of your personal information, you may have certain privacy rights.
United States
Certain U.S. state privacy laws provide residents with rights relating to their personal information. Depending on the applicable law and whether it applies to Ascend, these rights may include the right to:
- access personal information;
- correct inaccurate personal information;
- delete certain personal information;
- obtain a copy of certain personal information;
- opt out of certain processing activities; and
- exercise other rights provided by applicable law.
These rights may be subject to legal exceptions, limitations, and verification requirements.
Colorado
If the Colorado Privacy Act applies to Ascend’s processing of your personal data, Colorado residents may have rights to access, correct, delete, and obtain a portable copy of certain personal data, as well as rights to opt out of certain processing activities, including the sale of personal data, targeted advertising, and certain profiling, as provided by applicable law.
We do not sell personal data.
European Union and United Kingdom
If you are located in the European Union or United Kingdom and applicable data protection laws apply to our processing of your personal information, you may have rights that include accessing, correcting, deleting, or restricting the processing of your personal information.
Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, you may also have rights to data portability, to object to certain processing, or to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
Other Jurisdictions
Residents of other countries or jurisdictions may have additional rights under applicable local privacy laws. We will respond to valid privacy requests in accordance with applicable law.
- How to Submit a Privacy Request
To submit a privacy-related request, please contact us at:
Please describe your request and provide sufficient information for us to understand and respond to it. We may request additional information as reasonably necessary to verify your identity or otherwise confirm that you are authorized to make the request.
We will respond to valid requests in accordance with applicable law.
- Data Security
We take reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, destruction, or misuse.
However, no method of transmitting or storing information electronically can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of personal information.
- Data Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including to:
- provide services;
- administer programs and relationships;
- fulfill transactions;
- maintain legitimate business, financial, tax, and accounting records;
- resolve disputes;
- prevent fraud or misuse;
- comply with legal and regulatory obligations; and
- enforce our agreements and protect our rights.
The length of time information is retained may vary depending on the type of information and the purpose for which it was collected.
- Third-Party Websites and Services
Our websites may contain links to third-party websites, services, social media platforms, or other online resources.
This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected by Ascend and does not govern the privacy practices of third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of third-party websites and services before providing them with personal information.
- Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, technology, or applicable legal requirements.
When we make changes, we will post the updated policy on this page and revise the “Updated” date above.
- Contact Us
If you have questions or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our handling of personal information, please contact us:
Ascend Performing Arts
3538 Peoria St #500
Aurora, CO 80010
Email: info@ascendperformingarts.org
Email us at: Info@AscendPerformingArts.org
The safety and well-being of Ascend students and staff is our priority. Read more about our Whistleblower policy and form here.
Policies and Procedures
Code of Ethics
Staff Handbook
Member Handbook
Background Check Policy
Training Requirements
Whistleblower Policy
Open Forums
Responsible Hiring Practices
Emergency Action Planning
Conflict of Interest Policy
Mandatory Reporting Policy
Media Policy
Non-Discrimination Policy
Sexual Harassment Policy
Trademark and Logo Policy
Youth Safety Policy
Medical and Care Pol;icy
Dietary and Food Preparation Guidelines
Driver’s Guide
Volunteer Handbook
Pre-Participation Physical Forms
Medical History Records Form
Consent, Acknowledgement of Risk, and Release of Liability Form
Vehicle Damage Report Form