With the Best Starts For Kids Out-of-School (BSK OST) grant initiative, School’s Out Washington (SOWA) saw an opportunity to not only provide significant financial support, but to also embed a system of youth program quality support, capacity development, and continuous quality improvement. The BSK OST grant provided funding and support to grantees for three years, with the opportunity to extend another one and a half years. SOWA also provided grantees with quality supports aligned with the Youth Program Quality Initiative, including training, one-on-one coaching, program quality assessments using the Social-Emotional Learning Program Quality Assessment tool, and peer learning community meetings. This unique combination of financial and program quality supports allowed organizations to engage more deeply in program quality work, and ultimately strengthen their positive impact on their communities.
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Best Starts for Kids