It’s essential that we meet youth program providers where they’re at on their continuous quality improvement journey. 

The needs of youth programs providers vary across the state. This includes staff who may be new to working with youth, are new to a continuous quality improvement practice, are in the process of developing new programs, or are seeking to deepen their social-emotional learning practices.  In addition, programs’ capacity to engage in professional learning can vary, and some programs may not have the capacity to engage in more robust or formalized continuous quality improvement practices.

With this in mind, we are committed to developing and offering more responsive and inclusive pathways to quality—all of which include equity and leadership trainings: 

New Program Readiness
This entry point is ideal for programs and staff who are new to Youth Development and Quality. This could mean a staff member who is just starting a youth program or an organization starting a brand new program. This pathway includes foundational sessions such as Youth Work Methods, School-Age Child Care Basics, and more.

Program Quality Readiness
This pathway is ideal for programs and staff who are new to Continuous Quality Improvement. It includes Intro to Quality, Youth Work Methods, and Embracing Youth Centered Design.

Foundational and SEL Program Quality
These pathways are for programs who are engaged in all the elements of continuous quality improvement, including assessing staff practices, setting goals and creating action plans, and utilizing professional learning supports, including coaching. Programs that have been focusing on high-quality practices can begin to deepen their impact by focusing on supporting the development of critical social-emotional skills. Workshops include Youth/School-Age/SEL Basics, Introduction to SEL, Trauma Informed SEL Practices, and SEL Methods.

Deepening and Sustaining Continuous Quality Improvement
This pathway is intended for organizations already immersed in program quality improvement. It offers advanced learning opportunities for organizations to build internal capacity to lead continuous quality improvement efforts, including the ability to complete  external assessments and train Youth Work Methods workshops through a Training of Trainers series.