When organizations and program staff have access to equity-centered, culturally responsive professional learning, the impact on youth and community is transformative.
Since 2008, School’s Out Washington has been leading the effort to build and sustain a quality improvement system for expanded learning programs in Washington state. We are dedicated to ensuring that young people have access to exceptional opportunities to learn and grow in their communities—before and after school, as well as during the summer.
To achieve this, SOWA equips educators and program providers with the knowledge, skills, and professional support they need to thrive. By defining what quality looks like, helping programs assess where they are on a continuum of improvement, and offering targeted training and coaching, we ensure that staff are prepared to build positive relationships with and among the young people they serve.
Our work is grounded in research and relationships, centering the needs and experiences of Washington state providers as they cultivate youth-driven learning opportunities.
School’s Out Washington offers a range of professional learning services designed to drive program quality and build staff competencies. SOWA’s trainings and workshops are facilitated by field experts who support providers in developing necessary skills to create safe, equitable, and responsive environments for young people.
Our trainings and workshops are intentionally created for professionals within the expanded learning, youth development, and childcare fields. These workshops are designed to educate providers on the foundational practices for leading and engaging young people, strategies to support social emotional learning, and much more.
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We offer training upon request. Based on the unique needs of a program or organization, we develop a training package that targets areas for learning and improvement that can be delivered on a designated timeline. We tailor our workshops so all staff gain skills together and learn how to support each other to improve their work practices with young people, families, and communities.
Requesting a training is a cost-effective way to ensure that all program staff have the same knowledge base about critical issues and best practices. Organizations with multiple locations find this approach particularly helpful for improving quality across locations.
Learn moreSOWA and King County Best Starts for Kids (BSK) have partnered to implement the King County Professional Learning System.
This Professional Learning System offers open access to continuous learning opportunities for King County-based youth programs. These trainings encompass a variety of topics, including the Weikart Center’s Youth Program Quality Intervention workshops, equity and cultural responsiveness in youth programming, STEM, school-age child care basics, management, and much more.
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