Program Quality News: February 2022

Greetings!

Our President & CEO, Mishaela Durán, recently published an opinion piece in The 74 about how youth-serving systems need to work together to make sure that young people have the supports that they need to thrive. She emphasized a research-based idea that resonates deeply with Out-of-School Time (OST) professionals – that young people’s learning and development are shaped by the interactions they have with adults across all settings in their life – and emphasized how the Forum for Youth Investment, along with our partners, can leverage ecosystem approaches to better support young people across settings. Sharing her own experiences as a young person and testimonials from young adults who had been in the child welfare system, Mishaela highlights the critical importance of having meaningful connections to community as a young person and throughout life.

As a part of the Forum for Youth Investment, the Weikart Center’s continuous improvement approach and connections across the OST field represent vital elements of this ecosystem work. With that in mind, we look forward to upcoming opportunities to connect with you in our virtual and in-person workshops and learning communities. Our events page is full of opportunities to build community and strengthen youth work practice with other professionals in the field.

With gratitude for our connections, and for the opportunities to strengthen supports so that young people can thrive,

Kimberly H. Robinson, Ph.D. | (she, her, hers)
Managing Director, David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality
Executive Vice President, The Forum for Youth Investment
kim@forumfyi.org

Mark your calendar

  • Tune into Prime Time Palm Beach County’s live visual podcast on Friday, February 4, at 12:00 PM ET, as they are joined by our very own Dr. Kimberly Robinson to discuss The Future of Youth Development in Out-of-School Time.
  • Last chance! If you will be attending the American Camp Association’s National Conference, please joins us for a half-day workshop on leading a Continuous Improvement Process at Camp on February 8, from 8:00 AM -12:00 PM PT in Portland, OR. The session will focus on responsive management practices that support social and emotional learning and continuous improvement, and there is space available for participants to join at no cost. To express interest, please fill out this form.

Resources from the field

Survey Opportunity

  • Calling program leaders and staff! The American Institutes for Research (AIR) is developing a readiness survey and reflection toolkit that will help afterschool, summer, and other out-of-school time (OST) program leaders and staff understand how ready they are for new initiatives or changes. AIR is currently piloting the survey and wants to hear from all OST professionals that are currently supporting social and emotional learning and development or are planning to in the future. The survey pilot will help AIR improve the survey and the toolkit. The free online toolkit will launch in spring 2022 for all OST professionals. The survey should take 10-20 minutes to complete and the first 1,000 OST staff and leaders who complete the survey will receive a $10 gift card via email after AIR verifies the data. If you have questions, please email the AIR team: ready@air.org.

Our Vision

All young people reach their fullest potential - in education, work, and life.

Contact Us