Designing & Implementing Equitable Quality Improvement Systems

Audience: Network and System Leaders

Can you have program quality without racial equity? This workshop is for all involved in promoting program quality, as everyone can make decisions and carry out actions with equity in mind. Building an equitable quality improvement system is like assembling a puzzle, where racial equity is integral to each piece. Participants will explore equity considerations within four quality improvement system components. We will discuss specific examples of policies and practices that contribute to equitable quality improvement. Collectively we will highlight themes, review resources, and support participants in developing plans to advance racial equity within their own program, organization, or system.

Addressing Bias in Assessment

Audience: Program Quality Assessment Users and External Assessors

Data is not objective. It is influenced by Perspective (who is looking), Motivation (why they are looking), and Data Source (what they are looking at). In particular, the perspective and motivation of data collection has been based within predominantly white institutions. Participants will explore ways that our biases, including racial bias, influence the collection and use of data in continuous quality improvement practices and systems. Participants will develop a concrete plan to address personal biases in program quality assessment and identify opportunities to advocate for systemic changes that ensure more holistic, equitable data collection processes and policies.

Promoting Equity in Facilitation and Training

Audience: Training-of-Trainers (TOT) Graduates and others who train/facilitate

The ability to lead conversations and create space to honor racial and other forms of diversity among participants is essential to promote equity and justice. This workshop will equip trainers and facilitators with the skills to navigate these challenging conversations, address power dynamics, and cultivate an inclusive learning environment. Participants will learn ways to foster psychological safety within a group for candid sharing around race and identity, practice deep listening to cultivate connection across difference, and consider how to use self-disclosure and I-statements to model humility in learning. 

Structuring Organizations to Support Racial Equity in Youth Programs

Audience: Site Coordinators and Program Managers

Organizations provide the contexts for staff to implement quality programs for young people and can hinder or facilitate staff using practices that promote inclusion and racial equity. This workshop is intended for managers, site coordinators, and those who work to create these contexts. Participants will focus on organizational policies that help promote racial equity in organizations and learn ways to model equitable practices that staff can use with young people in their interactions with staff. Efforts to demonstrate commitment to racial equity, prioritize safety, invite conversations about identity, and share power and leadership go a long way toward creating organizations that support equity for the youth they serve.