Staff Development

Finding affordable, effective staff development opportunities for afterschool and out-of-school youth program staff is a creative challenge. But training is like car insurance—a youth-serving organization can't afford not to have it.

Untrained, inexperienced staff and volunteers will struggle and may ultimately fail to deliver good programs. Working with children in an afterschool program or out-of-school program can be a tremendously isolating experience. Every day staff and volunteers grapple with hundreds of decisions about how to interact with children, respond to changing needs and situations, and create and run program activities.

There are many obstacles to face when considering how to find, select, make the time for, and pay for, staff development opportunities for youth program staff. Most programs operate on shoestring budgets that provide few or no resources for training, courses, conferences, retreats or other forms of staff development. There is a scarcity of professional development providers, models and materials for afterschool and out-of-school programs. When training or other staff development opportunities are available, many organizations find it difficult to release staff from their day-to-day responsibilities.

Youth serving organizations should investigate a variety of staff development options for their full time and part time staff and volunteers. The following resources provide a helpful start in finding training and learning opportunities.

Staff Skill Areas

The following is a list of skills related to starting and running technology-enriched, out-of-school learning programs. As you can see, technical knowledge is only one area of expertise needed by staff. Your organization might consider providing information and training in some or all of these areas over the life of your program. You may also use this list to create a skill assessment tool for potential and new staff.

This list does not include core employee competencies such as communication skills (e.g., interpersonal skills, speaking and writing) or basic computer literacy skills (e.g., using a mouse or word processing proficiency).

Program Definition Skills

    • Defining learning and social development outcomes for children
    • Creating a program description
    • Creating a program schedule: determining how to group children into classes, number of classes, length of class session, frequency of class sessions

Program Management Skills

    • Meeting facilitation
    • Creating and using organizational reporting systems
    • Creating, using and organizing information tracking systems
    • Use of messaging systems: email, voice mail
    • Setting professional work expectations
    • Creating emergency response protocols
    • Coordinating transportation
    • Organizing field trips
    • Organizing family events

Technology Management Skills

    • Selecting, evaluating, and purchasing software and hardware
    • Identifying and selecting a technology support provider
    • Troubleshooting desktop and network problems
    • Installing/deinstalling software
    • Organizing storage of data on a network

Internet Skills

    • Creating, saving, and deleting files and folders
    • Using Web browsers: using links and navigation buttons, customizing browser settings, setting up accounts, saving Web data
    • Using search engines: typing/copying URLs, searching entire Web for information, searching Web page for information, performing custom searches
    • Using Web discussion forums: posting, replying to a posting, removing a posting, searching for a posting, use of threaded discussion format
    • Using email: setting up accounts, addressing a message, use of address book, making a group address list, composing and editing messages, sending and receiving messages, making and organizing folders, managing inbox, handling attachments
    • Using electronic mailing lists: finding a list, signing up for a list, posting a message, replying to messages, signing off a list, understanding different types of lists
    • Locating and installing plug-ins

Take a look at the self-assessment tool for a more detailed breakdown of technology skills areas.

Skills in Setting Up the Physical Environment

    • Display space
    • Storage space
    • Projection space
    • Work space
    • Learning stations (e.g., animal/insect table, science table)
    • Selecting age-appropriate learning materials (e.g., art supplies, construction/play materials)

Skills in Staff and Volunteer Recruitment

    • Defining full, part-time, intern and volunteer positions
    • Creating position announcements
    • Identifying recruitment sources
    • Interviewing and evaluating candidates

Program Outreach Skills

    • Strategies for recruiting teens
    • Creating program recruitment materials
    • Developing and maintaining ongoing program communications: Web site, electronic news list, print newsletters

Skills in Working with Children and Youth

    • Establishing class/program routines and behavior expectations
    • Providing positive reinforcement
    • Resolving conflicts
    • Using effective discipline strategies
    • Handling situations of violence and verbal abuse between children

Instructional Skills

    • Modeling: teaching by example
    • Facilitating discussions
    • Identifying children's learning styles
    • Identifying children with special learning needs
    • Presenting information to meet different learning styles: audio, kinesthetic, visual
    • Encouraging cooperative learning
    • Setting up partner work
    • Setting up group/team work
    • Instructing on a one-to-one basis
    • Providing one-to-one tutoring/homework support

Project Development Skills

    • Defining a project theme
    • Defining a specific inquiry/investigation
    • Defining goals for project
    • Defining work products for project
    • Using the Internet to research ideas and resources for projects
    • Breaking the project into lessons/class sessions
    • Creating a documentation/capture process for project
    • Selecting software to support project activities

Lesson Development Skills

    • Creating a lesson plan template
    • Defining lesson themes
    • Defining objectives, skills for lesson
    • Designing age-appropriate activities
    • Sequencing activities: what to implement and in what order
    • Linking activities: use of themes, transitions, activity extensions
    • Identifying online resources to support activities
    • Selecting books and other reading materials to support activities
    • Creating a class log template
    • Using class log to analyze/improve/extend lessons

Literacy Instruction Skills

    • Reading: setting up a reading group, use of read alouds and silent reading, how to instruct in technical aspects of reading (decoding, word recognition, phonetic understanding)
    • Writing: providing lessons in sentence composition, grammar, punctuation, spelling, use of journals, editing, producing publishable writing
    • Creating drama, improvisations and oral language exercises

Skills in Working with Parents and Family Members

    • Cultural competence: understanding differences in language and culture
    • Communicating with parents and family members
    • Creating opportunities for parent and family participation in program
    • Making referrals for families in the event of emergency advocacy or assistance needs: legal, housing, food, clothing, medical, mental health
    • Responding to situations of confirmed or suspected family violence/abuse

Health and Safety Skills

    • CPR and basic first aid training
    • Medical emergency response procedures
    • Fire safety

Skills in Snack/Food Handling

    • Selecting nutritious foods and beverages for snacks and meals
    • Preparing and handling food