Overview
The Center for Youth Program Quality is dedicated to
improving youth experiences in the places where they spend time, particularly
in after-school and other out-of-school environments. The Center for Youth
Program Quality empowers managers to give program quality high priority. We offer training, technical assistance, and
research services that all come together in the Youth Program Quality
Intervention (YPQI) system.
The Youth Program Quality Intervention is a comprehensive
system for improving the quality of youth programs. It begins with
training on the use of the Youth Program Quality Assessment (PQA) tool,
a validated instrument designed to evaluate the quality of youth programs and
identify staff training needs. Programs
use the Youth PQA to conduct a self-assessment.
Data from the self assessment is used to set improvement goals tied to
the observable measures in the PQA.
Programs then are supported in reaching those goals and increasing
program quality. This
ASSESS-PLAN-IMPROVE sequence establishes a supportive system for continuous
improvement.
To further support the YPQI process, we offer comprehensive Technical Assistance and Coaching services to YPQI participants.
Though we recommend the comprehensive YPQI for best results, we recognize that not every program has the capacity to implement a full-scale intervention. For these groups, we offer two series of trainings:
Our Youth Worker Management Series involves a kick-off event plus a series of three full-day training workshops.
Our Youth Work Methods Series is ten 2-3 hour stand-alone workshops, each aligned with a segment of the Youth PQA. These workshops are delivered through 1- or 2-day summits in which participants attend 2 or 3 of these workshops.
Additionally, the Center for Youth Program Quality offers four Endorsements which represent completion of a course of study and real world action. While any individual may attain one or more of the endorsements, these endorsements are most easily made available and most meaningful as part of system level initiatives to adopt the Youth Program Quality Intervention across multiple programs in a place.
