Resources

Core Competencies

Nationally Recognized Core Competencies for Afterschool and Youth Development Professionals (DRAFT)

January, 2011 (318 K PDF)

This list of national core competencies was drafted by The National Afterschool Association and the National Institute on Out-of-School Time and is still under review (as of July, 2011).

Revised Competencies for Professional Child and Youth Care Practitioners

2010 (1993 K PDF)

National competencies developed by the North American Certification Project (of the Association for Child and Youth Care Practice) and used as the foundation for the certification system. These have been adopted by groups in Canada, Maine, Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Texas, Oklahoma, California, and Pennsylvania.

Youth Work Core Competencies: A Review of Existing Frameworks and Purposes

October, 2009 (297 K PDF)

On behalf of the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition and School’s Out Washington, staff from the Forum and NIOST collaborated on this review of 14 core competency frameworks in the Out-of-School Time field. Frameworks are compared in terms of content, structure and use.

Core Competencies for Afterschool Educators

March, 2009

In Spring 2006, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation invited a group of afterschool leaders from across the county to consider the skills and knowledge needed by afterschool educators and the role of professional development in promoting the quality of afterschool programs. This resulting document, published in March, 2009, is a guide designed to be used in conjunction with other existing resources to help program staff and supervisors improve their practice and program quality.

Data Collection Tools/Surveys

Understanding the Afterschool Workforce: Opportunities and Challenges for an Emerging Profession

August, 2006 (417 K PDF)

In this report, the National AfterSchool Association summarizes the results of its survey of after-school workers, providing a detailed description of the workforce. These data, along with information from the Next Gen survey of youth workers, provides the most comprehensive illustration to date of the youth development workforce: who they are, what types of organizations employ them, and how – and if – they are supported by these organizations. Based on the results of these surveys, NAA suggests both policy and practice oriented strategies designed to strengthen the after-school field.

Growing the Next Generation of Youth Work Professionals: Workforce Opportunities and Challenges

July, 2006 (937 K PDF)

This report by the Forum for Youth Investment summarizes themes from eight focus groups conducted among 83 Illinois youth workers from both urban and rural locations around the state. Questions asked, and addressed, include the motivation for entering this workforce, youth work preparation, what workers need to feel supported, career challenges, and factors influencing decisions to stay in, or leave, the field.

Finding our Strength: Boston's Youth Worker Survey Findings

June, 2006 215 K PDF)

One of a series of briefs to be produced by the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition on the topic of the youth workforce, this report that was conducted by Achieve Boston on behalf of Next Gen details the findings of a survey of 316 youth workers in Boston. The report describes who these youth workers are, what their level of education is, what types of supports their organizations provide, their job mobility and job satisfaction, and other characteristics which begin to draft a portrait of what this workforce looks like.

Education & Training Opportunities

Coming soon.

Professionalizing Pathways

Youth Work Practice

2011,(591 K PDF)

A status report on professionalization and expert opinion about the future of the field. This report was commissioned by ProYouthWork America, a private non-profit organization established as a consortium of regional and national intermediary organizations and experts. PYWA’s mission is to build and sustain the child and youth services workforce by growing the workforce; improving workforce quality, effectiveness and sustainability; and promoting public policy changes that support both workers and youth.

Youth Work: Organizing Pathways for Leaderships Development and Social Change

2008, (332 K PDF)

On October 17, 2008 with support from the Atlantic Philanthropies, AED's Center for Youth Development and Policy Research hosted a discussion on the states of the youth work field. The group discussed new opportunities to generate knowledge and mobilize colleagues as we focus on youth worker training, certification, education and critical supports. This report offers highlights of the discussion and takes a look at next steps in light of leader development for youth workers.

Clear Policies for Career Pathways: Lessons Learned

2008,(203 K PDF)

In 2007, the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition launched the Clear Policies for Career Pathways project to identify and build upon efforts underway around the country to establish comprehensive workforce development systems for the youth work field. Nine cities and states joined together in a learning community to focus directly on improved compensation and working conditions for youth workers. This report, "Lessons Learned," describes a variety of practical, system-building strategies underway across the sites.

Career Pathways Project

2007

With support from Cornerstones for Kids and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition is conducting the Clear Policies for Career Pathways project. The Coalition is working with identified networks/coalitions in nine states and cities across the nation (Baltimore/Maryland, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, New York City, Vermont, San Diego and Long Beach) that are already pushing the envelope in addressing youth work workforce issues. Each team will identify key leverage points for change within their state or city and work toward building a career pathways system that: recognizes competence, rewards competence, requires competence, redefines competence, reflects the perspectives of all stakeholders, and relies on the use of public and private dollars and reaches all youth workers.

Clear Policies for Career Pathways (44 K PDF)
Chart: Components of Clear Policies (38 K PDF)

Setting the Stage for a Youth Development Associate Credential

2006 (375 K PDF)

This paper, by the National Institute on Out-of-School Time, reviews efforts to create professional and career development systems in the field of youth work. The report describes evidence of the value of credentialing programs in enhancing the workforce and improving the quality of programs and positive outcomes for youth. The report additionally includes information from the field of early care and education, which has considerable experience with professional development through credentials that provides valuable lessons for the field of youth work.

Toolkits

Putting Youth Work on the Map

2006 (356 K PDF)

Two comprehensive studies of youth workers were coordinated by the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition in 2005-2006. Together, these two studies, conducted by the Forum for Youth Investment and the National Afterschool Association, capture the voices and perspectives of over 5,000 youth workers from across the country. They offer the clearest, most comprehensive picture yet of the youth work profession: who youth workers are, where they work, how they are supported on the job and what their aspirations are, for themselves and the field.

Youth Work Counts Toolkit

2008

The Next Generation Youth Work Coalition is committed to helping local and state intermediaries, organizations that work with youth program providers and their staff, identify ways to use and collect data about one of their community's most undervalued resources: frontline youth workers. These tools, based on a survey conducted by the Coalition in 2006, were created for those interested in bringing data about the frontline youth worker population into their work. While we do not have the resources to assist you directly with your own data collection or analysis, a dedicated staff or volunteer who is familiar with excel should be able to use these tools to successfully complete the process:

Code of Ethics

National After School Association Code of Ethics

2009 (511 K PDF)

The purpose of the NAA Code of Ethics is to raise awareness of personal commitment to ethical conduct to carry out professional responsibilities, conforming to accepted professional standards of conduct.

Ethics of Child and Youth Care Professionals

1995 (252 K PDF)

The Standards for Practice of North American Child and Youth Care (CYC) Professionals which is in use in the US and adopted by the Canadian Council of CYC Provencal Associations.

Bibliography

Next Gen Online Resources Guide

2004-2007 (116 K PDF)

This annotated bibliography includes key reports, articles and policy briefs published from 2004-2007 related to workforces issues in the youth development/after-school fields. Feel free to use this as a handout at upcoming meetings or events.