Professional Development Opportunities
These 1.5-hour workshops are designed for brand new staff in afterschool, summer, third-space, and out-of-school programs. It’s a great way for new staff to orient to the field and learn basic best practices in their work, as well as for returning staff to further their own professional development goals. These real-time online trainings are FREE for anyone working with school-age youth in out-of-school time programs, and are approved by Northern Lights at CCV.
This four-part series is for leaders of licensed programs in the afterschool field in Vermont and is specifically designed for experienced directors and site coordinators who are looking for that next level of growth and development.
Afterschool Essentials is an accelerated half-year program that Vermont Afterschool offers FREE for afterschool staff working in licensed afterschool programs. It is designed to meet the needs of the professional with limited experience in the afterschool setting and is connected to our Afterschool Foundations Certificate.
Vermont Afterschool partners with the Child Development Division (CDD) to offer FREE 3-credit, online courses for afterschool professionals through the Community College of Vermont (CCV). This is a tuition-free opportunity for those who are currently working in a regulated child care setting.
Here are the currently scheduled workshops offered by Vermont Afterschool. For more information and about any of these workshops or to register, please contact Becky Wilcke.
Resilience and Youth Wellness
Available dates: 10/13/22 (4:30–6:30 PM); 1/12/23 (4:30–6:30 PM); 3/16/23 (4:30–6:30 PM); and 4/20/23 (4:30–6:30 PM)
This workshop provides an opportunity to learn more about the protective factors of youth and what it means to be resilient. We’ll address strategies to increase protective factors of youth, essential building blocks of resilience, and common signs of substance misuse in youth as well as resources to address substance misuse and youth mental health.
Coaching Beyond Winning
Available dates: 10/19/22 (1:00–3:00 PM); 1/17/23 (4:00–6:00 PM); 2/15/23 (10:00 AM–12:00 PM); 3/23/23 (3:00–5:00 PM); and 5/23/23 (1:00–3:00 PM)
This workshop will focus on positive youth development in third space settings such as sports teams and afterschool activities. Topics include adolescent brain development, social emotional learning, resilience, and protective factors for primary prevention efforts.
Creating a Culture of Youth Voice
Available dates: 10/26/22 (1:00–3:00 PM)
Youth voice is increasingly becoming a buzzword, but what does it really mean? This workshop will help you build your understanding of what youth voice is and can be. It will also show you how you can infuse it into every aspect of your program and every level of your organization. Participants will leave with a better understanding of what programming that encourages youth voice looks like and how they can best promote it every day.
Youth Thrive
Available dates (must attend BOTH dates): Fall: 11/3/22 (10:00–4:00 PM) and 11/10/22 (10:00–4:00 PM)
Location: Aldrich Library (Milne Room), Barre
Spring: 3/2/23 (10:00 AM–4:00 PM) and 3/9/23 (10:00 AM–4:00 PM)
Location: TBD
Youth Thrive is an evidence-informed framework for approaching our work with youth ages 9-24. Instead of a sole focus on limiting risk factors or maintaining a problem-free environment, Youth Thrive teaches youth work professionals and parents to recognize, support, and build on protective and promotive factors. Based in strengths-based and positive psychology, this approach can be used in any setting where youth and their families are served.
At any point in the year, afterschool program directors, site directors, or other authorized individuals charged with securing professional development trainings can request to schedule a specific training. All workshops can be provided in a virtual format. The cost of trainings is typically $100/hour (minimum 2 hours per training) though pricing may vary according to training length and partnership agreement. Licensed school-age programs are eligible for a cost reduction of 50% (limited reduced funding is available per year). Additional training costs may apply.
The Afterschool and Youth Work Certificate is offered by the Community College of Vermont (CCV) as a way to help youth work professionals advance in their careers. The certificate provides students with essential skills to develop, support, and administer high-quality afterschool and youth programs for young people ages 5-18. Emphasis is on developing programs that use youth voice, active learning, planning and reflection, and supporting effective collaboration with families and community partners. Vermont Afterschool worked with CCV to develop this certificate, which can be completed fully online for a total of 24 credits. Scholarships are available.
If you work with adolescents, are a parent or caregiver of a kid age 12-18, or are wanting to learn how you can support youth experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or in crisis, please consider taking this free 8-hour workshop.
In recognition that we have so much to learn from each other, we offer different types of community of practice as a way for staff to come together and reflect on how they can improve personal and program practices. Learning comes from facilitated discussions with each other. These monthly communities of practice are FREE.
Registration is now open for the in-person Vermont Afterschool Annual Conference on Friday, October 28, 2022!
This year’s conference at the Stoweflake Mountain Resort will bring together Vermont’s out-of-school time directors, staff, educators, and partners for a full day of learning, networking, and celebration of the important work you do for Vermont’s children, youth, and families. The conference will feature interactive workshops specifically designed for program directors, site coordinators, mentors, instructors, and program staff who work with K-12 youth in out-of-school time programs (i.e., before school, after school, summer, and vacation camps).
It's our goal to provide a broad array of quality learning opportunities for those who work with youth in the third space and out-of-school time. We also want to emphasize that many of the trainings are for anyone working with youth, and we hope you will find something that lights you up and helps you further your career, hone your skills, and improve outcomes for youth.