
About
A Year of OST Quality is a Community of Practice (CoP) designed to guide afterschool educators on the Quality Standards for Virginia Out-of-School Time Programs. Learners in this community will be able to recognize the 10 Quality Standards for Virginia Out-of-School Time Programs and the elements of each standard. Community members will analyze the relevancy of how the standards apply to their program context.
What Topics Will Be Covered and What Will I Learn?
The content is based on the Quality Standards for Virginia Out-of-School Time Programs. Each meeting will delve into one of the following:
1. Active and Engaged Learning: Understand how staff should deliver active and engaged learning opportunities that serve the needs of all program participants.
2. Partnerships and Networking: Recognize strategies for networking and strengthening partnerships that leverage resources and promote program sustainability.
3. Inclusion and Belonging: Identify ways of creating a welcoming culture inclusive of all backgrounds and abilities. Consider ways of fostering a sense of belonging among participants, staff, and partners.
4. Supporting Student Success: Examine strategies for linking afterschool activities and experiences to academic standards and life skills.
5. Leadership and Staff Development: Recognize strategies for implementing policies and procedures that support program quality and sustainability.
6. Relationships: Cite practices for fostering positive connections and interaction between staff, participants, and the community.
7. Continuous Improvement: Demonstrate assessing, planning, and implementing improvements and reviewing outcomes to deliver quality services.
8. Health and Wellbeing: Describe ways of providing opportunities that support the physical and mental health needs of staff and program participants.
9. Safe Environments: Recognize methods of maintaining safe and secure environments that support the needs of participants.
10. Child and Youth Voice: Examine ways of providing children and youth authentic opportunities to plan, implement, and provide feedback on programming.
What is the Timeline?
January 2025 | Recruitment for the program begins |
February 2025 | Participants are selected, Informal community meeting, and participants complete pre-survey needs assessment |
March-December 2025 | Monthly sessions (1.5 hr, virtual) focused on each standard takes place |
May 2025 | Checkpoint survey 1 |
September 2025 | Checkpoint survey 2 |
December 2025 | Post-survey (includes program evaluation) |
Who Can Participate?
Up to 10 Program sites, with a maximum of 20 participants
What Does Participating Look Like?
- Cohort members must participate in 80% of meetings, complete all surveys, and share expertise as requested to receive honorarium
- Cohort members must agree to one of the below personalized goals:
- Administer 4 hours of professional development on the Quality Standards at their site location OR:
- Agree to pick 3 Quality Standards to create a SMART goal, which will be completed by the program’s end
- Participants agree to share areas of strength for the benefit of the community of practice cohort
What are the Benefits?
In addition to your personal and organizational growth, we will be offering an individual or organization a gift card(s) totaling $250 (max per participating organization) for their participation.
Applying
Applications are due January 31, 2025. Questions can be directed to Christine Jones Monaccio.