On Monday, February 21, 2011, after school programs in Long Beach were closed in observance of Washington’s birthday. The Community Development branch took this opportunity to provide sixteen of our newest staff with training in the areas of Youth Development, Child Development, and Behavior Management. The staff were introduced to the Community Network for Youth Development model and participated in exercises designed to highlight the importance of the messages we send to our youth on a daily basis. The group then broke out into teams and assessed the current culture of Youth Development at their sites, discussing how to take the site from good to great!
After a short break, the staff came back together and explored the developmental theories of Erik Erikson and Jean Piaget, identifying how the work from these two theorists is relevant to our school-age programming. Following that, the staff worked in grade-level teams identifying both developmental markers for the age groups they work with and age-appropriate enrichment activities connected to state content standards. The workshop ended with a solution-driven conversation focused on responding to challenging behaviors. By the end of the three-hour session, everyone had the opportunity to learn something new, share a strategy that has been successful for them, and network with fellow after school colleagues!
By: Mark Marano, After School Program Coordinator/CASDP Director
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