youth staff training program module 12: program … staff training program v module 12: program...

Youth Staff Training Program i Module 12: Program Management

Youth Staff Training Program ii Module 12: Program Management

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Youth Staff Training Program iii Module 12: Program Management

Module 12: Program

Management

Skill Building Journal

______________

Youth Staff Training Program

Youth Staff Training Program iv Module 12: Program Management

Acknowledgments

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sful working with youth and include real-life situations faced by middle school and teen youth very day.

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ssional Recognition whose “Functional Areas” rm the basis of the “core competencies” for youth staff.

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ontgomery, Chief of Army Youth Programs, for the .

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rown, Nora Clouse, Bea Curl and Ingrid sewalt for reviewing and providing feedback on the modules.

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youth and helping youth to

reserved. Photocopying or reproduction strictly prohibited except ithin the Department of Defense.

ervice marks of the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition, a project of the Josephson Institute of Ethics, www.charactercounts.org

The Youth Staff Training Program is a series of self-study training modules that form the core of the NavFoundation Training Program for Program Assistants working with youth in sixth – twelfth grades. The competency-based training modules equip Program Assistants with the skills and knowledge necessary to be succese To promote training consistency across Child and Youth Programs (CYP), the module format and selected activities and content are patterned after similar series of training modules developed by Teaching Strategies Inc. used by military School-Age Care (SAC), Child Development Center (CDChild Development Homes (CDH) Programs. We thank Teaching Strategies, Inc. for laying the groundwork and developing a self-study training format that supports Navy staff working across child and youth program areas. We also thank the Council for Profefo Many people contributed to the concept, writing, and overall development of this training program. Fwe would like to thank M.-A. Lucas, Director of Army Child and Youth Services, who recognized the impact staff have on the lives of military middle-school and teen youth and identified the need for quatraining in the youth program. Special thanks to Mary Ellen Pratt, Chief of Army Child DevelopmentPrograms / CYS Training Programs, Army Youth Modules Project Manager, for her guidance and direction throughout the development of the modules. We also want to recognize Roxanne Spillet, President Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and Sarah Berry-Rabun, BGCA Youth Modules Project Manager, for their collaborative support on this project. In addition, we are appreciative of the encouragement and assistance provided by Kevin Mdevelopment of The Youth Staff Training Program P content primary authors / editors: Karen Shannon, BGCA Consultant

Chris Corrado, BGCA Director of Training & Professional Development Donna M. McGrath, Army Youth Sports & Fitness Program Manager (ProjeDeb Marple, Army 4-H Coordinator, 4-H/Army Youth Development Project

In addition, the following served as primary authors for specific modules: Derry G. Koralek, DGK Associates (Safe) and, from the USDA/ Army Youth Development Project - Marcia McFarland (Professionalism), Dr. Jacqueline Scott (Social and Cultural; Guidance; Families, Communities and Schools) and Dr. Angela Huebner (Guidance). Content on Character Counts! and the Six Pillars of CharacterSM

1 was provided throughout the modules by Mary Jo Williams, Character Education Specialist, 4-H/Army Youth Development Project. Other contributing authors include: from Army CYS Headquarter– Nancy Campbell, Linda Harwanko, Maria Lopez Henderson, Kevin Montgomery and Mary Ellen Pratt, and from the USDA/Army Youth Development Project – Courtney Gaskins and Marianne Reynolds. We would also like to thank Army CYS Headquarters staff Virginia BO This training program will allow staff to expand their knowledge about middle school and teen youth antheir interests, challenges and overall development. Through the completion of the modules, staff will also have the opportunity to build skills in programming, communicating with grow and develop into productive citizens and leaders in their communities. Copyright 2006 AMWRF. All rights w 1 CHARACTER COUNTS! and the Six Pillars of CharacterSM are s

.

Youth Staff Training Program v Module 12: Program Management

Skill Building Journal

Module Checklist The chart below has been designed to help you track what you have completed in the module. As you complete each assessment or worksheet, check the appropriate box to indicate you have finished thatportion of the module. When you have completed all sect

ions, let your trainer know you are ready to

chedule your knowledge and competency assessment.

Section Activity Completed Discuss ty with Trainer

s

ed Activi

Overview – Example 1 Overview – Example 2 Overview – Example 3 Self-Reflection Pre-Training Assessment Activity A: The ImportanFollowing Po

ce of licies and

rocedures

P Activity B: Your Role in

rogram Operations P Activity C: Providing Suppfor Admin

ort istration of the

rogram

P Summarizing Your Progress Schedule Knowledge and Competency Assessment

SECTION 12.1

Program Management

Youth Staff Training Program vi Module 12: Program Management


Youth Staff Training Program vii Module 12: Program Management

Skill Building Journal SECTION 12.1

Program Management

Table of Contents

ome the module. You will begin this module in the

ontent Guide and return to this journal as directed.

Section Assessments and Worksheets Page

12.1 Introduction

Example 3

n

m

12.3 Learning Activities

12.4 Answer Sheets ake a Closer Look – Examples 1, 2, and 3 31

Welcome to Module 12: Program Management Skill Building Journal. This journal contains the pre-training assessment and worksheets referenced in your Content Guide. The outline below provides a list of the worksheets you will be completing as you work through this module. Also note that there are sanswer sheets that will help you as you move throughC

Take a Closer Look – Example 1 1

Example 2 2

4

Self-Reflectio 5

12.2 Pre-Training Assess ent Assessment 7

Learning Activity A 10

Learning Activity B 14

Learning Activity C 21

Summarizing Your Progress 30

T

Youth Staff Training Program viii Module 12: Program Management


Take a Closer Look

Youth Staff Training Program 1 Module 12: Program Management

SECTION 12.1

Program Management

Example 1 – Following administrative policies and procedures.

Answer the following questions about Example 1 from the Content Guide.

Compare your answers to those on the Answer Sheet provided in section 12.4 of this journal.

Share and get feedback on your responses from your trainer. 1. Why did the Youth Center contact SAC? 2. How did Mr. Montez demonstrate that he understands and can communicate program policies,

procedures and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)? 3. How did Mr. Montez assist Sergeant Bell with her question regarding her daughter Sarah? 4. What did Mr. Montez explain about the policies regarding record keeping?

What’s next? Return to the Content Guide and continue with Example 2 in Take a Closer Look.

Take a Closer Look


Program Management

SECTION 12.1

Example 2 – Working as a member of a team to manage day-to-day program operations.



Share and get feedback on your responses from your trainer. 1. How did Mr. Glen involve the youth in developing the rules of conduct? 2. What suggestions and ideas did the group come up with? 3. What did youth suggest to make sure the rules stressed positive behavior?

Take a Closer Look


SECTION 12.1

Program Management

4. What plan did they come up with to make sure the rules of conduct were posted and distributed? 5. Why is posting the rules at the Center and providing them to parents important?

What’s next? Return to the Content Guide and continue with Example 3 in Take a Closer Look.

Take a Closer Look


Program Management

SECTION 12.1

Example 3 – Providing staff support for administration of program.



Share and get feedback on your responses from your trainer. 1. Why did the staff identify concerns at their weekly meeting? 2. What information regarding special needs of youth was discussed? 3. What ideas did they explore to assist youth with special needs? 4. Why is it important to share information regarding youth with special needs at staff meetings?

Return to the Content Guide and continue with Self-Reflection in Section 12.1.

What’s next?

Self-Reflection


SECTION 12.1

Program Management

Your Own Team Building Skills

Complete the questions and chart that follow to help you assess your team.

Reflect on and answer the questions that follow.

Share and discuss your responses with your trainer.

1. What different kinds of teams have you been a part of in the past? (i.e., at work, school, social, civil?)

List them and describe how you felt being a part of the team. 2. What are the advantages of having an effective team at the Youth Center?

Self-Reflection


SECTION 12.1

Program Management

3. What can happen when people do not work together well? 4. What qualities do you posses that make you a good team member?

What’s next? Return to the Content Guide and read about the Pre-Training Assessment in Section 12.2.

Pre-Training Assessment


SECTION 12.2

Program Management

Read the Pre-Training Assessment that follows and record whether you do these things regularly,

sometimes, or not enough by checking the appropriate box.

Review your answers.

List three to five skills you would like to improve or topics you would like to learn more about. When you finish this module, you can list examples of your new or improved knowledge and skills.


I Do This Regularly Sometimes Not Enough Follow administrative policies and procedures. 1. Know, understand and can communicate program policies,

procedures and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). 2. Review program policies before starting a new task. 3. Complete management tasks according to a schedule. 4. Follow the program’s system for accurate and timely record

keeping. 5. Provide substitute staff with adequate information on plans and

program practices. 6. Answer parents’ questions about program policies and

procedures and refer them to the supervisor when appropriate. Work as a member of a team to manage day-to-day program operations. 7. Know and follow program ratios for facility. 8. Follow ratio contingency plan in emergency situations. 9. Utilize a reservation system, which identifies spaces for regularly

scheduled 11-12 year old users and occasional users. 10. Know hours of operation and can communicate hours to patrons. 11. Involve youth in developing rules of conduct for the program and

facility.



SECTION 12.2

Program Management

I Do This Regularly Sometimes Not Enough 12. Post and distribute rules of conduct. 13. Work with youth to determine appropriate space for various

program activities. 14. Follow agreement for use of shared space to include MWR

locations, schools, etc., as well as the Youth Center. 15. Communicate with other staff to ensure smooth flow of program

sessions. Provide staff support for administration of the program. 16. Participate in staff meetings to share operational issues and

identify concerns. 17. Offer ideas and data for development of the overall

organizational program plan. 18. Provide Director with new information on special needs of youth. 19. Offer input on scheduling of staff to meet program needs. 20. Assist in exploring alternatives for transportation issues. 21. Provide ideas on youth snack preferences, portion sizes and

other related ideas impacting the USDA Food Program. 22. Contribute and develop ideas for marketing of program. 23. Share program evaluation results and other feedback from youth

with co-workers and Director. 24. Assist with the posting of activity schedules.



SECTION 12.2

Program Management

Review your responses. List three to five skills you would like to improve or topics you would like to learn more about. When you finish this module, you can list examples of your new or improved knowledge and skills. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

What’s next? Congratulations, you are ready to begin the learning activity section for this module. Return to the Content Guide and continue with Learning Activity A in Section 12.3.

Learning Activity A The Importance of Following Policies and Procedures


SECTION 12.3

Program Management

Learning About Reports1

Review your program’s administrative policies and procedures for completing various kinds of

reports. Identify the reports you will be responsible for as a Program Assistant.

Begin by reviewing the example of a report schedule provided below.

Complete the worksheets that follow. First determine when reports are due and then describe what your responsibilities are with regard to completing them.


Report Schedule (Example)

Report Due Date Program Assistant Responsibility Observation and assessment

Review with director on first Monday of each month.

Complete recordings of observations; record assessment information on report form.

Time sheet

Every Friday

Fill in hours worked each day

Supply requisition

15th of each month

Request consumable supplies when inventory is low

Annual leave request

Two weeks prior to date for which leave is requested

Request leave

Inventory

June 1st

Record quantities of equipment, program materials and consumable supplies

1 Activity adapted from Module 12: Program Management, The School Age Staff Training Program, developed for Department of the Army by Teaching Strategies Inc., 1994.



Program Management

SECTION 12.3

Report Due Date Program Assistant Responsibility



SECTION 12.3

Program Management

What’s next? Return to the Content Guide and continue with Activity B in Section 12.3.

Learning Activity B Your Role in Program Operations


SECTION 12.3

Program Management

Qualities of a Successful Team

Think about how you interact with your team at the Youth Center and how this impacts programming.

Complete the worksheet that follows by giving an example of something you do on the job that

supports the quality of a successful team. Then describe how your example affects your work team.




Program Management

SECTION 12.3

Quality Give an example of something you did

on the job that supports team quality. Describe how your example affects your work team?

Inclusion

Commitment

Loyalty

Pride

Trust



SECTION 12.3

Program Management

Use and Management of Space in the Youth Center

Use this activity to work with your Director and other management staff to look at how space is used and managed in your facility.

Complete the questions below.


1. Is your facility used by any group(s) other than the youth program? If so, what groups and during

what hours? List below.

Groups using facility Hours of use



Program Management

SECTION 12.3

2. Observe the facility during program hours and record how space is used and managed.

Program hours How space is used How space is managed

Table continued on next page.



Program Management

SECTION 12.3

Program hours How space is used How space is managed



Program Management

SECTION 12.3

3. For shared space (whether with another program or within the youth program), what agreement has been developed for how space is used?

4. How are you involved in managing this agreement? 5. How does working as a team affect how the program operates?



SECTION 12.3

Program Management

6. Whether space is shared or not, how have youth been involved in deciding on space usage? 7. What current needs for space have been identified but aren’t being met? If youth haven’t been asked

about use of space recently, then survey them. 8. Meet with your Director to discuss your observations and ideas on use of space in your facility.

What’s next? Return to the Content Guide and continue with Activity C in Section 12.3.

Learning Activity C Providing Support for Administration of the Program


SECTION 12.3

Program Management

Staffing Schedules

Review the worksheets that follow. They contain questions for you to answer that are central to develop a staffing schedule.

Complete the worksheets, discussing the questions with your Director.

Assist your Director in determining two staff schedules.


Collect the Sign-in/Sign-out Logs for the past month and review them. Using the logs, answer the following questions.

1. What trends do you see for numbers and peak times of use for the 11-12 year old youth?



4. What implications do these trends have for staffing in the facility?



Program Management

SECTION 12.3

In addition to the log, study the staffing schedule that was used during that same time period.

1. What ratios were in place during different times of the day or evening during both the week and the week-end?

2. Were there times when staff were over or under ratio? List those times and describe the situation (time of day, numbers of youth, programs going on, etc.)

3. Were any staff on leave during that time period? If so, list the staff members and times they were not available.



Program Management

SECTION 12.3

How many Program Assistant’s currently work in the Youth Program?

Are there any vacancies? If so, how many?

Of the current staff, how many are full-time employees?

How many are regular part-time?

How many are flex?

Discuss with the Director how he or she determines the staffing schedule and how adjustments are made.

1. Note what you learned from your discussion.



Program Management

SECTION 12.3

Assist the Director in determining the next two staffing schedules.

1. What were some of the challenges you had to deal with?

2. How did you resolve these challenges?

3. How were adjustments handled during the staffing period?



SECTION 12.3

Program Management

Marketing Plan

Research and complete the demographics worksheet that follows. This will give you a feel for the strategies that are needed for marketing your Youth Center program.

Identify the media resources available to the program. Complete the media resource worksheet

providing the location and contact person for each resource.

Conduct an interview of the staff person responsible for marketing the programs using the worksheets provided.


Marketing Demographics

Age Group Numbers on your installation

% of youth that live on- installation

% of youth that live off- installation

11-12 13-15 16-18

For youth living off-installation, how far do most live from the Youth (or Teen) Center?

School Grades included Number of schools on- installation

Number of schools off-installation

Middle School High School

How many youth in the Youth Center program are home schooled? Where do youth congregate on-installation?



Program Management

SECTION 12.3

Interests of youth List at least six interests that have been identified by youth that regularly participate in the program.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6. List at least six interests that have been identified by youth that do not regularly participate in the program.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6. How do the demographics you gathered impact marketing the Youth Center program?



Program Management

SECTION 12.3

Media resources Identify location of resources and contact people available to your program: Resource Location Contact Person Marketing Department

Cable TV

Radio

Newspaper

Youth Web Pages

Central Registration

Other



Program Management

SECTION 12.3

Youth Program Marketing Efforts Interview the Director or Youth Center staff person who is in charge of marketing the Youth Center program. Ask about two recent marketing efforts. Ask to see copies of the marketing materials, promo spots, displays, etc. Marketing Effort #1 Who was the target audience? What were their demographics? What process was followed when working with media contacts? How were the marketing materials created? How successful was the marketing effort?



SECTION 12.3

Program Management

Marketing Effort #2 Who was the target audience? What were their demographics? What process was followed when working with media contacts? How were the marketing materials created? How successful was the marketing effort?

What’s next? Return to the Content Guide and continue with Summarizing Your Progress in Section 12.3.

Summarizing Your Progress


SECTION 12.3

Program Management

Review your responses to the Pre-Training Assessment in Section 12.2 in this journal.

Summarize in the space below what you learned and list the skills you developed or improved.


New Information New and Improved Skills

What’s next? Congratulations, you have completed Module 12. Let your trainer know you are ready to schedule your knowledge and competency assessments.

Answer Sheet Take a Closer Look


Program Management

SECTION 12.4

Example 1 Following administrative policies and procedures. 1. Why did the Youth Center contact SAC?

a. To provide a substitute staff person to ensure adequate ratios. b. To maintain coverage so that programs would not be cancelled for the participants.

2. How did Mr. Montez demonstrate that he understands and can communicate program policies,

procedures and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)?

a. He was able to articulate the adequate information on plans and program practices and the policies and procedures of the Youth Center and the Youth Technology Lab.

b. He carefully reviewed all information with Ms. Maureen prior to the evening program. c. He also left her the file for her reference.

3. How did Mr. Montez assist Sergeant Bell with her question regarding her daughter Sarah?

a. He was able to respond to her question about policies for teens regarding program participation times.

b. He referred her to his supervisor.

4. What did Mr. Montez explain about the policies regarding record keeping? a. He explained that all youth who participate need to be counted. This way they know how many

slots are available for walk-in youth. b. He explained to submit the report to his supervisor.

Example 2 Working as a member of a team to manage day-to-day program operations. 1. How did Mr. Glen involve the youth in developing the rules of conduct?

a. A group of youth was selected to review the rules of conduct. b. The group discussed and provided input for the revised rules.

2. What suggestions and ideas did the group come up with?

a. They suggested keeping only the essential rules of conduct so youth could remember them. b. They added three more simple rules: respect yourself, respect the Youth Center and respect

others.

3. What did youth suggest to make sure the rules stressed positive behavior?

a. They suggested that instead of saying “No” in the statements, they rewrite the rules to inform the members what is allowable.

Answer Sheet Take a Closer Look


Program Management

SECTION 12.4

4. What plan did they come up with to make sure the rules of conduct were posted and distributed?

a. Mr. Glen would make sure that all youth and parents received the revised rules and sign-off on them.

b. The youth suggested that they walk around the Center and post the rules in locations that were visible to all youth.

5. Why is posting the rules at the Center and providing them to parents important?

a. When the rules are posted everyone knows the standard and it ensures fairness. b. Knowing the rules provides a concrete way for everyone to act responsibility.

Example 3 Provide staff support for administration of the program. 1. Why did the staff identify concerns at their weekly meeting?

a. So all staff would be aware of information regarding the special needs of youth. b. Sharing concerns emphasizes everyone’s responsibility for understanding and paying attention to

the youth. 2. What information regarding special needs of youth was discussed?

a. A youth who had a hearing impairment, b. A youth who had broken her leg. c. Another youth whose parents were deployed.

3. What ideas did they explore to assist youth with special needs?

a. When talking to Salem, staff would be sure he could see what they were saying. b. Give Heather the opportunity to assist as a score keeper while her leg heals. c. Pay attention to Jake’s behavior. Make sure to notice any signs of depression while his parents

are deployed. Be available to listen to his feelings. 4. Why is it important to share information regarding youth with special needs at staff meetings?

a. So all staff are aware of special needs of youth. b. So all staff can respond appropriately to each youth with the special needs.

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