Professional Development

Before-school, after-school, and summer enrichment programs are a valuable part of the ecosystem—along with schools and other services- supporting young people, families, and communities. 

Workforce shortages continue to change the landscape of the youth development field. Out-of-school time teams may not only struggle to maintain their staff-to-youth ratios sustainably, but they may also find that staff shortages may impact program quality and enrollment. We understand the problem, but who has the answers?

For better or worse, February has been coined the month of love! While we are not going to present you with a corny Hallmark card or pretend to be romance experts, here are some tips and tricks from our friends at Reloveution that can help create more loving work environments:

The best time to start or expand your out-of-school time (OST) program is now! Before the COVID-19 pandemic began, many parents were eagerly awaiting their child’s turn for a spot in their local programs. Demand has increased even further since then. Research shows that for every child enrolled in an afterschool program, there are four waiting to get in.^[1] We want to inspire you to push forward with enthusiasm this year, to serve as many children as you can–they want what you have to offer!