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Background and mission
Achieve Boston’s founding partners came together in the summer of
2001 to begin the process of creating a professional development infrastructure
for after-school and youth workers across the city.
The mission: to improve
the overall quality of after-school and youth programs by ensuring that
program staff at all levels have access to comprehensive training and
educational opportunities that enable them to strengthen their skills,
develop their knowledge base, and advance along their chosen career path.
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Professional development
infrastructure
Recognizing the critical link between young people’s experiences
in after-school or youth programs and the skills and knowledge of program
staff, Achieve Boston seeks to improve the overall quality of such programs
by creating a professional development infrastructure that includes:
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a core knowledge base for after-school and youth workers |
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a system of training
and other professional development opportunities that is widely accessible |
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a system to ensure
the quality of professional development opportunities |
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a registry for
tracking and documenting one's professional accomplishments |
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a career lattice
that links professional roles, competencies, and salary ranges |
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Training system
Achieve Boston's training system is a major component of the professional
development infrastructure. The training system offers a comprehensive
range of professional development opportunities—such as workshops,
trainings, and courses—that address the after-school and youth work
profession. Coordinating such opportunities into a training system helps
individuals identify their professional needs, access resources, further
develop their skills, and track their progress and achievement using a
common framework.
To identify competencies critical to the profession, training needs, and
barriers to accessing training, Achieve Boston held focus group discussions
with after-school and youth program staff, parents, school personnel,
training providers, and children and youth. Achieve Boston then developed
the Competency Framework, encompassing competencies
for both after-school and youth workers.
Next, Achieve Boston surveyed individuals and organizations providing
training to determine the extent of professional development opportunities
offered in the Boston area and to identify current gaps in training. Finally,
consultants, training organizations, academic institutions, and others
were invited to participate by listing professional development opportunities
in the Achieve Boston web site and catalog that address competencies critical
to after-school and youth work.
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For after-school and
youth workers
The Achieve Boston web site is meant to help you navigate the professional
development process.
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Begin by filling
out the self-assessment questionnaire. This
will help you determine your level of skill and knowledge in each
competency area and identify competencies you may wish to strengthen.
Additional tools are provided that will help you assess your career
goals, strengths, and skills to further develop. |
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Next, go to the
catalog to identify professional development
opportunities. Based on the results of your self-assessment, you can
search by competency areas and/or topics that fall under these areas.
You can also search by date or keyword (such as topics, training titles,
or training providers). Detailed information is provided that will
help you determine which opportunities will be most useful to you. |
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Register or learn
more by contacting the training provider. Contact information is available
by simply clicking on the name of the provider. |
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Provide feedback
on the site by emailing comments to achieveboston@tmfnet.org.
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Scholarships
As part of its initial phase, Achieve Boston has offered training scholarships
to selected after-school providers and youth workers who have completed
a professional self-assessment and who are interested in attending trainings.
Scholarship voucher recipients are selected through an application process
and receive $300 in vouchers toward professional development opportunities
offered through Achieve Boston.
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For training providers
If you are already a training provider with Achieve Boston, you can quickly
and easily add or update information on the web site by logging on from
the home page or going to the edit profile
page. User names and passwords will be provided to participating trainers.
Maintaining up-to-date information on the Achieve Boston web site will
allow practitioners to readily access your professional development opportunities.
Contact Mo Barbosa, BEST
Initiative/The Medical Foundation, at 617-451-0049 ext. 850 for additional
information.
If you wish to become a training provider with Achieve Boston, contact
Mo Barbosa, BEST Initiative/The
Medical Foundation, at 617-451-0049.
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| Boston 2:00-to-6:00
After-School Initiative of Boston Centers for Youth & Families |
| Barr Foundation |
| Thomas M. Menino,
Mayor |
| U.S. Department
of Education |
| Charles Stewart
Mott Foundation |
| The Boston Foundation |
| Harvard University |
| Massachusetts
2020 |
| Verizon |
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