Can AI Help Youth Workers?

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By Sam Piha 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a great resource for afterschool leaders. I asked Chat GPT, “How can AI help youth workers?” It replied: 

“AI can be genuinely useful for youth workers—but only if it’s used thoughtfully, not as a replacement for human connection (which is the core of the work). Here are some practical, grounded ways it can help:

1. Planning and delivering sessions

AI tools can quickly generate activity ideas, discussion prompts, or lesson plans tailored to age group, topic, or setting (e.g., mental health, conflict resolution, career skills). Instead of starting from scratch, you refine and adapt.

2. Administrative relief

Youth work often comes with a lot of paperwork. AI can help draft reports, summarize case notes, create schedules, or write emails to parents and partner organizations. That frees up more time for actual engagement.

3. Supporting communication

AI can help rephrase complex ideas into youth-friendly language, translate materials for multilingual communities, or suggest ways to approach sensitive conversations. It can also help craft messages that are clear but not patronizing. 

4. Training and skill-building

AI can simulate scenarios (e.g., handling a conflict between teens, responding to a disclosure, de-escalation techniques). That gives youth workers a low-risk space to practice responses and think through approaches.

5. Mental health and wellbeing resources

While AI should never replace professional care, it can help youth workers quickly find coping strategies, grounding exercises, or conversation starters to support young people in the moment. 

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6. Personalization

AI can help tailor activities or support plans based on different needs—learning styles, interests, or challenges—so engagement feels more relevant to each young person.

7. Data insights (with caution)

If used responsibly, AI can help identify patterns (attendance, engagement, feedback trends) to improve programs. But this comes with real privacy and ethical responsibilities.

Where to be careful
This matters just as much as the benefits:

• Trust and relationships come first: Young people need real human connection, not automated responses. 
• Privacy and safeguarding: Sensitive data should never be casually fed into AI tools. 
• Bias and accuracy: AI can be wrong or biased—outputs should always be reviewed critically. 
• Over-reliance: If everything is automated, the work loses authenticity. 

If you want, I can show specific tools youth workers use or give examples for a particular setting (schools, community centers, outreach, etc.). If you want, I can build you a full lesson plan (with exact scripts, slides, and activities) for a specific age group or setting.”

AI can be especially helpful designing curriculum and activities. Check it out! Try asking “Teaching conflict resolution to children or teens” or a topic with age group you are interested in.

Creating a Staff Development/ Training Plan for the Year

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By Sam Piha 

Training plans and subsequent training sessions can enhance employee skills and promote program improvement. Investing in training plans that emphasize teamwork and communication skills can also contribute to better collaboration among employees. Offering training and development opportunities can enhance employee loyalty and reduce turnover rates by showing a commitment to employee growth.

However, this work can take significant time, effort, and financial resources to develop. It may also disrupt work as the individual may need time away from their regular tasks to focus on the development work. Coursera adds, “Asking people to participate in training that doesn’t interest or engage them can also backfire. If the content is ineffective, the individual could be investing the time but not gaining the required skills from the effort. Finally, training plans only make a difference if employees and managers prioritize individualized development plans. Underlying organizational issues, or a plan that takes a one-size-fits-all approach, can also undermine training plan effectiveness.” [i] 

“The benefits of youth worker training are often lost when times get tough. Training is often the first thing to go when budget cuts are needed. This is true even in industries that have greater financial capital to work with than youth-serving programs. But youth work leaders are faced with a no-win situation when budgets are tight... It’s not easy to solve the problem of tight budgets. But the need for well-trained and motivated staff is so important. As a result, youth work leaders must find exceptional training with a minimal cost. And that helps programs achieve their mission.” [ii]

WHAT IS A STAFF DEVELOPMENT PLAN?

According to Sam Cook, “A staff development plan, also referred to as professional development and career development plans, is a strategic tool used by organizations to support and enhance the skills, knowledge, and abilities of their employees. When done right, an employee development plan not only helps people grow and excel further in their roles, but also builds a more skilled, adaptable, and engaged workforce. That is, both employees and employers benefit, as these plans bridge current capabilities to future needs.” [iii]

FIRST, THE BENEFITS OF YOUTH WORKER TRAINING

According to The Professional Youth Worker, “The benefits of youth worker training are often lost when times get tough. Training is often the first thing to go when budget cuts are needed. This is true even in industries that have greater financial capital to work with than youth-serving programs. But youth work leaders are faced with a no-win situation when budgets are tight. They must make the choice between offering less youth worker training or serving fewer young people. No one is blaming them!

It’s difficult to run a program and balance so many competing needs. Every day, youth work leaders struggle with the fact that funding for youth-serving programs is woefully inadequate. But abandoning training for youth workers is harmful. It has long-lasting negative impacts for every aspect of a youth program. And that costs all of us.

Video: The Benefits of Training Employees

Professional development for youth workers impacts your organization’s culture. Funding training for youth workers is a challenge. But it is always the best investment. Because youth worker training has so many positive outcomes.

Youth worker training promotes a positive organizational culture by:

• Promoting the value of learning
• Encouraging personal and professional growth
• Giving team members the confidence that they are well-trained
• Creating a sense of commitment
• Instilling pride in your mission

In fact, youth worker training is at the core of every successful program.

• Individually and as a team, youth workers are prepared to change lives;
• Young people supported by highly trained and motivated team members will experience measurable positive outcomes;
• A strong team and more positive outcomes help programs secure funding to support more young people.

Also:

• Youth Worker Training Reduces Expenses: As most youth work leaders know, turnover is expensive. Most research shows the average cost to replace a youth worker is about 30% to 50% of their annual salary. It is even more expensive for directors or program leads. Those costs are estimated at 150% of annual salary. Training is a proven tool for team member retention.
• Affordable Training for Working with Youth Is Vital: Outstanding leaders in youth work want to recruit and retain the best team members possible. They see professional development as an organizational priority. It’s not a perk or an afterthought to them. It’s not easy to solve the problem of tight budgets. But the need for well-trained and motivated staff is so important. As a result, youth work leaders must find exceptional training with a minimal cost. And that helps programs achieve their mission.” [iv]

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BENEFITS OF USING A STAFF DEVELOPMENT PLAN

According to Coursera, “Training and development can differentiate your program and keep employees engaged. Specifically, it’s useful to personalize employee development with an effective training plan. 

Organizations must equip their workforce with the tools and knowledge needed to thrive in today's rapidly evolving landscape. This is where well-crafted employee training plans come into play. Employee training plans provide a roadmap for skill development, career growth, and organizational success. 

As training plans are designed to develop competencies, they can help build employee confidence and positively impact the individual’s overall performance and success. This, in turn, benefits your organization’s success as the individual gains the skills to contribute over the long term and to add value to your business.” [v]

“Training plans can support individual and operational success by offering a clear roadmap for goal achievement. This can help individuals and organizations stay focused and on track. A well-designed training plan provides a structured approach to the larger goal, breaking it down into smaller, more manageable tasks. This helps optimize time and resource utilization by prioritizing tasks and activities. Additionally, training plans include progress tracking mechanisms to help ensure the training produces the desired results. 

Developing a training plan can also boost employee engagement. They will see that you care about both recruiting and retaining talent. Plus, through regular check-ins with the individual, those offering accountability can develop supportive relationships with the employees. 

When we provide opportunities for growth, employees can perform their roles more effectively. 

• Increased Employee Engagement: When employees see that their career goals are supported by the organization, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated. 
• Enhanced Retention: A strong development plan can help retain employees who feel valued and have opportunities for advancement. 
• Organizational Growth/ Improvement: By investing in staff development, organizations can build a more skilled and capable workforce, leading to improved performance and innovation.” [vi]

You can learn more on staff development, by reading our briefing paper, Creating a Staff Development Plan and by viewing a recent webinar recording.

END NOTES:
[i] Coursera, The Power of an Effective Employee Training Program
[ii] The Professional Youth Worker, The Benefits of Youth Worker Training
[iii] Sam Cook, What Is an Employee Development Plan? Overview and Creation Steps
[iv] The Professional Youth Worker, The Benefits of Youth Worker Training
[v] Coursera, The Power of an Effective Employee Training Program

[vi] IBID.

Self-Care 4: Self-Care Assessment & Reflection

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By Sam Piha

Those in the helping professions, including youth workers, are vulnerable to stress, burnout, and professional impairment. 

 

This blog, the fourth in a five-part series, focuses on a self-assessment tool that can be used by individual youth workers or as a group exercise. Download this Self-Care Assessment/ Reflection tool for assessing self-care practices. This blog is also an excerpt from our recently released briefing paper entitled, "Self-Care for Youth Workers."

This tool is not exhaustive, merely suggestive. Feel free to add areas of self-care that are relevant for you and rate yourself on how often and how well you are taking care of yourself these days. When you are finished, look for patterns in your responses. Are you more active in some areas of self-care but ignore others? Are there items on the list that make you think, "I would never do that"? Listen to your inner responses, your internal dialogue about self-care and making yourself a priority. Take particular note of anything you would like to include more in your life. 

Source: www.pexels.com

After completing this assessment, staff members can pair up and exchange their assessment with their partner. They can discuss with the entire group and share their thoughts after reviewing their partner’s assessment. 

Self-Care 3: How to Prevent Burnout in Youth Workers

Source: www.pexels.com

By Sam Piha

 

Those in the helping professions, including youth workers, are vulnerable to stress, burnout, and professional impairment. 

 

This series of blog posts examines the role of self-care in the promotion of well-being among mental health practitioners and specific domains of self-care practice, including awareness, work/life balance, flexibility, physical health, social support, and spirituality. It underscores the importance of taking a proactive approach to self-care. In this post we explore how we can prevent youth worker burnout. This blog is an excerpt from our recently released briefing paper entitled, "Self-Care for Youth Workers."

“According to several studies, 21—67% of practitioners who provide psycho-emotional support in their fields have experienced high levels of burnout. This is because the nature of the work is one where ‘there’s a lot of use of self, which means that our emotional state comes into play in our connection and relationship with our client.’” [i] - Amos Ng, Outreach & Intervention Services at Trybe. 

According to Project GROW, “Youth workers told us that the need they see is so great, and often so urgent, that they ignore their own needs in order to meet those of others. Equally, the needs of vulnerable girls can seem so significant that it is easy to dismiss the needs and trials of fellow youth workers, whether staff or volunteers, as they seem insignificant in comparison. As youth workers, we can silence our own needs, and each other. This stoicism can lead to burnout, which does not serve our communities long term. Good youth workers will always be hard to find, and we need to ensure that the mental and physical health of these essential workers. Burnout makes a sustained approach to youth projects much more difficult. Yet even more significantly, it gives the girls we work with the idea that as women, our needs are not important. This creates a detrimental effect, as rather than learning the value of their worth though youth project, girls may internalize the idea that burnout is normal and struggle to advocate for their needs and rights in their families, communities and workplaces. As youth workers, we need to lead by example. 

Burnout can happen to all of us — and the more we care, the more we can set ourselves up to be unable to care anymore. This is especially so if we are working with young women and girls who are living in distressing conditions, or who tell us about traumas they have suffered. From hearing about others’ experiences, or witnessing bad things happening to others, we can become traumatized ourselves. Vicarious and secondary trauma are real, and don’t simply happen to us because we are ‘weak’ or ‘oversensitive’ Additionally, listening to many stories over time can lead to ‘empathy fatigue’. We can become de-sensitized. 

Source: www.pexels.com

Here are some of the symptoms of burnout for you to watch out for:

• Physical stress e.g. feeling tense, palpitations, stomach problems, headaches
• Emotional stress e.g. nightmares, flashbacks or anxiety, anger, racing thoughts, feeling jumpy or easily startled
• Exhaustion, feeling overwhelmed, under pressure or powerless
• Needing sick days, feeling unable to rest or recharge
• Needing more time alone, away from others
• Feel disconnected from friends and family
• Losing a sense of self
• Loss of pleasure in daily activities
• Losing sense of purpose  

Here are some things that you can do to make sure you don’t burnout and lose the joy of your youth work: 

• Take regular breaks between work sessions, including to eat full meals and gain eight hours of sleep
• Set a regular schedule for yourself, and block out times when you will be available for calls, emails or meetings, and when you will not be available. Share these times with others you work with, so they are less likely to disturb you when you’re not working
• Be mindful of your own history of trauma, if you have one, and how this may impact you when listening to traumatic stories from youth you support
• Cultivate your own interests, hobbies and activities outside of youth work, even if it’s as simple as meeting a friend, taking a walk, or learning to cook a new meal
• Seek counseling if you feel you need it.” [ii] 

“Regularly disengaging from work to rest and focus on oneself has been shown to increase productivity, boost creativity and improve mental well-being, enabling practitioners to continue providing meaningful care and support for their clients.” [iii] 

END NOTES:

[i]: Amos Ng & Nathan Parreno, How to Deal with Burnout as a Youth Work Practitioner

[ii]: Wonder Foundation, How to Prevent Burnout in Youth Workers

[iii]: Amos Ng & Nathan Parreno, How to Deal with Burnout as a Youth Work Practitioner

Self-Care 2: Creating a Self-Care Plan

Source: www.pexels.com

By Sam Piha

Those in the helping professions, including youth workers, are vulnerable to stress, burnout, and professional impairment.  

This series of blog posts examines the role of self-care in the promotion of well-being among mental health practitioners and specific domains of self-care practice, including awareness, work/life balance, flexibility, physical health, social support, and spirituality. It underscores the importance of taking a proactive approach to self-care. This blog is an excerpt from our recently released briefing paper entitled, "Self-Care for Youth Workers."

“Self-Care 2: Creating a Self-Care Plan” focuses on the steps needed to develop an individual self-care plan.

“A self-care plan is a guide that helps you promote your health and well-being by prioritizing yourself. It can include activities that help you stay fit and healthy, relax, and relieve stress. Self-care can be preventative or reactionary, and can benefit your physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual health.” [i]

“I didn’t realize how much I needed a break from my daily routine to learn and to recharge.” [ii] - Youth Worker

Kirsten Posluns and Terry Lynn Gall write, “Think of your self-care plan as a roadmap -- with planned vehicle maintenance, travel activities and rest stops along the way. Steps to guide you...Don't be overwhelmed by the steps in this process! They are simple and straightforward and will help to guide you on your path.” [iii]  

“There’s no one-size-fits-all self-care plan. Each of us has to develop our own plan because each of us has our own unique life history.” [iv] - Lisa Butler, PhD

To develop your self-care plan, you will identify what you value and need as part of your day-to-day life (maintenance self-care) and the strategies you can employ when or if you face a crisis along the way (emergency self-care). 

 “1. How do you cope now?

Identify what you do now to manage the stress in your life. The Lifestyle Behaviors and the Transcript of Lifestyle Behaviors, (“Is your life causing you stress?”) assessment can help you to identify the coping strategies you currently use and whether they are likely to be good (or not so good) for your well-being.

Decreasing or eliminating at least one “negative” coping strategy can be one of the goals of your maintenance self-care; employing more "positive" strategies can be another.

2. What do you do for self-care now?

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The Self-Care Assessment will help you highlight the good things you are already doing for yourself and whether there is an imbalance in the areas in which you practice self-care. The items in this assessment can also give you some ideas for additional things you may want to do in the future to help prevent stress and burnout and to maintain and enhance your well-being. Make a note of the items that you would like to add (or add more of) to your self-care practice. In considering this, try to be sure that each domain of self-care is well represented. If you think of things that are not included in this list, just add them at the end.

3. Maintenance self-care: Adding self-care practices and eliminating obstacles

“Do more of what makes you happy. That would seem to be a good place to start.” [v] - Lisa Butler, PhD

"Maintenance self-care" refers to the activities that you have identified as important to your well-being and that you have committed to engage in on a regular basis to take care of yourself. My Maintenance Self-Care Worksheet and the Transcript of My Maintenance Self-Care Worksheet provide an opportunity for you to identify the activities you would like to add to your self-care practice in each self-care domain (“new practice”). 

“The most important practices are to develop healthy habits, create clear boundaries, ask for and accept help, find ways to center yourself for peace, and manage perfectionist tendencies—to be aware of what you are humanly capable of. But each person will have to explore the path and practices that best suit their needs. de Saussure maintains calm through meditation, for example, but acknowledges that this practice may not be everyone’s preference. Other coping strategies might be activities such as writing in a journal, talking to a friend, or going for a run.” [vi] -  Jade de Saussure, MSW, OMC, continuing education program coordinator and program director of the Fordham CASAC (credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselor).

It is also useful to identify possible barriers or obstacles that could get in the way of implementing and/or maintaining these new activities. Think about what you anticipate these barriers/obstacles to be (try to list at least 3 or 4 in the spaces provided), how you can address them, and how you can remind yourself to follow your plan. Write these solutions on the last page of the My Maintenance Self-Care Worksheet. If you have chosen to limit or eliminate a negative coping strategy that you currently use, note this as well. You can revisit this topic and revise your list as the demands of your personal and professional life change. 

4. Emergency Self-Care: Be Prepared

So far we have focused on maintenance self-care: the kinds of things one does regularly to reduce stress and maintain and enhance well-being. But planning out what you would do under extremely trying circumstances, even though they are rare, is also important. To do this, develop a framework using your Emergency Self-Care worksheet before you are faced with a crisis or feel overwhelmed. Think of developing your emergency self-care plan in the way you would think about preparing for other possible emergency situations: it is important to figure out your plan in advance when you have the time, wherewithal, and concentration to do so effectively!

Source: www.pexels.com

5. Make a commitment to yourself

Remember: Just like the flight attendant says, you need to put on your own oxygen mask first before you can be of help to others. So, take a moment, think it over, and then make your personal commitment to your own self-care. You deserve it! If you find making a commitment to be a challenge, then take some time to explore your reservations. Do you have a tendency to put the needs of others first? The truth is that your self-care is not only essential to your well-being, but it is also a necessary element for you to be effective and successful in honoring your professional and personal commitments. Preparing a plan is important; it identifies your goals and the strategies to achieve them. However, your success in implementing your plan is ultimately based on the level of commitment you make to your self-care.

6. Share your plan

Once you have developed your plan and made your commitment, remember that friends, family, peers, and/or colleagues may be good additional resources for exchanging new self-care ideas/strategies and to provide support and encouragement. Consider taking your commitment a step further by joining or starting a support or discussion group (see Tips for Starting a Support or Discussion Group).

7. Follow your plan

“Start slow. Take baby steps and don’t feel flooded or overwhelmed by a long to-do list for self-care. Pick one thing and work on that to start.” [vii] - Lisa Wessan, LICSW 

“Now that you have completed the assessments and worksheets described above, you have identified the core elements of your personal Self-Care Plan. The final step is to implement your plan and keep track of how you are doing. Keeping track of your progress will help you recognize your successes and identify and address any difficulties you may not have anticipated. Don’t forget that you can revise your plan as needed. Remember, also, to employ your emergency plan should emotionally difficult circumstances arise.” [viii] Don’t Wait - Start Planning NOW! 

END NOTES

[i] Google AI, “Self-Care Plan Definition Prompt”
[ii] School Social Work Association of America, Nurturing the Nurturer: School Social Workers & Self-care
[iii] Kirsten Posluns & Terry Lynn Gall, Dear Mental Health Practitioners, Take Care of Yourselves: A Literature Review on Self-Care
[iv] Kate Jackson, Social Worker Self-Care —  The Overlooked Core Competency
[v] IBID.
[vi] IBID.
[vii] IBID.
[viii] Kirsten Posluns & Terry Lynn Gall, Dear Mental Health Practitioners, Take Care of Yourselves: A Literature Review on Self-Care

Self-Care 1: What is Self-Care?

Source: www.pexels.com

By Sam Piha

Those in the helping professions, including youth workers, are vulnerable to stress, burnout, and professional impairment. 

This series of blog posts examines the role of self-care in the promotion of well-being among mental health practitioners and specific domains of self-care practice, including awareness, work/life balance, flexibility, physical health, social support, and spirituality. It underscores the importance of taking a proactive approach to self-care. 

“Self-Care 1: What is Self-Care” focuses on learning more about what is self-care and reviews the benefits and obstacles to self-care.  

“Youth work is a profession of the heart. Most people come into the field because they are dedicated to and passionate about making the lives of young people better. Those same motivations make self-care an important topic.” [i]

WHAT IS SELF-CARE? 

“The term self-care refers to activities and practices that we can engage in on a regular basis to reduce stress and maintain and enhance our short- and longer-term health and well-being.”—  University at Buffalo School of Social Work: Introduction to Self-Care

Most professionals in this line of work easily recognize the importance of taking care of young people in our communities, but unfortunately do not recognize the importance of taking care of ourselves until we are simply overwhelmed. This is why self-care should not be seen as a one-time or reactionary event, but rather part of our everyday maintenance and well-being.

Source: Pinterest

“Just like you do on a plane, you need to put on your first before trying to help others. ” [ii] - Dean Nancy Smyth

“Self-care as an ongoing practice is a method for not only preventing negative outcomes among mental health practitioners and their clients, but also appears to promote flourishing. This review of the literature suggests that fostering areas of self-care, including awareness, balance, flexibility, physical health, social support, and spirituality can help prevent the downward spiral of stress, burnout, and professional impairment, and promote an upward spiral of well-being for mental health professionals.” [iii] 



BENEFITS OF SELF-CARE

According to University at Buffalo School of Social Work, “Practicing self-care will help you:

• Identify and manage the general challenges that all hard-working professionals face, such as the potential for stress and burnout or interpersonal difficulties.
• Be aware of your own personal vulnerabilities, such as the potential for re-traumatization (if you have a trauma history), vicarious or secondary traumatization (if you work with individuals who report their own traumatic experiences), and compassion fatigue (which you can develop from a combination of burnout and vicarious traumatization). 
• Achieve more balance in your life, by maintaining and enhancing the attention you pay to the different domains of your life in a way that makes sense to you.

Self-care is about enhancing your overall well-being. There are common aims to almost all self-care efforts:

• Taking care of physical and psychological health
• Managing and reducing stress
• Honoring emotional and spiritual needs
• Fostering and sustaining relationships
• Achieving an equilibrium across one’s personal, school, and work lives

“Each of us may differ in the domains we emphasize and the balance we seek among them. Each life is unique and has its own unique demands. Consequently, we each must determine what self-care means for us and how to apply it in our life.” [iv] 

Source: www.pexels.com

OBSTACLES TO SELF-CARE
Myths About Self-Care 

There are many myths about self-care and work-related stress that show up as obstacles to addressing these issues. Below are some common myths about self-care.

 

“Youth workers ‘fail to practice self-care because they become wrapped up in a state of mind that suggests that they need to work nonstop. They view self-care as an activity that they don’t have time for.’” [v] - Kathy Cox and Sue Steiner  

Among the obstacles experts identify as standing in the way of self-care are a lack of energy, too many responsibilities, and the fear of appearing weak or vulnerable.

“Begin to implement changes, even very small ones, to take care of yourself.” [vi] - Lisa Butler, Associate Professor, University at Buffalo School of Social Work

Among the obstacles experts identify as standing in the way of self-care are a lack of energy, too many responsibilities, and the fear of appearing weak or vulnerable.

END NOTES:

[i] Act for Youth, Self-Care for Youth Development Professionals
[ii] University at Buffalo School of Social Work, Introduction to Self-Care
[iii] Kirsten Posluns & Terry Lynn Gall, Dear Mental Health Practitioners, Take Care of Yourselves: A Literature Review on Self-Care
[iv] IBID.
[v] IBID.
[vi] Kate Jackson, Social Worker Self-Care —  The Overlooked Core Competency

Preparing Youth for the Workforce in Afterschool and Building Your Own Youth Worker Pipeline (Part 2)

Source: USC

By Sam Piha

Sam Piha

We know that when asked, older youth say they are most interested in acquiring the skills needed to get a job. Also, we know that as youth program leaders, it is our job to help prepare young people for success in adulthood, which includes creating opportunities to explore careers and gather workforce skills. Afterschool, sometimes referred to as Expanded Learning (ExL), is well positioned to help older youth to acquire these skills. 

Bill Fennessy is a Program Specialist for Workforce Initiatives at the California AfterSchool Network (CAN). We recently invited Bill to lead a How Kids Learn Speaker’s Forum webinar entitled, Preparing Youth for the Workforce in Afterschool and Building Your Own Youth Worker Pipeline.  To learn more and register, click here.

In preparation of this webinar, we asked Bill a few questions on the importance of youth workforce development in afterschool programs. You can read Part 1 of the interview here and we continue with Part 2 of his responses below.

Q: Do you think that the expanded learning setting is a good place for youth workforce preparation?  
A: Absolutely! The ExL setting is where young people can feel comfortable to learn and practice the skills they want to experience, in this case “Employability Skills Workshops”.   Work is something many of them are curious about or are already very interested in, so it is a very relevant activity for them. For those high school students that will serve at the elementary school ExL programs, the relationships they have with their own ExL program staff gives them the great opportunity to watch someone they trust model what would be expected when they work with elementary students. They also are implicitly introduced to the thought of an actual ExL job after high school, and they will likely need a job if they plan to attend college.

Source: A World Fit for Kids

Q: What does youth workforce preparation have to do with the ExL worker shortage?

A: We see that we can be part of a “grow your own” workforce approach, because one of the largest pools of potential Exl Staff is the current class of high school seniors, which is a source that is replenished annually. (High school students 16 years and older might also be considered). Therefore, focusing on the implementation of strategies that will work to make HS students aware of, or have experience in this potential field of ExL employment will begin the creation of a highly desirable pipeline.  Additionally, ExL programs and participants, particularly high school students, can be partnered with to also create pathways to multiple careers in education and other human services. This because the competencies that make an ExL staff person or site coordinator successful in their position are similar to the competencies that might be needed to implement restorative practices, community schools, teaching, counseling, social work, and a whole host of other professions. Therefore, we know this workforce can be part of a variety of career paths, including and especially in the field of expanded learning itself.

I do like participating as a staff assistant in the middle school program. I just love it when you have someone that looks up to you, running to you asking what class you’re helping that day. It feels good helping others. I also enjoy this role because they’re not the only ones learning from me; engaging with them helps me learn more about other things.” - HS youth, Richmond Village Beacon Center, SF, Ca 

Q: What form does workforce preparation usually take in ExL programs for older youth?  
A: It usually first shows up as an “Employment Skills Workshops” program (see graphic below). This is typically offered to all ExL participants. Other students may be recruited for the elementary school ExL “Work Experience Program”. Students may later use the skills learned to get a job on their own, which is clearly of great benefit to them.  

Bill Fennessy is a Program Specialist for Workforce Initiatives at the California AfterSchool Network (CAN) since February 2022. After a successful professional motorcycle road-racing career, Bill began his new career in education in 1998 with the Pasadena Unified School District as a Campus Aide.   

Early in his career Bill worked at Blair IB School serving as a School Security Officer, a 3 sport Varsity Coach, Athletic Director, and later as the Site Coordinator for Blair’s 7th-9th grade ASES Program. He later developed one of California’s first ASSETs pilot programs. The success of the program was recognized early on, and it also provided the opportunities for him to become a pioneer, innovator, exemplary practitioner, and thought leader in High School Expanded Learning nationwide. Bill was then hired by Think Together in 2009, as its first Director of High School Programs. Once there, he successfully opened 14 ASSETs Programs across 4 Counties and 7 Districts, which all attained greater than 100% ADA in their first year of operation.  

Before leaving Think Together, Bill also led a highly successful CBO/EXLP/CTE collaborative effort to significantly increase student internships with Santa Ana USD. Bill recently served as the Director of High School Programs for A World Fit For Kids!, based in Los Angeles, and as a Consultant for the Los Angeles and Tulare Counties Offices of Education. 

Summer Fundraiser:

The How Kids Learn Foundation is hosting a summer fundraiser to support our work in 2023. Learn more here!

Preparing Youth for the Workforce in Afterschool and Building Your Own Youth Worker Pipeline (Part 1)

Source: Alexandriava.gov

By Sam Piha

We know that when asked, older youth say they are most interested in acquiring the skills needed to get a job. Also, we know that as youth program leaders, it is our job to help prepare young people for success in adulthood, which includes creating opportunities to explore careers and gather work-based skills. Afterschool, sometimes referred to as Expanded Learning (ExL), is well positioned to help older youth to acquire these skills. 

Bill Fennessy

Bill Fennessy is a Program Specialist for Workforce Initiatives at the California AfterSchool Network (CAN). I first met Bill years ago when he innovated a new high school afterschool program in Pasadena, CA. Bill was part of the first round of ASSETs (After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens) program funding. He subsequently joined Think Together as their first Director of High School Programs and continued this role later at A World Fit for Kids. We recently invited Bill to lead a How Kids Learn Speaker’s Forum webinar entitled, Preparing Youth for the Workforce in Afterschool and Building Your Own Youth Worker Pipeline. To learn more and register, click here.

In preparation of this webinar, we asked Bill a few questions on the importance of youth workforce development in afterschool programs, and his responses are below.

Q: What do you mean by workforce preparation?   

A: Preparing older youth for the workforce is giving students both the skill building instruction, practice and experience to prepared them for the employment process, and then provide additional specific preparation previous to an actual workplace environment to provide a truly beneficial experience and real context for working. Starting to expose and prepare older youth to serve in afterschool or expanded learning (ExL) elementary programs can be a significant help to developing and finding potential quality staff, thereby creating your own ExL program staffing pipeline.

Q: What do we hear from the business community in regard to preparing youth for the workforce?

A: Businesses and corporations are looking for a diverse workforce of young employees that can assimilate into the workplace smoothly, quickly, and carry themselves in a professional manner. Being able to thrive in a team environment and/or on team projects is also a highly sought ability. They are also looking more now at what an employee can actually do, rather than what level of education they have attained. Then once employed, advancing in the workplace also has far more to do with an employee’s “people-skills” than the volume of work completed. In addition, Community Colleges are considering giving credits for employment completed in general. Resumes are very important in demonstrating what skills potential employees possess, and ExL employment provides an opportunity to acquire a vast number of skills and competencies.

Q: Why is preparing youth for work and career success important for young people from low-income neighborhoods? Is there an issue of equity that we should seek to address?  

A: Preparing young people from low-income neighborhoods is absolutely critical for their success in both education and the workforce. Results from a Gallup Poll showed that 65% of underserved and youth of color will take their educational and career advice from someone in the workplace, over their parent, teacher, or counselor combined. Thus, it is incredibly clear that preparing and placing our underserved and youth of color in the workforce is a MUST.  

Our ExL youth participants are the diversified workforce we are looking for in our ExL programs. Having students serving in elementary ExL programs, can also be a start towards an education pathway, which should then help provide the diversified Exl workforce and potentially continuing on to the diversified teaching workforce desired.  

I would tell the other afterschool programs that it is an excellent idea to bring student youth workers to their program because it is giving them a chance to succeed in life, and they won't be just in the streets doing nothing. Instead, they will be in the programs learning about new experiences and how to be better in the future.” – HS youth, Richmond Village Beacon Center, SF, Ca 

 

Q:  Is this an appropriate concept for elementary, middle and/or high school?  

A: This is most appropriate for high school students, as they are old enough to get a work-permit from their school district. Employing high school youth in elementary school ExL programs does have a positive effect on those programs. Also, older youth students serving in our elementary school ExL programs do not require a Work-Permit, so the opportunity is open for ALL high school students. (We do avoid high school students working with middle school students to avoid potential over-identification issues.) 

Bill Fennessy is a Program Specialist for Workforce Initiatives at the California AfterSchool Network (CAN). Bill was part of the first round of ASSETs (After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens) programs funding. He subsequently joined Think Together as their first Director of High School Programs and continued this role later at A World Fit for Kids, before joining CAN.

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Feedback from the Field

By Sam Piha

We recently issued an online survey of those that have attended our conferences and Speaker’s Forums. The purpose of the survey was to assist us with planning for 2017-18, especially as it relates to our promotion of SEL and character building. We received 59 survey responses. 

We were surprised by some of the responses. Below we share this data with our comments beneath. 

Photo credit: focusforhealth.org

• Most of the survey respondents were either technical assistance providers or oversee one or more afterschool or summer programs.

While it is important to reach line staff, it may be more important to reach program leaders who can then direct appropriate training for line staff. 

• A vast majority of respondents have been working in the field of afterschool

for many years (55% – more than 10 years; 26% - 5-10 years). 

While there is high turnover among line staff, there is a large number of people who have made afterschool a career. 

• Nearly 45% of respondents replied that educational events or activities to build awareness and gain buy-in from parents are strongly needed. Nearly 43% replied that it is somewhat needed. 

We believe that activities that target parents are important. However, this population has been largely ignored. We can learn more about the challenges of engaging parents of afterschool participants and what is needed. 

• Over 65% of respondents replied that educational events or activities to build awareness and buy-in from educators are strongly needed. Nearly 29% replied that it is somewhat needed. 

It is clear that because many afterschool programs are housed in schools and receive funds from the Department of Education, we need to do a better job of reaching out to and targeting educators. This is reflected in our current support of the CORE Districts to integrate social emotional learning and the promoting of mindfulness to counselors and SAP staff.  

• When asked to rank five challenges for programs that seek to integrate strategies that promote character building and SEL, two issues were ranked the highest: “lack of training dollars” and “lack of time for professional development”.

The issue of lack of time is partially due to the high prevalence of part-time staff and volunteers and budget restrictions. Thus, it is important that we reach full-time program coordinators and other technical assistance providers with low-cost and convenient learning opportunities.

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You can read other blogs by the LIAS project by going to: 

• Expanded Learning 360°/365 Project website
• LIAS Blog Written for the California Afterschool Network