When young people are comfortable, unafraid and engaged there is less need for you to impose order. Come to this workshop to explore ways to create program environments where children experience mutual respect, empowerment and excitement for learning. We will discuss discipline strategies based on solutions instead of punishment, encouragement instead of fear.

Working with kids is stressful. In this workshop, we explore ways for staff to keep their cool even when young people challenge them to lose it. When staff can remain calm, kind and assertive in stressful situations, they can expand their options for how to respond to stress, and help young people do the same.

Effective group management is one of the most important skills to master for working with young people. In this workshop, you will learn the key elements of effective group management, including the creative use of rules, giving participants interesting roles, group activities that help students interact more and increase teamwork. You will also learn to help students communicate more effectively when things don’t go their way.

In order to work effectively with youth, we need a basic understanding of how they develop, their needs and their assets. This workshop summarizes key research into child and youth development with a focus on how to create programs that are appropriate for the young people you work with.

A key resource for any educator or program director is building positive relationships. However, sometimes people don’t want to play nice. In this workshop, we will explore strategies for dealing with the occasionally challenging behavior of colleagues, parents and other key afterschool stakeholders.

This workshop will show after-school staff how to help young people see that they have many options for their own behavior, even in stressful situations. Participants will explore and practice ways they can help children learn to express their feelings clearly and non-violently, and make positive choices for how they act.

When staff are encouraged to bring all their talents and strengths to the job, everyone benefits – especially the kids. This workshop will help site directors build strong and open communities that are inclusive of staff’s and young people’s diverse talents, backgrounds and interests.

Writing clear and engaging activity plans can be difficult and confusing for many afterschool staff. This workshop goes in-depth into the curriculum development process. Participants will learn how to develop clear learning goals, create session outlines based on themes and practice writing and facilitating activities that they produce. Staff will also understand how they can connect these activities to the overall work and mission of their organization.

Every young person brings unique skills, talents and leadership potential to your afterschool program. By engaging youth in meaningful leadership opportunities, educators can foster healthier learning environments, while instilling the confidence youth need to become active citizens in their schools and communities. This workshop introduces activities, strategies and ways for youth to become involved in social action projects.

Teambuilding games are a great way to create a positive spirit in your group. They can also be used to energize and focus the group and burn off stress. In this workshop, we will discuss and explore different types of energizers: icebreakers, communication & team building activities and getting to know each other activities.

This workshop will draw from the 4 “B“s of recruiting and retaining high school youth: be real, be yourself, be respectful and build informal relationships. In addition to the 4 “B“s, the workshop will provide specific strategies that get youth coming back to your program.

One of the greatest assets of afterschool programs is that they are an opportunity for young people to discuss personal and social issues in a safe and encouraging environment. In this workshop, we introduce and practice strategies to facilitate meaningful group conversations.

Looking to develop a college preparation summer program? This workshop will present a model college preparation and leadership academy. Created at Opening Doors and Building Bridges Youth Development Program, in New York City, this workshop will provide steps towards developing an effective college preparation program.

This workshop will walk participants through the process of establishing an effective youth internship program, including identifying possible internship placements, setting goals and objectives for the program and provide sample handouts, including a manual for interns as well as internship supervisors.

As immigrant youth and families move to into new communities, many face a host of unique challenges and barriers to accessing culturally competent services, education, and support. This workshop will introduce participants to the immigrant experience in the United States, strategize effective ways to create a culturally competent program and discuss how to build useful resources for immigrant youth and families.

Because so many afterschool programs exist within a school, we don’t always have control over what space we use. But we can do a lot with what we have! A youth friendly space, where youth feel welcomed and respected, will keep participants coming back. In this workshop, participants will learn how to intentionally organize program space to create the warmest and most appealing environment for young people.

This workshop focuses on how to be an effective adult mentor for young people, using the model that mentors should encourage young people to build on their strengths, equip them to tackle areas in need of improvement, and enable them to achieve ongoing success.

In this workshop we will discuss how to encourage young people to be active during structured and unstructured play time. There will be an introduction to the fundamental components of physical fitness and we will examine the importance of including them in your life. We will have an activity portion which will cover how to mix traditional exercise with fun and challenging games that will get children moving. Wear loose fitting clothing and sneakers. Come ready to move!

Learn some simple low-budget ways of integrating art into your afterschool environment, enriching every aspect of your program from literacy to science to club activities . . . Participants will learn practical strategies for making art in their afterschool program, explore the importance of arts in learning and create their own pieces of art. This workshop is for everyone, and is designed especially for staff who have little or no experience in the arts. This workshop is led by a professional artist.

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Today's workplace requires staff to recognize and understand the diversity that exists among their colleagues and their program participants. In this workshop, staff will develop tools for exploring these issues with their colleagues and youth in a safe, responsible, and enriching way.

Summer programs provide unique opportunities for young people to learn about and interact with the world around them through activities and trips not offered during the regular school year. Planning an engaging and effective summer program requires thoughtful preparation to ensure that young people are safe, engaged and having fun all summer long. This training will help participants understand the importance of providing intentional summer learning opportunities based on research related to "summer learning loss". Participants will leave with concrete ideas for specific trips and engaging indoor and outdoor activities they can incorporate into their summer program.

within a program by helping everyone work towards a set of common goals, and gives program staff the tools to create focused and dynamic activities. By having a set of coherent organizing principles to work from that emphasize enrichment and academic support, staff have multiple opportunities to link to various topics, school subjects and disciplines. In this workshop, participants will learn what project based learning is and how it can effectively be used to engage young people after school. Participants will leave with concrete strategies for planning and carrying out youth-centered, youth-led projects, including techniques for ongoing reflection and project assessment.