Professional Development

@AfterZone @Biomes

The AfterZone and Hub would be nothing without the dedication, passion, and investment of our network of community-based program partners, police officer-coaches, District teachers, AfterZone and Hub staff, and AmeriCorps members. That’s why we invest in our staff and partners through ongoing, year-round professional development and training.  

As part of our commitment to high-quality programs, we offer professional development opportunities to our staff and program providers, the Providence Public School District, the City of Providence, and the Rhode Island Afterschool Network. Opportunities include an introduction to positive youth development practices; cultural competency training; group facilitation strategies; youth voice, and more. We also offer opportunities for program assessment, feedback, coaching, and connecting partners in our network to allow for peer knowledge exchange.

Whether you’re offering instruction in STEM, the arts, or sports, our professional development workshops and supports give you the theory and on-the-ground practice supports you’ll need to deliver an enriching program that youth love.

Have Model, Will Travel

PASA has been community-driven and community-oriented since our inception, and we know that professional development can’t stop at training and workshops. That’s why we also provide technical assistance to communities around the country—to strengthen the national after-school systems building community. We can send specialists from our staff to your city to provide on-site technical assistance and orientations to cities that want to develop or grow their after-school systems. We’ll come to you to cover topics like:

  • Ideas and tips on operating an after-school learning system for middle school students
  • Ideas and tips on operating an out-of-school time learning system for high school students that includes clubs, career pathway opportunities, and credit-bearing programs
  • Strategies for developing a community-supported and community-embraced quality improvement system that is rooted in youth development, informed by program quality assessments, and advanced through professional development
  • Tips on how to use data and assessments for continuous program and systems improvements
  • Recommendations for establishing and sustaining an out-of-school time intermediary organization that works closely with your city, school system, and the nonprofit sector.

Bonus: Learn more about how our professional development supports youth success.