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Improve Program Quality
WINTER 2020BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA
PROGRAM QUALITY IMPROVE PRIORITY 2
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Deep and life-changing impact for young people who attend Boys & Girls Clubs is a result of a highquality Club Experience. We know that investments in professional development and coaching for staff, continuous quality improvement processes, and intentional staff practices and programming create the best experiences for kids and teens. CQI is a cyclical, ongoing process that creates an environment of learning. Your national office’s partnership with the David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality allows Clubs to access the key elements of the evidencebased Youth Program Quality Intervention (YPQI) at a reduced cost. This process is now available to all Clubs through the new CQI Toolkit at CQIToolkit.org, which supports Clubs in beginning to implement CQI, no matter their size or resources. Start with the Readiness Diagnostic, which will assess your current practices and provide results and guidance to kickstart your CQI journey. Interested in signing up for a virtual quality network to receive ongoing technical support and coaching from your national office? Email CQIToolkit@BGCA.org to learn more.
The Club Experience increased from 38% in 2018 to 40% in 2019, representing more than 50,000 additional members having the kind of experiences that impact their outcomes. An evaluation of key Club Experience efforts found that Clubs with high engagement in two of our leading strategies – the Club Director’s Academy (CDA) and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) – saw increases in their members’ Club Experience that were better than the norm. On average, CDA participants increased 4 percentage points and CQI participants increased 4.5 percentage points, compared to 2.4 percentage points for those that didn’t participate. In addition, 80% of sites that participated in CQI demonstrated improvement on an external assessment of staff practice.
Youth Development Training CDAs provide training on leadership and Guide to Trainings Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Your guide to Spillett Leadership University professional development opportunities available to local Club staff at every level through Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
management practices that support program quality. In 2019, more than 800 people attended a CDA; in 2020, we aim to reach 500 people. This year, youth development training will transition from Youth Development
Resource Development Professionals, CEOs and Managers • Advancing Philanthropy Workshops Workshops support the advancement of resource development skills across a range of topics, such as: Major Gifts Revenue Diversification Comprehensive Campaigns Culture of Philanthropy • Resource Development Orientation Prepares RD professionals for success as part of the Movement. • Resource Development Academy 1-day training supports knowledge and tools around meeting fundraising goals. • Resource Development Exchange – Bridge Conference Learn fundraising best practices from across the nonprofit sector. • Lilly School of Philanthropy Advanced RD professionals experience high-level leadership enrichment and networking. Board Members, CEOs, Management Professionals • New Executive Orientation: Parts 1 & 2 Prepares CEOs for success as a Club leader. • BGCA Regional & National Conferences Network, recharge and collaborate on latest regional and Movement-wide strategies and initiatives. • Advanced Leadership Program (ALP) Leaders increase leadership skills through coaching and feedback techniques. • CEO Mastery & Legacy Experiences Tenured CEOs experience field-leading leadership development through partnerships with Harvard, Stanford, GILD and more. Prereq: 5+ years as CEO; invitation only Operations, Finance, Human Resources Professionals • HR/Finance Exchange 2-day event for Club HR and finance professionals provides exposure to subject-matter experts, professional networking and discussion surrounding best practices. • Operations Directors Exchange Operational staff accelerate capabilities in HR, finance, resource development and operations. Operations, Club Directors, Managers • Club Directors Academy 3-day opportunity to learn strategies and coaching to support staff in building a high-quality Club Experience with a four-month follow-up for best practices implementation. • Advanced Leadership Program (ALP): High-Quality Club Experience Leaders create quality improvement plans through data measurement and analysis. • Inside Out Coaching Supervisors learn to coach for improvement in 1-day session.
Institutes (YDIs) to local trainings that will ensure regular, locally delivered training that supports more Clubs. The National Trainers Initiative (NTI) is designed to provide opportunities for every Boys & Girls Club organization to have their own certified trainer(s). In 2019, your national office prepared 154 trainers, most of whom are “trainer of trainers” – Club professionals who will be able to train local trainers. Embedding certified trainers within organizations will allow you to conduct your own professional development trainings and collaborate with other local organizations to host learning events, such as All Staff Conferences. Key benefits for Clubs include more access to facilitators and trainings; more professional development opportunities; and enhanced facilitation techniques that increase organizational capacity, enhance program quality and improve the Club Experience for youth and teens.
If you are interested in becoming a certified National Trainer, please go to BGCA.net/ NTI or email training@BGCA.org for details. Executive leaders within organizations and DODs are currently assisting with recruitment of NTI candidates in various regions.
WINTER 2020BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA
PROGRAM QUALITY IMPROVE PRIORITY 2
National Trainers Initiative Thank you to these individuals and their Boys & Girls Club Organizations for investing in increasing professional development opportunities for Youth Development Professionals. All of these trainers are certified to facilitate 12 new foundational trainings for youth development professionals. Want to bring a trainer to your organization or become a trainer? Visit BGCA.net/NTI to learn more.
CERTIFIED TRAINERS OF TRAINERS Katherine Adams BGCA Matt Arkin BGCA Ziggy Asfaw BGCA Ana Baggiano Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany Angie Barber Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana Lauren Barineau BGCA Wyatt Bevis Boys & Girls Clubs of the Ocoee Region Coco Black BGCA Randy Bouck Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County Andrea Bracco Boys & Girls Club of Clifton Ron Brangman Boys & Girls Clubs of Union County Crystal Brown BGCA Heather Budzien Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix Kate Buechner BGCA James Bulmer Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area, Inc. Y’landa Burch Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Baltimore Kendra Calhoun Harlan County Boys & Girls Club, Inc. Heather Campbell BGCA Joshua Campbell Boys & Girls Club of Maury County Dana Carpenter The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of North & South Carolina Keisha Caruthers Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis, Inc. Susan Ciavolino BGCA Chris Corrado BGCA Dollneshia Cunningham BGCA Amelia Davis Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta Roshunnia Dennis Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta Johnny DiBartolo BGCA Alise Dixon BGCA Paul Dorey Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware Kirk Douglas BGCA Julie Dube Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford Molly Eller Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lewis Clark Valley Rachel Falgout BGCA Abigayle Fidler BGCA KaTrina Flournoy Boys & Girls Club of North Central Georgia Nestor Frausto Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast Katina Fuller-Scott Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee Tonantzin Gamboa Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago Tonantzin Gamboa Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago Sarah Gettler Santa Fe Boys & Girls Club Michelle Gomez Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles Tabetha Gray Boys & Girls Clubs of Hutchinson Rachel Greene-Wilber BGCA Sarah Grizzle BGCA Roscelyn Guenther Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota County Jennifer Hall Boys & Girls Club of BloomingtonNormal Emily Hardy Boys & Girls Club of West Chester/ Liberty Deja Harris Olivet Boys & Girls Club of Reading & Berks County Dianely Heredia BGCA Brenda Higginbotham Boys & Girls Clubs of Hutchinson Amy Hill Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence Brian Hill BGCA Clarke Hill BGCA Robyn Hill PAC Regional Consultant Henry Hipps Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta Sinclair Hollingsworth Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club Michael Hosier Boys & Girls Club of Lodi Katherine Huckaby Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago Lori Huggins McGary PAC Regional Consultant Keana Ingram Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago Nicole Jackson Boys & Girls Clubs of Bellevue Stacy Kain Boys & Girls Clubs of King County Anna Kawar BGCA Niki Kiruki Boys & Girls Club of Springfield Christine Kotula BGCA Shannon Lake BGCA Katie Lee BGCA Libby Lescalleet Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia
WINTER 2020BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA
PROGRAM QUALITY IMPROVE PRIORITY 2
Wanda Lewis Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County Jonathan Lupisan Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County Kimberly Madrigal Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix Alfredo Mata Boys & Girls Club of Pharr Billy Mawhiney Boys & Girls Clubs of the Sioux Empire Nikki McClain Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta Jeremy McCoy Boys & Girls Clubs of the Central Savannah River Area Michelle Middleton Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama Martavius Mims Boys & Girls Club of Bowling Green Kentucky - War Memorial Unit. Inc. Rebeka Mirza Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley Jessica Moore Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Alabama Kari Nervig Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee Tonny Oliver Boys & Girls Club of North Mississippi Elaina Ouimet BGCA Eric Osborne BGCA Greg Parker BGCA Tiffany Parker Boys & Girls Clubs of Brazos Valley Juan Perez Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania Meg Pitman BGCA Issa Prescott BGCA Rachel Price Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley Beth Price-Feeney Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson Jacobie Proctor Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Peoria Laura Ramirez Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County, Inc. Sharon Ramos Boys & Girls Clubs of Carson Jennifer Raymond Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee Kimberly Reaves Boys & Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley Gregory Reinholt Boys & Girls Club of Clifton Adriana Rendon Boys & Girls Clubs of Edinburg Rio Grande Valley Cheryl Rice Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware Karen Robertson Boys & Girls Club of North Central Georgia Laurie Rodriguez BGCA Amanda Ruckel BGCA Stacy Ruff BGCA Lacey Salas Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbus Kristin Saldivar Boys & Girls Clubs of Fresno County Jamar Sampson Boys & Girls Clubs of the Coastal Plain Paul Scire BGCA Lesa Sexton BGCA Lindsay Simms Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence Dorothy Singleton Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama Jessica Slaby Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay Kelley Smith Boys & Girls Club of Fauquier Faith Stamps Boys & Girls Clubs of the Danville Area Emily Stanfill Boys & Girls Clubs of Weld County Lisa Sunarth BGCA Shawonda Swain Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford Tiffany Thornton BGCA Kyle Thyen Boys & Girls Club of Watertown Irma Velasco-Nunez BGCA Laura Wagner Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence Alden Ward Southeast Regional Consultant DeLauren White Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lowcountry Randy Wilkens BGCA Brandon Williams Boys & Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley LaFonda Williams BGCA
Virginia Wright Boys & Girls Club of Elizabethton/ Carter County Leatha Young Boys & Girls Clubs of Mitchell County Shing Yu BGCA CERTIFIED TRAINERS Carli Adams BGCA Crystal Bieter Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities Rushonia Blanche Boys & Girls Club of Jefferson City Rebecca Brown BGCA Dawn Brunson BGCA Amanda Buchholz Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles Talisa Burke BGCA Mitru Ciarlante BGCA Pam Clarke BGCA Valentin Cuellar Boys & Girls Club of Venice Gregory Doss BGCA Kate Endries BGCA Terri Fishback BGCA Cherima Folston Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket Jamie Gilmore Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Alabama Jason Godinez Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago
WINTER 2020BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA
PROGRAM QUALITY IMPROVE PRIORITY 2
Tanisha Grimes BGCA Omar Guessous BGCA Arizaid Guzman Boys & Girls Clubs of Lanier, Inc. Sam Hallam Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Missouri Travis Hanes Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Alabama Liji Hanny Boys & Girls Club of Benton Harbor Daniel Herb BGCA Kenton Holder Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence Eric Jackson Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Georgia Zaynah Johnson BGCA Patricia Lee-Hines Boys & Girls Clubs of Mercer County, Inc. Tiffany Maynard Boys & Girls Clubs of Gordon, Murray, and Whitfield Counties Sharrod McClusky BGCA LaQuinta McGhee Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee Rhode Moise Watertown Boys & Girls Club Nikki Moss Boys & Girls Clubs of Gordon, Murray, and Whitfield Counties Pamela Nealey Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan Wanda Newton Boys & Girls Clubs of Lanier, Inc. Candice Ninfo Olivet Boys & Girls Club of Reading & Berks County Rivers Odendahl BGCA Kharimasud Olufemi BGCA Angela O’Neil Boys & Girls Clubs of North Alabama Larissa O’Rourke Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem, Inc. Leticia Paige Boys & Girls Club of Fort Wayne Stephen Parrish Boys & Girls Clubs of Gordon, Murray, and Whitfield Counties Eve Respess BGCA Maxwell Roy Boys & Girls Club of Washington County, Inc. Laura Ruffin BGCA Jose Sanchez Boys & Girls Club of Venice Gary Scheer BGCA Rachel Smith BGCA Salma Solis Boys & Girls Club of West San Gabriel Valley Kristine Steinmann Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Georgia Kasha Taylor Boys & Girls Clubs of Gordon, Murray, and Whitfield Counties Zackhary Todd Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama Joye Tolley BGCA Monica Trimble BGCA Catherine Vowell BGCA Sabrina Walker-Hernandez Boys & Girls Clubs of Edinburg Rio Grande Valley Rachel Williams BGCA
Feature S tory
By Sarah Grizzle
Playing to their Strengths: Club Members and Esports
Esports is organized, competitive video gaming, and it is on the rise both in the U.S. and globally. Players face off in leagues with playoffs just like traditional sports and are watched by viewers largely online. According to CNN, 380 million people worldwide watched esports in 2018, and revenue will pass $1 billion in 2019. What happens in the culture usually finds its way to the Clubhouse, and esports is no exception. While esports cut across age groups, it is particularly popular with youth and teens. “We go where youth lead us,” said Abi Fidler, Director of Youth Development at Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “They are already gaming online, so our job is to be there to provide a positive and productive experience.” Following their lead, your national office hosted our first-ever esports championship in April of 2018, featuring Clubs from San Diego, Buffalo, Los Angeles, Seattle, Atlanta and Columbus. The ability to connect youth nationwide is a bonus, according to Abi: “What’s exciting is that esports tournaments can bring Clubs together that wouldn’t normally get to interact, and it allows youth to feel connected and get a better picture of the scale of the Movement.” Feedback from Clubs that participated in the esports tournament was overwhelmingly positive. Both staff and youth want to continue playing, and the data showed that esports could become an important recruitment and retention tool, with 75% of youth responding they would bring friends who don’t currently attend the Club to play esports. Local Clubs are jumping on board. At Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, staff have been putting together a strategic plan to launch their own esports program. “We had to make sure we had all the needed equipment and internet capabilities, and connected with community partners to help facilitate,” said Director DeRon Bethea. The Club is planning to run the program at eight locations initially, launching in January with an NBA 2K esports tournament alongside their traditional basketball league. “We’ll be playing basketball both physically and mentally,” said DeRon. For youth who don’t participate in traditional sports, esports can be a vehicle for gaining many of the same positive benefits. Good sportsmanship, healthy competition, leadership and pro-social skills can be developed through participation in organized esports, as well as learning how to engage safely online. In Dallas, Club staff are linking their esports programming to Netsmartz digital safety, Triple Play Social Recreation and STEM concepts. The worldwide network of gamers also gives youth opportunities to connect with others who share their interests, including communities they may not have access to at home.
Esports can also provide tangible benefits. Colleges and universities are increasingly offering esports scholarships, and as the industry grows, professional opportunities are, too, from player to manager to designer, and even commentator and analyst careers similar to broadcast sports. “We were interested in video games already, but when we saw a 16-year-old kid win $3 million at a Fortnite tournament? We thought, well, we have some talented kids too, we need to get them into these opportunities,” said DeRon. “Our youth can’t wait,” said DeRon. “They always want to play games, and now we are going to be able to use them in a meaningful program. It will bring all these different elements together so they can learn things they will take through their lives.”
Want to bring esports to your Club? • Use the Club Technology Planning Guide to ensure you have the most up-to-date policies and digital capabilities. • Read the biweekly BGCA.net eblasts for announcements on national and local gaming partnerships.
Contact Abi Fidler at afidler@BGCA.org to learn more or share how you are already using video games in your Club.
WINTER 2020BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA
PROGRAM QUALITY IMPROVE PRIORITY 2
Measuring Quality When it comes to how our Movement measures program quality, Club feedback and research have yielded two important learnings: to provide a fuller picture of program quality, we need to expand and update our approach to measurement. To drive continuous learning, planning and improvement, Clubs benefit from assessing quality more than once a year, as well as using more than one method of measurement. Thus, your national office has been expanding how program quality is measured to include experiences of youth and family; youth development practices; and Club environment and structure. These tools will be available to Clubs through the new Pulse Checks Guide that will be released in May 2020. In response to Club feedback, we are also updating National Youth Outcomes Initiative (NYOI) Club Experience measures in 2020. The updating and enhancing of NYOI Club Experience questions is being led by a workgroup of Club professionals from across the country and your national team. Updates include: • Refining language to ensure questions, instructions and response options are accessible for all; • Addressing missing content while maintaining alignment with the Five Key Elements for Positive Youth Development (for example, we added questions that measure peer interactions, exposure to new experiences, and influence over Club environment); and • Bringing together knowledge from Clubs and research to ensure the questions we ask are practical, actionable and scientifically valid. These updates were pilot tested in July 2019 with over 18,000 members across 449 Clubs to test the validity and reliability of the measures. Updated Club Experience measures will be shared in the spring before being incorporated into the NYOI member survey beginning in 2021.
