Greetings CAPP, PREP, and SRAE Family,

Since March of 2020, we have worked with you all more intimately than ever. You have shared your success and heartbreaks with us, allowed us into your homes, introduced us to your family (those with fur and those without), and treated us with kindness and understanding when we struggled. It all has been a very humbling and an incredibly human experience.

Thank you.

And now, two and a half years after what we thought would be a “two-week break,” we begin to ease into a version of “before.”  For the Training and TA team, this means a return to some in-person trainings and observations, to start with. Like you, we have learned a lot about programming and participants during this time. Moving forward, you may see changes in the way we offer trainings and webinars, as we look for the best methods to bring you the high-quality trainings you are used to, both practically and efficiently.

Specifically, we will be:

• Piloting different structures of some trainings,
• Returning to a 4-6-month training calendar,
• Reducing the number of monthly Learning Communities, and
• Scheduling observations of programming on-site.

We know the return to in-person training may cause a little anxiety for some of you (us too!), but please be assured safety is a priority.

Over the next couple of weeks, as we roll out the longer training calendar, please keep in mind the following:

• We try to offer one downstate and one upstate option for each training. Generally, upstate will take place in Ithaca and downstate in Manhattan.
• We can also offer on-site training with enough participants, space, and planning. Supervisors, please reach out to me if you’d like to discuss this further.
• We cannot offer both virtual and in-person options for every training.
• For in-person trainings, we will be prioritizing registration to new staff/those who have not gone through the training/workshop before. If there is a large response to any training, we will look to offer a second option soon after.

Finally, we thank you in advance for your patience and invite you to a larger discussion we will be having around what to expect with our return to in-person trainings during an office hours session with the Training Team on Thursday, September 8, at 10:00. Register here.

Thank you and hope all is well,

~ Heather Wynkoop Beach, Director of Training and Technical Assistance

EVALUATION. It can feel like a heavy word, one with a lot of judgement! But we all evaluate in our everyday lives, even though we don’t always call it that. Evaluation helps us make decisions, determine how well previous decisions are working out, and create data summaries we can share with others to demonstrate the success of our efforts.

The ACT for Youth evaluation team is launching a monthly web meeting all about evaluation. The goal of the series, “Making Evaluation Fun and Pleasurable,” is to demystify evaluation, build your knowledge about and capacity to conduct evaluations, and create a space to talk one-to-one or in small groups about your SRAE, CAPP, or PREP program evaluation.

The first part of each meeting (about 15 minutes) will focus on an evaluation-related topic or skill. The rest of the hour will be open for your questions and/or a time to talk with your TA/evaluation team about YOUR program’s data. Please join us! We’ll meet 11:00 – noon on the 2nd Thursday of each month, starting April 14.

~ Mandy

Thank you to all who completed evaluations for the 2021 BWIAH Provider Meeting! Here’s a snapshot of what CAPP, PREP, and SRAE folks thought about how it went overall, with some ACT for Youth perspective salted in here and there.

What are the best months for your group to attend the BWIAH provider meeting? (Check all that apply).

CAPP, PREP, and SRAE respondents indicated that the best months are May and July, closely followed by August.

• This result was a bit different from the other providers that participate in the event. For everyone else, May has little competition.
• In comments, a couple of people pointed out that it is difficult to have the event during the school year. Nevertheless, May continues to be the clear winner for the Provider Meeting. The ACT for Youth training team has taken note of the popularity of the summer months for professional development and may be able to shift some trainings to the summer next year.

Do you prefer a free virtual or an in-person meeting with a registration fee?

Interestingly, 40% of CAPP/PREP/SRAE respondents were neutral on this question, while 36% prefer a free virtual event and 25% prefer to gather in person. In comments, people were certainly torn, missing seeing everyone but appreciating the flexibility of the virtual event.

Overall organization and communication

While the Provider Meeting got high marks overall for its accessibility, clear instructions, advance notice, and registration, there were suggestions for improvements in structure and communication:

• Schedule: Having the meeting spread out over 4 days was not entirely popular. Some folks also commented that an hour between sessions was too long. Given the comments, people seemed to want a more concentrated event (fewer days, maybe more sessions per day, with less time between sessions.)
• Emails: There were a LOT! Many people felt they got too many emails. For some, emails went into junk folders. Lesson learned: have fewer reminder emails from the event service and be sure that a few key instructions come from ACT for Youth.

CAPP/PREP/SRAE provider group meeting with DOH program advisers

While 66% of participants found this meeting valuable, there were some suggestions for next time. Stating the purpose of the meeting up front would have been helpful. Some of you would have liked to hear more of an update from DOH on what is happening around the state, and some wanted more of a focus on program issues. In general the evaluations showed that people do want more contact with their DOH program advisers.

Overall Content

There were lots of nice comments about the content and presenters overall, such as “I loved the sessions that I attended and thought that the presenters were excellent.” Many people asked about recordings, and you can find everything that was recorded, along with slides, on the 2021 BWIAH Provider Meeting web page.

Of course, we can always improve!

• Lack of content warnings was problematic in a number of the presentations. Considering our theme was trauma, that was not very trauma-informed!
• A couple of commenters pointed out that we may have gone in too heavily on the theme—they would have appreciated a wider variety of topics.

Looking Ahead

Thank you again to everyone who completed the survey! Don’t see your opinion represented here? You can leave it in the comments—and remember to fill out the evaluation next year. We really do listen! Planning for next year is underway and we are using your feedback as a guide.

~ Karen

Collabs! Office Hours! Webinars! Oh, my! Check out what your SRAE training calendar for February has to offer (clickable PDF).

At a time when face-to-face trainings are not feasible, please join us for a series of webinars exploring positive youth development (PYD) and its core principles and strategies. Drawing from the PYD 101 training curriculum we will introduce updated material and new resources. Although the PYD 101 training was developed with professionals new to the field of youth work in mind, it may serve as a good refresher for experienced youth work professionals.

July 7 at 10:00AM – PYD I: Foundations

In this webinar we will define positive youth development and explore key theoretical frameworks and research findings. We will also summarize the current understanding of adolescent development.

Register for PYD I here.

July 10 at 10:00AM – PYD II: Positive Youth Development Outcomes

One important principle of PYD is to focus on building positive youth outcomes instead of preventing or fixing problematic behavior. We will take a look at different outcome models. In addition, we will discuss and practice strategies for building positive outcomes through a strength-based approach.

Register for PYD II here.

July 14 at 10:00AM – PYD III: Youth Voice and Engagement

Another key principle of PYD is youth voice and engagement. We will explore ways to provide young people with meaningful roles and responsibilities. Authentic youth engagement, however, does not happen without addressing barriers such as adultism and other forms of adult resistance.

Register for PYD III here.

July 21 at 10:00AM – PYD IV: Youth Development Programming

In this final webinar we will review features of effective youth development programming, reflect on inclusive program environments, and explore youth-centered learning approaches and resources.

Register for PYD IV here.

~ Jutta

The full May Training Calendar is now online, chock full of selections for your professional development during quarantine. Register through the calendar by clicking on any event that catches your eye.

I want to highlight a special web meeting that will presented for us by Regina Firpo-Triplett of dFusion/ETR: Introducing SkillFlix. SkillFlix is a web-based application specifically designed for educators who teach sexual health to adolescents. It is centered around a streaming library of brief videos that model critical educator skills and micro-skills using real-life scenarios. The scenarios focus on answering sensitive questions and being inclusive of LGBTQ youth. This virtual professional development tool will be made available to SRAE, CAPP, and PREP, from mid-May through mid-July only. Register for the May 14, 2pm Introducing SkillFlix meeting to find out more and learn how to access this excellent—but time-limited–resource.

Also, the popular Reading Club is back beginning May 15. We will post reading selections (and sometimes a video) each Monday on the blog. If you have articles to suggest, please let us know any time!

~ Jutta

We had to postpone this year’s provider meeting in Albany, but thanks to your colleagues’ willingness to step up we are bringing you a Virtual Provider Meeting! During the first week in May, everyone is welcome to choose from any of the offerings below, or come to them all. There is no limit on the number of staff who may participate. (With so many other choices, there will not be a meeting of the reading club this week.)

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

9:30 AM

Findings from the Adolescent Sexual Health Research Study

Presented by Amanda Purington, ACT for Youth
Join Mandy for a deep dive into what we learned from young people and practitioners in New York State.

Register here for Findings from the Adolescent Sexual Health Research Study.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

9:00 AM

ACEs and Resiliency

Presented by Jutta Dotterweich, ACT for Youth
The Adverse Childhood Experiences study (ACEs) changed how we think about trauma and support for people who have experienced or live with trauma. Similarly, resiliency studies have altered how we understand people’s ability to overcome adversity. In this webinar we will draw on key findings of both investigations to identify themes and strategies that will help us support young people as they navigate the traumatic experiences of living through the COVID-19 crisis.

Register here for ACEs and Resiliency.

10:30 AM

Self-Care and Other Things You Don’t Have Time For

Presented by Heather Wynkoop Beach, ACT for Youth
In the everyday world, self-care can easily become an afterthought. Seven weeks into a global pandemic, it is right up there with food, shelter, and Netflix. Spend an hour with us learning small–and maybe even some unconventional–self-care strategies to help you make it through.

Register here for Self-Care and Other Things You Don’t Have Time For.

2:00 PM

Panel: Current Social Media Outreach Efforts

Presented by staff from Community Health Care Network, AIDS Community Resources, St. Lawrence Health, and Center for Community Alternatives
Find examples of how providers are using social media here: https://bit.ly/capp-prep-social-media

Register here for Current Social Media Outreach Efforts.

Thursday, May 7, 2020

9:00 AM

Growing Youth Educators: Teaching Beyond the “Manual”

Presented by Teresa Casullo, CAPP Manager Planned Parenthood of Greater New York Region 2 (formerly Hudson Peconic)
The goal of the session is to provide professionals who work with peer educators or youth groups the space to learn how to deepen training and support for our most valuable resource: young people, and adequately prepare them with the skills and confidence to respond to the broad range of informational and value-based questions they may encounter. Both seasoned and new youth group leaders are welcome to learn and share experiences.

Register here for Growing Youth Educators.

10:30 AM

Talking Pleasure: Creating Opportunities in Sex Education to Incorporate Pleasure

Presented by Ema Eyasmin (she/her), Youth Programs Coordinator, and
Dolores Polanco (she/her), Senior Sexuality Educator,
Planned Parenthood of Greater New York
This workshop will share innovative strategies Planned Parenthood of Greater New York’s Education and Training Department has used to create spaces outside of traditional workshop settings for meaningful discussions about pleasure. We will share how activities, such as interactive games, and programming, such as our “pop-up”-shops-styled outreach and our TED-talk-styled college tours allowed us to engage youth in pleasure and sexual health conversations. Participants will also develop one idea to incorporate pleasure into their own programming.

Register here for Talking Pleasure.

2:00 PM

Building Bridges: Fostering Positive Youth Development Through School and Community Engagement

Presented by Genesis Ramos and Margot Balzer, Hudson River Health Care
Positive youth development requires a multidimensional and interdisciplinary approach in order to close gaps and create enabling environments. In this workshop the importance of school and community engagement will be discussed, as well as best practices in achieving successful engagement. Ways to be responsive during COVID-19 will be discussed as well. Participants will also explore why working together enhances programmatic outcomes beyond grant requirements and organizational missions.

Register here for Building Bridges.