Virtual Community of Practice

The West Virginia Statewide Afterschool Network is pleased to announce a virtual Community of Practice opportunity for afterschool program providers funded through support from the Claude W. Benedum Foundation. This professional learning opportunity will focus on afterschool program quality best practices and allow participants to field test and provide feedback regarding the newly revised and updated West Virginia Afterschool Program Quality Standards. This professional learning opportunity is pending WV STARS credit hours.

Applications will be accepted from organizations that provide afterschool programming to school-age children and youth (K-12th grades) in any of the following settings: 

• Childcare centers serving school-age children and youth 

• Community-based programs 

• Faith-based programs serving the general public 

• Licensed Out-of-School-Time programs 

• School-based programs

Participants will engage with research on the importance and impact of program quality on positive youth outcomes, explore the fully revised West Virginia Afterschool Program Quality Standards, complete a program self-assessment utilizing the Program Quality Self-assessment tool, and develop and implement a program quality improvement action plan. In addition to field testing and providing feedback on the West Virginia Afterschool Program Quality Standards and self-assessment tool, participants will have the opportunity to help identify the top ten standards for programs just getting started with the program quality standards and provide feedback on how the West Virginia Statewide Afterschool Network should approach future program quality professional learning opportunities. 

A $3,000 award will be given to support program participation in the virtual Community of Practice and cover costs associated with implementing a program quality improvement action plan. 

Find out more about this opportunity and apply online.