AS THE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT FIELD EVOLVES, SO DOES NAA.
One result of this effort is this revision of the NAA Core Knowledge and Competencies (CKCs) for Out-of-School Time Professionals with an eye toward equity and culturally responsive practices. In 2011, the National Institute on Out-of-School Time and other leaders’ research and recommendations resulted in the original NAA CKCs. In 2021, NAA embarked on an update conducted in partnership with Change Impact, an equity-focused, minority- and women-owned, and led consulting group enhanced by a diverse panel of field practitioners, intermediary representatives, funders, and program leaders from across the country.
THE 2021 EFFORTS RESULTED IN THE CORE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND COMPETENCIES FOR OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME PROFESSIONALS (CKSCS).
The revised version reflects updated research and best practices specific to diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism. The CKSCs focus on creating inclusive program spaces, applying antiracist principles, and designing activities and programs that center and value all identities furthering efforts toward equity. The revision includes a new content area and additional and streamlined knowledge, skills, and competencies, integrated throughout, explicitly indicating the vital role equity, inclusion, access, and antiracism play in youth work.
This edition also moves away from solely numerical levels. Instead, the framework details how knowledge and skills are developed and applied by staff regardless of their organizational role. While we cannot eliminate the practice of scoring or ranking staff in ways that may be biased or exclusionary, this shift better reflects the spirit of the framework to support professionals in their practice and career growth.
Funding from the Grantmakers for Education Afterschool & Summer Recovery and Opportunity Fund supported this work.
