Connect. Learn. Grow.
During this unique time in history, afterschool professionals and leaders must meet the moment by finding new ways to connect, learn, and grow. Introducing - NAA Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). We can’t gather in person at the NAA Convention, so let’s connect virtually and with great intentionality!
The NAA PLCS are designed to inspire meaningful connections where participants join expert facilitators for collaborative guided learning experiences focused on the most important topics in afterschool.
Each PLC experience includes the following over 6-8 weeks starting mid-March:
- Minimum of 5 hours live virtual facilitated interactive learning
- Up to 5 hours of self-paced learning activities
- NAA certificate of completion showing 10+ PD hours
- End of PLC celebration
Spring PLC Sessions:
Spring PLCs start mid-March and run for up to 8 weeks depending on topic and facilitator design. Descriptions and details are included below.
Who Should Participate
Afterschool professionals and leaders committed to their own professional growth. Communities are primarily targeted to those at the proficient and advanced levels (Levels 3 and 4) of NAA’s Core Knowledge and Competencies for Afterschool and Youth Development Professionals. Developing and master professionals will also benefit.
Afterschool professionals and leaders looking for connections along with content - those committed to their own professional growth. Communities are targeted to those at the developing, proficient and advanced levels (Levels 2-4) of NAA’s Core Knowledge and Competencies for Afterschool and Youth Development Professionals.
Registration*
The cost to participate is $150 per PLC.
Registration deadline for Spring cohorts is March 5, 2021.
Participation is limited, so register today!
*If registration for a specific PLC does not meet the required minimum enrollment, NAA reserves the right to cancel or combine PLCs.
Registration fees are non-refundable but may be transferred to another person or professional learning community (PLC) before March 5, 2021. However, should NAA cancel a PLC due to low enrollment, participants are eligible for refunds or may transfer to an open PLC.
Spring 2021 Professional Learning Communities:
Superpowers for Supervisors
Facilitator: Marissa Badgley, Founder & CEO, Reloveution
Dig into your personal leadership style and philosophy, while learning and applying skills/mindsets that are beneficial to supervising, motivating, and engaging the human beings on your teams. Each live session will focus on a different supervisory superpower and how to use, apply, and strengthen that superpower in participants’ unique contexts. We will also explore supervisors' kryptonite, and how we can avoid becoming the "bad boss" we have all had. Between live sessions, participants will engage in short but impactful Superhero Challenges designed to stimulate deeper learning, reflection, and growth.
CKCs Content Area 10
Community Designed For CKCs Level 3, Emerging and Developing Leaders
Read more about the session dates and participant takeaways here.
Developing Essential STEM Facilitation Skills
Facilitator: Perrin Chick, ACRES Project at Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance
Are you an afterschool professional interested in building skills to confidently facilitate STEM learning for young people? Presented by Afterschool Coaching for Reflective Educators in STEM (ACRES) and the National AfterSchool Association, this professional learning community will help you develop two skills identified as key to quality programming and youth outcomes: Asking Purposeful Questions and Integrating Youth Voice and Choice. Join us to participate in hands-on activities, reflection on videos of practice, and peer coaching. Not only will you build essential skills, but you’ll have the bonus of developing career changing relationships and the ability to apply for recognition and Micro-Credentials through NAA’s Professional Credentialing System.
CKCs Content Areas 1-5
Community Designed For CKCs Levels 2 and 3, Developing and Proficient Professionals
Read more about the session dates and participant takeaways here.
Best Summer Ever! Leveraging the Summer Learning Toolkit for Continuous Improvement
Facilitators: Desiree Morales, Ryan Berlin and Katie Willse, The Learning Agenda
Get ready to design and implement high-quality summer learning programs! Participants in this Professional Learning Community will draw on free resources available in the Wallace Foundation's Summer Learning Toolkit, lessons from the National Summer Learning Project, and evidence-based guidance in Getting to Work on Summer Learning, 2nd Edition. Workshops will provide guidance and resources related to key planning areas including staff professional development, student recruitment, and program operations and culture. Together we’ll create targeted, actionable feedback for each participant on their program design and/or problems of practice. We’ll explore how programs continue to prepare for the impact of COVID-19 on in-person programming and considerations for planning and implementing an online/remote or hybrid summer model.
CKCs Content Areas: 1-5, 9-10
Community Designed for CKCs Levels 2-4, developing, proficient, and advanced professionals and leaders
Read more about the session dates and participant takeaways here.
Walking the Talk of Equity and Inclusion: Creating Culturally Agile Skills and Spaces in Youth Development
Facilitator: Marcy Peake, Counselor and Consultant, The Center for Cultural Agility
Learn how to invoke, evoke, and provoke meaningful and authentic interactions to honor the identities of all who share space. Participants of this professional learning community will engage in replicable activities aligned with NAA Core Knowledge and Competencies that inspire movement along the cultural encapsulation to cultural engagement continuum, teaching all how to build and flex their cultural agility muscles while uplifting equitable and inclusive youth development spaces.
CKCs Content Areas 1-6
Community Designed for CKCs Level 3, Proficient Professionals and/or Emerging Leaders
Read more about the session dates and participant takeaways here.
Leading with an Equity and Inclusion Mindset
Facilitators: Jen Siaca Curry, Ed.D. and Darise JeanBaptiste, Change Impact; Chris Hudson, Camp Highlight
Leaders seeking to bring a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) strategy to their organization will work together to focus on changing workplace culture and strengthen inclusive youth programming. Participants will build from a shared understanding of the foundations of diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism. The group will explore key concepts including implicit bias, identity, white supremacy, and culturally-responsive practice, and how to effectively apply learnings in youth-serving organizations. Participants will leave with a preliminary action plan for a DEI strategy.
CKCs Content Areas 6, 9-10
Community Designed for CKCs Level 4, Advanced Professionals and/or Developing Leaders
Read more about the session dates and participant takeaways here.
Get Yourself SEL Ready!
Facilitator(s): Julia Gabor and Jeffrey Jordan, kid-grit
Adults who work with and on behalf of youth must ensure they are prepared – fully present and healthy – and with the resilience and emotional intelligence necessary to support others. Adults must be ready to model social emotional skills, to create safe environments, and to facilitate experiences that support healthy development. In this PLC, participants will come together to develop a holistic approach to wellness and the self-management skills that are at the core of resilience and SEL. Participants will connect with others to experience wellness-education through mindful methods and reflection activities that can be used for personal development and subsequently for development of both young people and adults. Join this PLC to get yourself SEL ready. Invest in yourself – so you are fully prepared to pay it forward to others.
CKCs Content Area 10
Community Designed for CKCs Level 1-4, Entry through Advanced Professionals and Leaders - or anyone ready for a renewed focus on self-care.
Read more about the session dates and participant takeaways here.
More on the kid-grit approach here.
Maximizing Impact: How Transformative Social Emotional Skill Building Can Energize Your Leadership and Improve Staff/Student Engagement
Facilitator: Erika Petrelli, The Leadership Program
Transform your workplace, engage staff and students and improve your leadership with social and emotional skill building. Participants will dig deep into their own transformative SEL skill building and how those skills directly impact their leadership. Together we will develop specific action steps for improving communication; actionable techniques for building and enhancing the team culture, and more.
CKCs Content Areas 9-10
Community Designed for CKCs Levels 3-4, Proficient and Advanced Professionals and Leaders.
Read more about the session dates and participant takeaways here.
Contact presenters@naaweb.org with questions or requests for additional information.
