CDLI_Guidebook_18_Final_Print

BUILDING ON CORE VALUES 

TO SUPPORT YOUTH 

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT 

Cause-Driven Leader's Guidebook 

Emotion 

Management 

Responsibility 

CD 

Adult Practice 

Areas 

Empathy 

Personal 

Development 

Relationship 

Building 

YMCA OF THE USA

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK 

Dear YMCA Professional: 

We are pleased to provide a compilation of material housing the YMCA’s renewed character development 

efforts. The Character Development Learning Institute (CDLI) has been a 4 year project supported by the 

S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation to develop the character of youth ages 5-18. Building on the core values of 

Honesty, Caring, Respect and Responsibility, YMCA’s across the country have committed to developing Youth 

Development Leaders in 5 areas of practice: empathy, emotion management, responsibility, relationship 

building, and personal development. 

This guidebook houses the research in the out of school time field and promising practices and strategies 

that can be utilized by Youth Development Leaders to implement character development in a variety of youth 

programs. The current focus of the work has been to support the professional practices that adults – staff 

and volunteers – can model, scaffold and develop with youth to create an environment where wellness and 

whole child development influence and impact youth development positively. As the CDLI has been program 

and curricula agnostic, it offers a fit for adult and youth from all walks of life who come from the varied 

communities served by the local YMCA associations. 

At the Y, we recognize that character can be taught and caught. We have also learned through the work of 

the CDLI, that character development must be supported at all levels of Y operations – the organization, 

program, and youth development leaders. By using character development as a strategy for positive youth 

development, we can ensure that youth have the skills, attitudes, and knowledge necessary to be whole and 

healthy in their 21st century world. 

Thank you for believing in youth and recognizing that character development is the Y’s way forward. As 

leaders in the field of youth development, we know that when you know better, not only do you do better, 

but you also support better. Let’s continue to support our movement and its membership to lead our cause. 

Onwards and Upwards, 

Tasha F. Johnson 

Tasha F. Johnson, Ph.D. 

Senior Director, Character Development Learning Institute 

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT GUIDEBOOK 

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CONTENTS 

INTRODUCTION 

WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN THIS GUIDEBOOK 

1 

Character Development Experience Journey 

2 

Making Meaning of the Data 

3 

Our Way Forward 

4 

The Placemat and Conceptual Framework 


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INTRODUCTION 

In this guide, you will find the following: 

Experience Journey 

This is a blueprint that local Ys can use to guide, design and implement the 

character development journey in youth serving programs. This can be especially 

insightful for program and practice level professionals who desire to build or 

elevate character development into their youth serving program. 

Making Meaning of the Data 

Because the CDLI has fostered a data supported culture of continuous 

improvement, a process called, “Making Meaning of the Data, offers a systematic 

means of using data in an environment of continuous improvement. YMCA 

professionals who evaluate programs, assess quality and can influence or make 

decisions about youth development programs may find this tool informative to 

fostering a data driven culture. 

Our Way Forward 

Each of the areas of practice has been influenced by the scholarship in the 

out of school time field. The YMCA’s efforts to understand how adults – staff 

and volunteers – cultivate and support character development in youth is 

groundbreaking to the field. The section, “Our Way Forward” acknowledges and 

details the issues, challenges, research and co-construction process taken to 

identify the 5 areas of practice and the inclusion of local Y professionals in the 

co- construction of training material and experiences. Although there have been 

many frameworks for social and emotional learning, the YMCA’s work in character development has 

created a bridge to learn more about the connections between character development and social 

emotional learning. YMCA professionals can use “Our Way Forward” as a blueprint for replicating 

and translating learning happening at the local Y level. 

Conceptual Framework 

The Conceptual Framework houses the overview of the theory of action, 

concept and related tactics that bring character development to life. Cause 

Driven Leaders at all levels of the organization can acquire high level strategies, 

indicators and tactics that can be used to design and implement high quality 

programs. Under the domains of “adult practice” and “environment”, for each 

area of practice, the Youth Development Leader can identify a variety of 

specific, observable and measurable behaviors and conditions that are 

characteristic to quality youth program. This can be a helpful guide for developing new 

programs to support character development with youth or an energizer to elevate character 

in your existing youth program. 


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1Character 

Development 

Experience Journey 

Blueprint to guide, design and implement 

the character development journey in youth 

serving programs. 


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CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AT THE Y: 

OUR STORY 

Welcome to the Character Development Learning Institute (CDLI) Experience. We are happy 

that your Y is ready to begin its journey to build on our Y's core values through a commitment 

to character development. All adults in the Y have a critical role to play in creating experiences 

and environments that support and strengthen the social emotional competencies of youth. 

Our core values unite us a Y Movement. Every day we embed, model, and foster our core values of 

Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility in everything that we do. To continue supporting all youth 

in cultivating these values so that they reach their full potential, we must ensure that all adults in the 

Y are playing their role in creating experiences and environments that strengthen the social emotional 

competencies of youth and support the development of youth’s character. 

As your YMCA begins this journey, your 

involvement in the CDLI Experience will 

help you to build and integrate improved 

organization-wide systems,structures 

and effective practices to support youth 

character development. Over the past two 

years, Y-USA has collaborated with 64 Ys 

across our movement to verify five adult 

practice areas to support youth character 

development: emotion management, 

empathy, personal development, 

relationship building and 

responsibility. An intentional focus on 

character development is a means 

to realize a strong, rigorous youth 

development strategy. Character is a key 

element of the Y’s approach to working with 

youth and we have identified five areas that 

Y leaders can elevate in their practice when 

interacting with young people, encouraging 

youth character development. With you, 

we are now scaling these practice areas 

movement-wide. 

CARING | HONESTY | RESPECT | RESPONSIBILITY 


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YOUR Y'S COMMITMENT AND WHAT TO EXPECT (Continued) 

Thank you for completing the first step in your journey: pledging your commitment to 

character development by completing a grant application. 

STARTING ON THE PATH. 

As we scale this work to more Ys across the movement from September 2018 to June 2020, your 

Y has been invited to follow a Self-Directed or a Guided Pathway. Both pathways include access to 

5 CDLI supports: 

1. Technical Assistance 

2. Learning Resources 

3. Professional Development and Training 

4. Opportunities to Connect with Peers 

5. Data and Measurement. 

Now that you know which pathway 

you will take, what's next? 

7. ASSESSING 

PLANNING 

IMPROVING 

6. GAUGING YOUR 

PROGRESS AND 

RECALCULATING 

YOUR 

ROUTE 

5. WALKING 

ALONG 

THE PATH 

4. MAPPING 

YOUR JOURNEY 

3. PACKING YOUR BAG AND 

COLLECTING 

INFORMATION TO GUIDE 

YOUR JOURNEY 

1. GATHERING 

YOUR 

WALKING 

GROUP 

2. YOUR ROLE IN 

THE JOURNEY 


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1. GATHERING 

YOUR 

WALKING 

GROUP 

Think about the people that might make up your Implementation Team (refer to the Your Role in 

the Journey). It is critical that the right staff and volunteers are engaged early and throughout 

the process to champion and lead your Y’s character journey. During the CDLI Experience your 

implementation team members will be responsible for developing a plan to implement new 

program practices or policies and use data to monitor progress and make course corrects 

as needed. 

To better understand how your team will implement character development practices into your 

nominated program, a series of CDLI orientations are provided to participating Ys. 

2. YOUR ROLE IN 

THE JOURNEY 

Now that you’ve learned what your journey will look like, look at the chart below to identify 

your role in the journey. 

During the scale phase you will receive a variety of supports to deepen your understanding 

of character development and the five practice areas. Each implementation team member 

is critical to successfully implementing character at your Y. To learn more about your 

individual experience in the CDLI and how your role will contribute to your Ys success, 

review the "My Role Within the Implementation Team" Guide that most closely aligns with 

your role. 

IMPLEMENTATION TEAM 

"I work with youth" 

• Front line staff 

• Front line Supervisors 

• Site Directors 

"I support people who 

work with youth and 

design youth programs" 

• Site Level Supervisors 

• Program Directors 

"I effect change at the 

organization level, work 

with the board & design 

the strategic plan" 

• Association Level Staff 

• VP Staff 

• C-Suite Staff 

"I am a community partner" 

• Schools 

• Community Organizations 

• Community Groups 

• Community Volunteers 


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3. PACKING YOUR BAG 

AND COLLECTING 

INFORMATION TO 

GUIDE YOUR JOURNEY 

To know where you are going, you have to understand where you are. 

To better understand the current state of your Y’s capacity to support high 

quality youth development programs, your team will complete a capacity 

assessment. A capacity assessment provides an opportunity to reflect on 

your Y’s systems, policies and procedures in place organization-wide to 

deliver youth programs. 

To better understand your current program design and adult behaviors 

through a character development lens, your implementation team will 

complete program and staff/volunteer self-reflections. 

At this stage, invite your CDLI nominated program staff and volunteers 

to complete the self-reflection tool; program leaders should complete the 

program reflection tool. From there you will have more information to 

help you identify your strengths and your opportunities for growth when 

supporting the development of character in youth in your nominated program. 


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5. WALKING 

ALONG 

THE PATH 

4. MAPPING 

YOUR JOURNEY 

The CDLI implementation team leads 

the initiatives outlined in the PIP and 

supports the program in reaching its 

goals. Your implementation team will have 

access to five kinds of support: Technical 

Assistance, Learning Resources, Professional 

Development and Training, Opportunities 

to connect with peers, and Data and 

Measurement. These will help you build the 

knowledge and skills to strengthen adult 

behaviors that build character in youth. 

Now that you know where you are, you can 

better identify where you want to go. The 

capacity assessment, self-reflection and program 

reflection tools give you a starting point. Using 

this data, plot your destination. Where do you 

see yourself at the end of this journey? What 

measurable changes do you want to see in your 

organization and in your program? What are 

the action steps it takes to get there? Use your 

Program Implementation Plan (PIP) and Budget 

template to document your plan. 


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6. GAUGING YOUR 

PROGRESS AND 

RECALCULATING 

YOUR 

ROUTE 

How will you know whether your 

implementation plan is making a difference? 

Along the way, you may have access to 

tools and additional data to inform your 

plan. In the CDLI, you have access to tools 

such as: Social Emotional Program Quality 

Assessment, Algorithm Adult Survey, and 

Algorithm Youth Survey. These tools will 

help you decide whether to recalculate your 

route, change your destination, or continue 

to move forward on your current path. 


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7. ASSESSING 

PLANNING 

IMPROVING 

Continuously observe and assess your program, collect and critically analyze data, and 

revise or develop a plan to improve the practices and policies in your nominated youth 

program. From an organizational level, systems and supportive policies will be examined. 

At the program level, the CDLI implementation team may look at policies and practices 

that support program goals. At the Youth Development Leader level, this team may 

review specific behaviors, attitudes and skills of staff and volunteers. 

ASSESS - Collect information on your program. Some assessments you may have access 

to during the CDLI 

Experience include: 

Capacity Assessment 

Self-Assessment 

Program Assessment 

SEL PQA 

Algorithm Adult Survey 

Algorithm Youth Survey 

PLAN – Using the data and information that you've collected about your program you can 

make data-driven decisions on how to best support character development practices at 

the branch and/or throughout your organization. The tools that you have to support you 

in planning include: 

Program Implementation Plan 

Budget Template 

Making Meaning of Data Guide 

IMPROVE – Throughout your CDLI Experience, you will have many opportunities to build 

your knowledge and skills. Some of these opportunities will include: 

Professional Learning 

Communities 

Share-a-Paloozas 

Webinars 

eLearnings 

Virtual Instructor Led Trainings 

Site Visits 


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MY ROLE WITHIN THE IMPLEMENTATION TEAM: 

"I WORK WITH YOUTH" 

As a person who works directly with youth, you play a critical role in the success of implementing the 5 

adult practice areas to support character development in youth at your Y. 

Together with your Implementation Team, you will continuously execute an ‘Assess, Plan, Improve’ cycle 

in order to build improved organization-wide systems and effective youth development practices to 

support youth character development. 

Through this process you will have opportunities to identify areas within your nominated program to 

intentionally support character development in your youth program. In this process, you should think 

about how you might: 

1. Identify opportunities when/where you can have intentional interactions with youth to foster 

character development. 

2. Facilitate intentional experiences for youth to practice character development skills. 

"I SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH YOUTH AND DESIGN YOUTH PROGRAMS" 

As a person who supports people who work with youth and design youth programs, you play a critical 

role in leading a change in your Y to integrate the five adult practice areas to support character 

development in youth. 

You will lead your Implementation Team through the continuous execution of an ‘Assess, Plan, Improve’ 

cycle in order to build and improve organization-wide systems and effective practices to support 

character development in youth. 

In order to begin this process, consider what opportunities exist in your nominated program to 

intentionally foster adult character development practices with the staff and volunteers who work directly 

with youth. In this process, you should think about how you might: 

1. Identify program structures (routines, schedules, operational procedures, resources) 

needed to support character development in your program (share challenges and strengths 

with leadership). 

2. Create a coaching/training process that supports "I work with youth" staff and volunteer's 

character development and their ability to support character development in youth. 

"I INFLUENCE CHANGE AT THE ORGANIZATION-LEVEL, WORK WITH THE BOARD, AND DESIGN 

THE STRATEGIC PLAN" 

As a person who influences change or makes decisions at the organizational level, works with the 

board, and designs the strategic plan, you play a critical role in supporting this work and leading an 

organization-wide change in your Y to integrate the five adult practice areas to support character 

development in youth. 

You will support youth development and the CDLI Implementation Team as you support and influence an 

‘Assess, Plan, Improve’ cycle that will build improved organization-wide systems and effective practices to 

support character development in youth. 

To begin this process, consider what opportunities exist organization-wide to intentionally foster adult 

character development practices in your Y. In this process, you should think about how you might: 

1. Identify how character development fits into a larger organizational development strategy. 

2. Convene an influential stakeholder group to create and share a clear vision of how character 

development practices and strategies support the Y's core values and mission. 

3. Secure and allocate resources for support. How can your board/stakeholders assist you in 

achieving your goals? Securing your resources? 


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GLOSSARY 

STARTING ON THE PATH. 

Character Development Learning Institute - Also known as the CDLI. Virtual Institute Experience 

that allows Ys to learn process of continuous implementation of character development. 

Self-Directed Pathway - The self-directed pathway is one of the two pathways for Ys on their character 

development learning journey. It includes technical assistance and on-demand, targeted support from 

Hub Ys, as well as tailored access to regional meetings, recorded discussion-focused webinars, character 

development learning resources, and assessment activities. 

Guided Pathway - The guided pathway is one of the two pathways for Ys on their character 

development learning journey. It includes technical assistance and organized support driven by Y-USA 

Technical Advisors, as well as access to regional meetings, live discussion-focused webinars, character 

development learning resources, and assessment activities. 

CDLI Nominated Program - When Ys apply to be a part of CDLI, they explicitly identify one or 

more particular youth development programs in which they will initially focus their character 

development efforts. 

GATHERING YOUR WALKING GROUP. 

Implementation Team - To advance and support Y’s organizational infrastructure, it’s critical that the 

right staff are engaged early and throughout the process to champion the work to build capacity with the 

Y’s infrastructure. The implementation team leads this process. The members should be key Association 

leaders, program staff, and front line practitioners. They are the individuals who are responsible for 

developing your character development plans to implement, support program design, practices, policies, 

and use data to monitor progress and make course corrections 

as needed. 

CDLI Orientation - Series of orientations held via skype to get you jump-started on your CDLI Journey 

Character Development (CD) Practices - Intentional and evidence-based behaviors that promote 

social emotional learning. 

PACKING YOUR BAG AND COLLECTING INFORMATION TO GUIDE YOUR JOURNEY. 

Capacity Readiness Assessment - A document in which Ys gauge own capacity to implement 

character development. 

Program Reflection Tool - An assessment used by ("I support youth") staff to observe/reflect on each 

CD practice within the selected program. 

Self-Reflection Tool - A guide for staff/volunteers (“I work with youth”) to observe/reflect on each CD 

practice within the selected program. 


P 14

GLOSSARY (Continued) 

MAPPING YOUR JOURNEY 

Budget Template - A standardized form for Ys to outline how they will carry out their program 

implementation plan. 

Program Implementation Plan - The PIP is a template form and once filled out is an individualized 

action plan for Ys to map and how they plan to infuse and elevate the cd adult practice areas in their 

nominated program. 

WALKING ALONG THE PATH 

Technical Assistance -Technical Assistance is one of the five major supports for Ys from CDLI. It 

includes coaching about character development design and delivery from either Y-USA Technical Advisors 

or Hub Ys. 

HUB Ys - Hub Ys are selected local Y Associations that provide character development technical 

assistance to other Ys. 

Concept Map ("Placemat") - This is a framework for character development which includes detailed 

information related to how Youth Development Leaders can define, strategize, and monitor the 

implementation of and evidence of cd adult practices 

CD Toolkit - The CD toolkit is a go-to character development tool, showcasing definitions, best 

practices, examples to elevate CD in Y programs. It incorporates subject matter expertise, was 

developed with local Ys, and integrates adult learning principals so that the information it contains is 

useful, relevant, and action-focused. 

CD Practice Area Videos - The CD practice area videos are a set of 2-3 minute films that show what 

each practice area looks like at the Y. The videos can be used as a starting point for staff and volunteers 

to begin the conversation about how Ys can start infuse character development into their program 

structures and adult behaviors. 

Professional Development and Training - Professional Development and Training is one of the five 

major supports for Ys from CDLI. It includes activities such as CDLI orientations from Y-USA, Hub Ys, 

and external partners to deliver content to all CDLI Ys. 

Opportunities to Connect with Peers - Opportunities to connect with peers is one of the five major 

supports for Ys from CDLI. These opportunities include a web community, regional in-person meetings, 

as well as weekly live or recorded video conference discussion-focused webinars. Professional Learning 

Community. 

(PLC) - The PLCs are live or recorded video conference discussion- focused webinars in which Ys reflect 

on applying new strategies within the five practice areas, provide and are offered implementation 

support, and engage in collective problem solving. 

Web Community - YUSA online community which serves as a document archiveaswellasaplaceto 

share experienceswithotherYsandask questions to TAs. These interactions make it a professional learning 

community. 

Share-A-Palooza - The share-a-paloozas are live or recorded video conference discussion-focused 

webinars that are based on specific practice areas within particular types of programs (e.g., camp, outof-school 

time academics, sports, community development, aquatics, or youth and teen development.) 


P 15

GLOSSARY (Continued) 

Data and Measurement - Data and Measurement is one of the five major supports for Ys from CDLI. It 

is the information about program implementation and outcomes that has been systematically collected 

from standardized tools. 

GAUGING YOUR PROGRESS AND RECALCULATING YOUR ROUTE 

Weikart Social Emotional Program Quality Assessment (SEL PQA) - The SEL PA assesses the 

quality of youth programs by measuring the implementation of adult behaviors that support socialemotional 

learning in youth. It is an observation-based tool and can be used to identify staff and 

volunteer training needs. 

Algorithm Adult Survey - The adult surveys measure adults’ confidence to develop character in youth 

and measure any changes in that confidence while participating in a CDLI nominated program. The adult 

surveys are pre/post and are administered online. The same adults who take the pre-survey should take 

the post-survey. The data can be used for continuous program improvement. 

Algorithm Youth Survey - The youth surveys measure youth character competencies and measure 

any changes in those competencies while participating in a CDLI nominated program. The youth surveys 

are pre/post and are administered online. The same youth who take the pre-survey should take the 

post-survey. 

Assess-Plan- Improve Cycle (API) - The API is a cycle to establish a support system for continuous 

improvement. The cycle begins with assessment to understand strengths and areas for growth, then 

team- based planning with data for improvement, and finally carrying out the plan using targeted 

opportunities for improvement. 


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QUICK GUIDE TO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT 

TOOLS AND TRAININGS 

Use this guide, organized by CDLI Implementation Team role, to identify which will tools and 

Learning & Career Development Center (LCDC) courses will best support you in your character 

development journey. 

BUILD AND SUSTAIN A CAUSE-DRIVEN CULTURE 

Intro to the Y’s Cause and Culture eLearning 

Intro to Listen First eLearning 

Listen First Institute 

Engaging Families vILT 

Leading and Coaching Others 

Implementing Change with Frontline Staff vILT 

Leading Change Institute 

“I work with 

youth …” 

✓ 

✓ 

✓ 

“I support 

people …” 

✓ 

✓ 

✓ 

“I influence 

change...” 

CD Capacity Assessment Tool ✓ ✓ 

✓ 

THE Y’S APPROACH TO YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND HOW IT CONNECTS 

TO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT 

Principles of Youth Development eLearning 


youth …” 

“I support 

people …” 


change...” 

Intro to Character Development eLearning ✓ ✓ ✓ 

The Basics of Program Management eLearning 

Effective Program Management vILT 

Youth Development Companion: Supervisor’s 

Toolkit 

CDLI Executive Summary 

Making the Case for Character Development 

✓ 

✓ 

✓ 

✓ 

✓ 

✓ 

HOW TO INTEGRATE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT PRACTICES IN YOUR WORK 


youth …” 

“I support 

people …” 


change...” 

CD Practice Area Videos (5) ✓ ✓ ✓ 

CD Program Implementation Plan 

CDLI Toolkit – Self Reflection Tool 

CDLI Toolkit – Program Reflection Tool 

CDLI Placemat 

✓ 

✓ 

✓ 

✓ 


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2Character 

Development 

Making Meaning 

of the Data 

Offers a systematic means of using data in 

an environment of continuous improvement. 


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OVERVIEW 

1 

Plan for MMOD Process (see Section A) 

2 

Host a MMOD Session (see Section B) 

3 

Share Your Data (If applicable, See Section F) 

SECTIONS 

Section A: Plan for MMOD Process 

Section B: Making Meaning of Data Session 

Section C: Understanding & Using CDLI Assessment Tools 

Section D: What? So What? Now What? Questions 

Section E: Making Meaning of Multiple Data Sources 

Section F: Share Your Data 

A CLOSER LOOK 

I. Overview of the Assess-Plan-Improve Cycle 

II. Sample Agenda (materials, timing, objectives, section by section description) 


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MAKING MEANING OF DATA PROCESS 

The process of making meaning of data (MMOD) is about making data understandable, 

useful, and actionable, especially when engaging in a continuous program improvement 

cycle. The purpose of this guide is to support character in youth development programs by 

following the MMOD process and sharing best practices when making meaning of data to 

enhance program quality and continuous improvement. The process of MMOD involves a few 

steps, which you can click on below to get further detail in their corresponding sections. 

1. PLAN FOR MMOD PROCESS (see Making Meaning of Data: Planning) 

a. Determine how much time you will need to make meaning of your data 

b. Involve your implementation team and front-line staff & volunteers 

c. Plan your MMOD session 

2. HOST A MMOD SESSION (see Making Meaning of Data Session) 

a. Review & reflect on your data 

i. Make sure you understand each tool and the data it provides (see Digging Deeper: 

Understanding and Using CDLI Assessment Tools) 

1. Hello Insight: Algorhythm Youth Survey 

2. Youth Development Leader Self-Reflection Tools for Each Practice Area 

3. Program Reflection Tools for Each Practice Area 

4. Hello Insight: Algorhythm Adult Survey 

5. Social & Emotional Learning Program Quality Assessment (SEL PQA) 

6. Capacity Assessment 

ii. Review and interpret your data (see Reading and interpreting data) 

1. Ask What – “What does the data tell us?” 

2. Ask So What – “What are we learning?” 

3. Ask Now What – “How do we act on our data?” 

b. Plan with your data (see Plan with your data) 

i. Create an action plan, or modify one that you already have developed 

ii. Review your action plan with your team 

c. Make meaning of multiple data sources (if applicable; see Making Meaning of Multiple Data 

Sources) 

i. Identify how the data sources are similar and how they are different 

ii. Discuss how information from multiple data sources fits together with your team 

3. (IF APPLICABLE) SHARE YOUR DATA (see Share your Data) 

a. Identify key stakeholders with whom you want to share your findings 

b. Identify what, why, when, and how you’ll share your findings with those stakeholders 

This guide shares best practices in the process of making meaning of data and what it takes to plan a 

making meaning of data session using the data you might collect for character development but can be 

customizable to adapt to other data sources and to the unique needs of your youth program and local Y. 


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1Plan for MMOD Process 

a. Determine how much time you will need to make 

meaning of your data 

b. Involve your implementation team and front-line 

staff & volunteers 

c. Plan your MMOD session 

2 

Host 

MMOD Session 

a. Review & reflect on your data 

i. Make sure you understand each tool and the data 

it provides (see Digging Deeper: Understanding and 

Using CDLI Assessment Tools) 

ii. Review and interpret your data (see Reading and 

interpreting data) 

b. Plan with your data (see Plan with your data) 

i. Create an action plan, or modify one that you 

already have developed 

ii. Review your action plan with your team 

c. Make meaning of multiple data sources (if 

applicable; see Making Meaning of Multiple Data 

Sources) 

i. Identify how the data sources are similar and how 

they are different 

ii. Discuss how information from multiple data sources 

fits together with your team 

3Share Your Data 

a. Identify key stakeholders with whom you want to 

share your findings 

b. Identify what, why, when, and how you’ll share your 

findings with those stakeholders 


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WHY IS MAKING MEANING OF DATA IMPORTANT? 

Programs collect extensive data--administrative, performance, and outcomes data--which provide insight 

into process, strategies, and participant experiences. Data can tell us who attends our programs, what 

they are learning, and how they are changing. Alone, data are only numbers and words. For the numbers 

and words to support telling the story of our programs, we need to begin to understand what the data 

are telling us, what it means for us, and how to use data to help us determine what we should celebrate 

and where we can grow. Sometimes we jump too quickly to changes we want to make before we give 

data the time and attention it deserves. The key to using data effectively is asking some important 

questions first: 

• What do we have to consider? Are improvements needed? 

• How do we make such improvements? 

• What do we do when we determine which improvements are needed? 

The process of making meaning of data provides us with an 

opportunity to examine data from our programs and explore 

what we can change to provide staff with resources and tools 

to support the development of character in the young people 

with which they work. Our goal with using data to develop 

character is to measure the progress towards our mission 

and to support continuous improvement in the service and 

delivery of youth development work. 

To use data to develop youth character, we recommend 

using the Assess-Plan-Improve cycle (see A Closer Look: 

Overview of the Assess-Plan-Improve Cycle) to establish a 

support system for continuous improvement. The API cycle 

begins with assessing the program to understand strengths 

and areas for growth, then team-based planning with data 

for improvement, and finally carrying out the plan utilizing 

targeted opportunities for improving. When you collect data, you should expect to be able to use that 

data to develop a plan to improve your program. For every piece of data you have, your program team 

should be able to ask yourselves three key questions: “What does the data tell us?” So what – 

“What we learning and how can we use it for improvement?” Now what – “How do we act on 

our data and what do we do next?” These three questions are the key to making meaning of data. 

MAKING MEANING OF DATA: PLANNING 

Using your data and making decisions and improvements based on it is essential to enhancing the 

quality of your program and to the continuous improvement process. You might be making meaning of 

data so that you can develop a Program Implementation Plan (PIP) or you might be making meaning of 

data after you have completed your PIP. At either timepoint, analyzing, and acting on your analysis are 

critical to designing and delivering high-quality youth programs. In the CDLI, your CDLI implementation 

team will have access to several data sources to inform your work. What do you do after you receive 

your data reports? Who at different levels of your youth programs do you involve? How do you determine 

next steps? By making meaning of your data! 

GETTING STARTED 

As you begin planning to make meaning of your data, consider that it is a process that needs to be 

given careful attention and time, and several steps are required to ensure that it is done well. It may 

take some time for your team to get used to the process. It might not be feasible to have a making 


P 22

WHY IS MAKING MEANING OF DATA IMPORTANT? Continued 

meaning of data session after every data source is made available or you might have to coordinate one 

longer session where you consider two to three data sources. You might only be able to coordinate your 

making meaning of data sessions in 30-minute intervals during your implementation team check-ins 

every other week. The key is that you make meaning of data with a team a regular practice; you can 

modify the process as needed to make it work. 

WHO SHOULD BE INVOLVED? 

Making meaning of data should be a team-based approach. Each of the members in your implementation 

team have a role to play when making meaning of data. Their perspectives will support the interpretation 

of the data and provide a more sustainable pathway to make changes in your program based on your 

data. Your program lead (“I support people who work with youth and design programs”) will have to 

take ownership of the process, preparing for and facilitating meetings, but it is vital to involve youth 

development leaders (“I work with youth”) when we make meaning of data. The plans created from 

the process should reflect the items that they care about and that they have some level of influence or 

control. Every youth development leader has a role to play. 

"I work with youth" 

• Front Line staff 

• Front Line supervisors 

• Site Directors 

• Site Level Supervisors 

• Program Directors 

"I support people 

who work with 

youth and design 

youth programs" 

"I affect change at the 

organization level, work 

with the board & design 

the strategic plan" 

• Association Level staff 

• VP staff 

• C-Suite staff 

"I am a community 

partner" 

• Schools 

• Community Organizations 

• Community Groups 

• Community Volunteers 


P 23

HOW DO I START PLANNING? 

For the making meaning sessions to be fruitful, the program lead will have to do quite a bit of planning, 

as shown below. 

MAKING MEANING OF DATA SESSION PLANNING 

Step 

Who is responsible/ 

involved? 

What questions should we consider as we plan 

for this step? 

Part 1: Review and reflect on your data individually and as a team 

Plan your MMOD 

session 

Distribute the data to 

the team ahead of time 

Implementation team 

members should read 

the data report(s) 

independently before the 

MMOD session, and then 

review as a team 

Host MMOD session 

Coordinate meeting with 

implementation team to 

make meaning of data 

Program lead 

Entire team 

Entire team 

• How will you make the best use of everyone’s 

time? (Building MMOD into existing meetings, 

events, and trainings) 

• When will the meeting take place? (Schedule 

time as it is possible and realistic for your 

team, either a few 20-30 minute sessions or 

a 2-3 hour session, depending on how much 

data you review.) 

• What scheduling information needs to be 

taken into consideration? 

• Where will the meeting take place? 

• Do you want to review data reports per 

program or in aggregate across your Y? 

• Do you want to review one data report or all 

data reports when you make meaning 

of data? 

• When will you distribute your data reports? 

• What is the context in which the 

data emerged? 

• How will you ensure that team members 

know how to read the report(s)? Will any 

support be needed to read the report(s)? 

• How will you ensure that the team stays 

focused and positive throughout the session? 

• What challenges do you anticipate? 

• How will you ensure that the team feels 

ownership over the planning process? 

Part 2: Plan with your data as a team 

During your MMOD 

session, use your data 

to create or modify 

your PIP 

Based on your data and 

review, identify areas of 

growth you’d like to focus 

on to build on your goals 

Entire team 

• How will you maintain focus on program 

improvement and leave room for staff to 

choose where they want to 

improve personally? 

• Which aspect of the data are you most 

satisfied with? What should you celebrate? 

• What does the data reveal that you want to 

share with others? 

• Where does the report reveal opportunities 

for growth? 

• What are some areas you think need to be 

improved that are not indicated in the data? 


P 24

MAKING MEANING OF DATA SESSION 

Once you have planned the process of making meaning of data, you are ready to host your session. The 

making meaning of data session includes two parts: review and reflect on data and plan with your 

data. We estimate that the meeting can take a total of 2-3 hours, depending on the size of your group. 

If that much time at once is not a realistic for your team, you can accomplish each of these steps in 

separate mini-sessions. The sections below give you an estimate of how long it would take to accomplish 

each step, but remember that you can customize the sections, depending on your team. See A Closer 

Look: MMOD Session Sample Agenda for a more detailed agenda you can share with your team as 

they prepare. 

REVIEW AND REFLECT ON YOUR DATA INDIVIDUALLY AND AS A TEAM 

Review of Reporting Format (10 min) 

An important part of making meaning of data is to understand each tool and the data it provides (see 

Digging Deeper: Understanding and Using CDLI Assessment Tools for a detailed description of each tool 

used in CDLI). Every team member should have access to the reports and review them independently, 

whether that is before the session or at the beginning of the session. Share data reports either via a link 

or printed copies. As a group, review what was measured in the data reports and why it was collected. 

Review the research questions you set out to answer and what information the reports provide. Be 

sure participants fully understand the layout of the reports, where to find data sources, and how the 

data is represented. 

Setting your team up for individual and group success 

When should I send out the data? 

q Before the meeting so my team can come prepared 

q During the first part of the meeting so I can ensure everyone understands the data 

What is the best way to share the data? 

q Electronically via email or a sharable link 

q Printed copies for each team member 

How do I ensure each person understands what each tool measures and why the 

measure was collected? 

q Offer this information in a written format 

q Make a brief presentation to walk the team through it 


P 25

Reading and Interpreting Data (30-60 min) 

Have your team review the data individually and work through the questions below. Then discuss the 

questions as a large group. From your group discussion, your team should have a sense of which practice 

areas you want to focus on and be ready to set goals to accomplish this. 

What? 

• What does this tool intend to measure? 

• What does this data tell us about each practice area? 

• Is there anything that surprises or excites us? 

So What? 

• Is this what we expected? Is it better or worse? 

• Which practice area(s) have we been working on that is (are) reflected in 

this data? 

• What insights do we have this data about the practice areas? 

Now What? 

• What do we want to do now that we have this information? 

• What is one practice area we can focus on to improve? 

• How can we use this data ti build on the character development work we are 

already doing? 

• What practice area(s) need(s) more time and resources to improve? 

• How will changes we make to our PIP impact our budget? Will we need 

additional resources? 


P 26

PLAN WITH YOUR DATA 

Based on your data and its review, identify areas of growth you would like to focus on to implement your 

SMART goals. Once you have determined the practice area(s) in which you want to grow based on the 

review and reflection of your data, use the data to create an action plan and to begin to measure growth. 

You will have to identify and establish the time, resources, and other supports you will need to meet 

your goals. 

Creating/Modifying Action Plan (1 hour) 

Think of your Program Implementation Plan (PIP) as an action plan. In this step, your team will create a 

PIP or modify an existing one. If you are developing your PIP, create actionable, measurable goals, and 

plans. Divide the team into small groups--perhaps pairs--to work on one goal at a time. 

If you are modifying your PIP, this is an opportunity to take another look at your goals to ensure they 

accurately reflect the areas you want to focus on based on your additional data. Depending on which 

data source you are using, you may modify your youth development level, program level, or organization 

level SMART goals. 

S 

M 

A 

R 

T 

Specific and 

Supportive 

Focused on 

one thing and 

related to 

staff needs. 

Measurable and 

Meaningful 

Progress can 

be monitored 

and is about 

a substantive 

change in staff 

behavior. 

Actionable and 

Attainable 

Goal is framed 

as an action 

that is within 

staff’s control. 

Realistic and 

Relevant 

Feels doable 

and useful to 

the team. 

Time-bound 

and Teachable 

There is an end 

and progress 

involves skills/ 

knowledge that 

can be learned. 

Plan Review (15 min) 

Review the goals in your PIP as a large group once you have created them or if you have modified them. 

Ensure that you are able to answer the questions in this section. 

We suggest designating a person from your implementation team to be responsible for tracking 

and updating goals in the PIP and set up frequent check-ins to discuss successes and challenges on 

accomplishing your goals. 

GOAL REVIEW CHECKLIST 

4 Are the goals SMART? 

4 Do they focus on changing the youth 

development leader’s behavior to support 

character development with youth? 

4 Will they lead to an improved experience for 

young people? 

4 Have we considered challenges and resources? 


P 27

MAKING MEANING OF MULTIPLE DATA SOURCES 

If multiple data sources are available, (30-60 min) 

When considering multiple data sources, your implementation team will need to consider how each data 

source is related to the others in order to fully understand the program and the practice areas. As you 

consider each of the sources of data, think about where the assessments tell you similar things and 

where they are different so that you can prioritize the goals in your PIP. Then, have a discussion with 

your team about the questions below. When making meaning of multiple data sources, it is important 

to remember that your goal is to ensure that you have a more comprehensive view of your program and 

you make decisions, and therefore improvements, based on all of your data. 


ORGANIZATION LEVEL 

PROGRAM LEVEL 

YOUTH 

DEVELOPMENT 

LEADER LEVEL 

External & Internal 

Observation (SEL PQA) 

Program Reflection 

Algorhythm Adult Survey 

Self Reflection 

Algorhythm Youth 

Survey or PEAR Survey 

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN MMOD 

WITH MULTIPLE DATA SOURCES 

How do you use the data for program improvement, strategic 

planning, and fundraising? 

How do you use data to make program decisions that consider 

program design, routines, procedures, resources, etc.? 

How do you use data to get a better understanding of YD 

leader’s strengths and areas of growth? 

How do you use the data to get a better understanding of how 

your YD leaders can better support your program participants? 


P 28

SHARE YOUR DATA 

Your team can also decide if it is ready to incorporate a third part, share your data based on your team 

discussions. Best practices for sharing your data are in this guide and can be used if your team decides 

if it is ready to share your data. As your implementation team identifies what you are most proud of 

and what you would like to do next related to the practice areas, your team may decide to share your 

findings with your stakeholders. Sharing your data can help make the changes you are going to make 

and the needs for improvement more transparent and provide a case for additional resources. 

TAKE NOTE 

As a team, you should discuss what your communication strategy is with each of your 

stakeholders and identify what, why, when, and how you will communicate key messages 

related to your findings. You could use the table below to track those messages. 

Stakeholder What? Why? When? How? 

Example- 

Front line staff 

We will share the 

modifications we 

made in the [insert 

practice area] with 

our front-line staff 

based on our youth 

survey data. 

Our front-line staff have 

begun to carry out our 

action steps from our 

[insert practice area] goal 

in our PIP. We believe it is 

important for our frontline 

staff to understand 

why we are modifying our 

goal and how this changes 

the action steps. 

In our next team 

meeting, we will 

share and discuss our 

modified action steps. 

Front-Line staff 

Association Leadership 

School Partner 

Funder(s) 

Other:___________ 

Other:___________ 

Next Steps and Action Items 

1. 

2. 

Once you use making meaning of data a regular practice, you should keep doing it every time you have 

new data to adjust your focus on your PIP based on the needs of your program, staff, and young people 

you serve. The more you engage in making meaning of data, the better you will get at understanding 

how to use your data effectively to improve your character development practices and improve the 

quality of your program. 


P 29

DIGGING DEEPER: UNDERSTANDING AND USING CDLI ASSESSMENT TOOLS 

The Character Development Learning Institute (CDLI) supports Y’s in the collection of data to measure 

progress at all levels of the organization: the youth participant level, the youth development leader level, 

the program level and the organization level. It is important to remember that your program might not 

collect all of the data referenced below. 



PROGRAM LEVEL 

YOUTH 

DEVELOPMENT 

LEADER LEVEL 








Each assessment tool used to collect data supports a different outcome level. An important part of 

making meaning of data is to understand each tool and the data it provides. Below you will find guidance 

on how to understand and use each of the CDLI assessment tools using the What? So What? Now 

What? format. 

What: What does the data tell us? 

• Intention of tool: what does it measure, who is being assessed, which level of 

outcomes does it help measure? 

So What: What are we learning? 

• What do the numbers mean? Identify strengths and opportunities 

• What else is important to highlight from each report? 

• How does this support your program goals and desired outcomes? 

Now What: How do we act on the data? 

• How does this data support current program goals? 

• How can we use this data to inform, revise, refine or revise our current program goals? 


P 30

Each tool uses unique language and frameworks to explain social emotional learning. The CDLI crosswalk 

can guide you in comparing language for each tool, as shown below. 

Although not exact, the practice areas generally align with the names given in other tools and frameworks. 

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT ADULT PRACTICE AREAS 

RESPONSIBILITY 

PERSONAL 

DEVELOPMENT 

RELATIONSHIP 

BUILDING 

EMPATHY 

EMOTION 

MANAGEMENT 

Weikart 

Center for 

Youth 

Program 

Quality 

SEL PQA 

• Session Flow 

• Responsibility 

• Leadership 

• Planning 

• Skill Building 

• Active Learning 

• Choice 

• Encouragement 

• Collaboration 


• Planning 

• Problem Solving 

• Reflection 

• Warm Welcome 

• Interactions 

with Adults 


• Belonging 



• Empathy 

• Warm Welcome 

• Empathy 

• Belonging 

• Emotional Safety 

• Emotion Coaching 

• Mindfulness 

Algorhythm, 

10 Inc. 

Hello 

Insight 

• Contribution 

• Academic 

Self-Efficacy 


• Positive Identity 

• Self-Management 

• Academic 

Self-Efficacy 

• Social Skills 


• Social Skills 


The PEAR 

Institute 

HSA 


• Perseverance 

• Growth Mindset 

• Optimism 

• Action Orientation 

• Trust 

• Communication 


• Empathy 

• Emotion Control 

• Assertiveness 

Aperture 

Education 

DESSA 

• Relationship Skills 

• Self-Awareness 

• Goal Directed 

Behavior 

• Optimistic 

Thinking 



• Social Awareness 

• Personal 


• Decision-Making 

CASEL 

Framework 


• Responsible 

Decision-Making 



• Responsible 

Decision-Making 

• Relationship Skills • Social Awareness • Self-Awareness 


Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality SEL PQA: The Social-Emotional Program Quality Assessment is an 

observation tool focused on instructional practices to support SEL skills. 

Algorhythm, 10 Inc. Hello Insight: The Hello Insight is an assessment, planning and evaluation youth survey tool for 

programs that integrate SEL. 

The PEAR Institute HSA: The Holistic Student Assessment is a data-driven survey tool to promote social-emotional 

development in young people in school and afterschool settings. 

Aperture Education DESSA: The Devereux Student Strengths Assessment is a standardized, strength-based 

observation measure of the SEL competencies of children. 

CASEL Framework: CASEL's integrated framework promotes interpersonal, 

and cognitive competence. 


P 31

HELLO INSIGHT: ALGORHYTHM 

YOUTH SURVEY 

What does the data tell us? 

What does this tool measure? 

The development of six social and 

emotional (SEL) capacities in young 

people ages ten to twenty-three. 

These capacities are proven to contribute to 

longer-term gains such as thriving, decreased 

risk-taking behaviors, and improved academic 

performance. If you're moving the needle 

on these six SEL capacities, you can feel 

confident that your program is contributing to 

young people’s long-term success. 

The data used to produce your report were 

collected via statistically validated surveys. 

Young people fill these out at the beginning 

and end of their program(s), allowing us to 

learn more about them, how they grow, 

and which experiences are 

most beneficial. 


PROGRAM LEVEL 

YOUTH 

DEVELOPMENT 

LEADER LEVEL 









How does this relate to the CDLI adult practice areas? 

These six capacities have been cross-walked with the CDLI practice areas and generally align to 

those shown below. 

PRACTICE AREAS 

EMOTION 

MANAGEMENT 

EMPATHY 

PERSONAL 

DEVELOPMENT 

RELATIONSHIP 

BUILDING 


- Self- 

Management 

- Social Skills 

- Contribution 

- Positive Identity 

- Self-Management 

- Social Skills 



– Academic 

Self-Efficacy 

- Academic 

Self-Efficacy 

How does this tool define SEL? 

Self-Management - A youth’s ability to make choices, take positive risks and persist through 

life’s challenges. 

Contribution - A youth’s capacity to give energy and time to help their family, community and society. 

Academic Self-Efficacy - A youth’s motivation and confidence in their academic performance. 

Social Skills - A youth’s ability to take others’ perspectives into consideration, as well as express 

caring and empathy. 

Positive Identity - A youth’s internal sense of positive self-worth and self-efficacy as they explore 

who they are. 

Social Capital - A youth’s positive bonds with people who can provide advice, counsel and access to 

what they need to succeed. 


P 32

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING? 

The data report includes eight unique sections. As you interpret 

each of the sections, consider the questions below. 

Group Overview & Youth Demographics: 

Questions to Consider: 

• How many youth were surveyed at the beginning of the 

youth program? How many youth were surveyed at the end 

of the youth program? What percentage of our group does this sample represent? 

• How might we improve the logistics of the survey process the next time we use this survey? 

• When did the survey occur (window of time/date)? How much time has passed? 

• Demographics: what are the demographics and what do you notice? 

TAKE NOTE 

As you review each of these 

sections, make sure you have 

your data reports available. 

Youth Assets & Overall Need: 

The table shows the proportion of youth with higher and lower assets in each SEL capacity. In the post 

report you can click on each capacity to see a breakdown of gains. Young people are described as having 

lower assets if their SEL score is below the 50th percentile. This is based on the database of thousands of 

survey responses from young people across the country. Young people at or above the 50th percentile are 

described as having higher assets. 


• In which SEL capacity do your youth show the higher assets (larger percentage or number 

of youth)? 

• In which SEL capacity do your youth show the lower assets (larger percentage or number 

of youth)? 

• What percentage of youth are lower asset in three or more SEL capacities? Which youth 

development experiences do you think would best support these youth? 

Learning Preferences: 


• Do your program offerings currently provide youth their preferred learning settings? 

• How can you incorporate more preferred learning settings? 


P 33

Recommendations 

In the recommendations section of your report, you will see identified the “Youth Development 

Experiences”. Based on the thousands of young people who have participated in the Hello Insight 

platform, four types of experiences that are especially effective at boosting SEL growth have 

been identified. 

Youth Development Program Experiences 

Youth Engagement 

• Staff focus on building relationships with youth (Larson & Dawes, 

in press). 

• Staff work hard to discover what youth are interested in (Ryan & Deci, 

2000; Scales, et al., 2011). 

• Staff provide youth with opportunities to make decisions about what 

they want to do and how they want to do it 

(Benson, et al., 2006; Larson, 2000; Rehm, 2014; Norman, 2001). 

• Staff Communicate high expectations (Dweck, 2006). 

Peer-to-Peer Engagement 

• Programs root learning opportunities in group work/processes 

(Anderson, et al., 2007; Honig & McDonald, 2005). 

• Staff intentionally bring youth together in diverse groups 

• Staff teach youth to rely on and learn from one another. 

• Staff coach youth through solving problems together. 

• Programs create safe space for youth to take risks, reflect on their 

work and share personal experiences (Brown & Campione, 1994; Heath 

2011; Soep 2003, 2005). 

• Staff encourage youth to listen. 

• Staff help youth see the strength of their personal experiences. 

Goal Management 

• Programs support youth to both set and manage goals 

(Catalano, et al., 2004; Learner, 2013; Sinclair, et al 2012). 

• Staff support youth to clarify and set goals. 

• Staff help youth break big goals down into mini-goals. 

• Staff create opportunities for youth to reflect on successes and 

challenges, adjusting goals when necessary. 

• Program encourages a growth mindset (Dweck, 2006). 

• Staff re-frame challenges as learning opportunities 

• Staff provide youth with feedback about their effort. 

SEL PQA Scales 

• Belonging 

• Choice 

• Skill-Building 




• Emotional Safety 

• Empathy 

• Goal Management 





• Skill Building 

Staff Engagement 

• Tap into staff interests to help shape programming and 

professional development. 

• Create safe spaces for staff to take risks, reflect on their work and share 

personal experiences. 

• Match staff with other staff from whom they can learn. 

• Encourage staff to embody a growth mindset and use data to support 

their ongoing learning, program planning and improvement (Sabo 

Flores, 2010; Algorhythm, Youth INC, News Corp 2017). 


P 34

HOW DO WE ACT ON THE DATA? 

Step 1: 

Review the recommendations section in your report. Go back to the “Youth Development Experiences” 

section in your report and determine which practices will support your recommendations and your goals. 

Check out the Hello Insights website to see a variety of resources you can use to train and coach both 

yourself and your staff to implement the "best practices" recommended in your report. 

Step 2: 

After reviewing the recommend experiences and priorities and identify the lower assets capacity to focus 

on, review your SEL-PQA data report. 


• What areas do you see low scores in the SEL-PQA that align with these research-based 

program experiences? 

• What connections do you see between youth’s SEL capacities and the program experiences? 

Step 3: 

Now review your Algorhythm Adult Survey Data, Youth Leader Self-Reflection Tool, and Program 

Reflection Tool. 


• In which staff and volunteer practice areas are your staff showing the most confidence? 

Least confidence? 

• What connections do you see between these three data sets? Can you identify one or two specific 

behaviors or evidence-based practices that you will help staff/volunteer develop and better 

implement/create these youth program experiences? 

• How do these identified practices fit in with your SMART goal? What resources will you need to 

consider providing at the program and organization level? 

Step 4: 

Consider how these experiences can be added or supported in your SMART goal in your Program 

Implementation Plan (PIP). Then ensure someone is responsible for updating the PIP to reflect the 

updates you have made. 


P 35

ALGORHYTHM ADULT SURVEY 



Staff and volunteers’ confidence 

in delivering key practices that have 

been proven to drive social-emotional 

learning (SEL) and character development 

outcomes for youth. Survey findings 

will give you insights into your 

staff’s strengths and areas for 

further development. 


PROGRAM LEVEL 

YOUTH 

DEVELOPMENT 

LEADER LEVEL 










EFFECTIVE STAFF & VOLUNTEER PRACTICES 

Creating Positive Environments 

Developing a Safe Environment 

Creating strong peer-to-peer culture 

Setting clear group rules 

Building Positive Relationships with Youth 

Empower youth 

Fostering a growth mindset 

Exploring youth interests 

Setting & Managing Youth Goals 

Youth set and manage individual and group goals 

Building Community Relations 

YOUTH PROGRAM EXPERIENCES 

Prioritizing Youth 

Positive Relationships 

High Expectations 

Youth Decision-Making 

Peer Engagement 

Group Process 

Support Risk Taking 

Ongoing Reflection 

Goal Management 

Youth set and manage individual and group goals 

Growth Mindset 

Interest Exploration 

Youth interest and experience 


TAKE NOTE 

The staff survey focuses on four major research and data-driven 


areas of effective staff and volunteer practices and asks staff 

about their confidence in and the level of organization support 


they receive for each youth development practice areas (see table your data reports available. 

above). In addition, the survey asks staff and volunteers about 

their engagement with organizational leaders and the overarching 

organization supports for staff to implement positive youth development practices. 

There is a great deal of overlap between these practices and experiences and the CDLI practice areas. 

As you discuss your data with your team, consider where this data is aligning with the practice areas on 

which you chose to focus. 


P 36


The survey is administered at two time points, at the start of a program and at its end, which allows 

us to answer whether staff and volunteers believe they grew professionally during the time the 

program took place. In both surveys, pre-program and post-program, respondents are asked about 

each of those areas above, as well as general background information. In the first administration of the 

survey, staff and volunteers rate their confidence in particular character development competencies 

using the scale 1: Not At All Confident to 5: Very Confident. For example, staff are asked, how confident 

did you feel using conflict resolution techniques when problems arise between youth? how confident did 

you feel supporting youth to ask questions about the lives of youth who are different from them (from 

diverse backgrounds)? 

In the second administration of the survey, respondents are also asked whether they 1) have grown in 

this area; 2) have not grown in this area; or 3) were already strong in this area. If they select #1 in any 

of the areas, they will then be asked more specific questions and to think about their practice BEFORE 

the program time and NOW. If they select #2 or #3, they will move on to the next section. 

The report shows the average staff confidence score, along with an overall score for all the CDLI 

programs for each practice along with the organizational supports for each practice. 

Questions to consider: 

• In which practice areas are your staff showing the least confidence? The most confidence? 

• In which practice areas have staff/volunteers shown the most growth in confidence? What do you 

think has contributed to this growth in confidence? 

• In which practice areas have staff/volunteers shown the least change in confidence? What do you 

think has contributed to this? 


Step 1: 

Review other program data (SEL-PQA, Self & Program Reflections). 


• Where do you see similarities between your low-scoring and high-scoring areas between all of the 

data reports? 

• How do these results relate to your current SMART goal in your Program Implementation 

Plan (PIP)? 

• Where do you see alignment between your action steps and growth in confidence? What actions 

to you think have contributed to a change in staff and volunteer confidence. 

• Is the data between these reports telling the same story? What differences to you notice? 

Step 2: 

Review your capacity assessment action planning sheet and the actions steps you identified to 

strengthen organizational infrastructure. 


• What connections do you see between the Core Supports and the Organizational Supports 

surveyed in this report? 

• How do these scores relate to your identified areas of growth around capacity? 

• What actions, if any, may have supported a change in staff and volunteer confidence in the 

practice areas? 


P 37

Step 3: 

Review your Algorhythm Youth Survey Data Report. 


• What effective youth program experiences practices recommended in your report? What, if any 

did, you decide to focus on, implement, or bolster? 

• What connections do you see between these two data sets? Can you identify one or two specific 

behaviors or evidence-based practices that you will help staff/volunteer develop? How do/will these 

practices align with/support effective youth program experience? 

• How do these identified practices and youth program experiences fit in with your SMART goal? What 

resources will you need to consider providing at the program and organization level? 

Step 4: 

Determine if you have the bandwidth to do more in your program to support continuous improvement. 


• If yes, how does this data enhance/inform your current smart goal? What might be a new goal? 

• If no, how will this support your improvement process moving forward? 


P 38

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT LEADER 

SELF-REFLECTION TOOLS FOR EACH 

PRACTICE AREA 



The Y-USA Character Development Learning 

Institute Youth Development Leader Self- 

Reflection tool was developed by Y-USA to 

help youth development leaders, and other 

leaders within the organization, reflect on 

items related to the interactions between 

staff/volunteers and youth during program 

activities for each practice area. The Youth 

Development Leaders then rate themselves 

on a 1-3 scale based on their confidence in 

supporting character development in youth. 


PROGRAM LEVEL 

YOUTH 

DEVELOPMENT 

LEADER LEVEL 









This tool provides data at the Youth Development Leader level and can be used to inform individual staff 

professional development, program professional development, capacity building and current smart goals 

in the PIP. 


Adults support youth to be aware 

of and constructively handle both 

positive and challenging emotions. 

Adults develop youth to be reliable, 

committed, and fulfill obligations and 

challenging roles. 

Emotion 

Management 


Adults work with youth to relate 

to others with acceptance, 

understanding, and a sensitivity to 

diverse perspectives and experiences. 

Empathy 

CD 


Areas 

Personal 

Development 

Adults encourage youth to act, 

persist, and initiate goals and 

outcomes even through the ups 

and downs of difficult situations 

and challenges. 

Relationship 

Building 

Adults foster experiences 

where youth plan, 

collaborate, and coordinate 

action with others. 


These are the CDLI adult practice areas. 


P 39


The self-reflection tools use a confidence scale of 1 to 3: 

3- I’m very confident 

2- I’m somewhat confident 

1- I’m not confident at all 

For action planning, staff and volunteers indicate their total for each practice area and calculate their 

average rating. This will tell the overall rating for each of the five practice areas. 


• In which CDLI practice area did you rate yourself the highest? Why? 

• In which CDLI practice area did you rate yourself the lowest? Why? 

• What evidence do you have to support the self-rating you selected for your highest practice area? 

Your lowest practice area? 

• How do these behaviors and practices look in your group/program? 

• How do you think your participants would rate you? 

• How does your program/organizational culture affect your self-rating? 

• Is your behavior by practice area consistent with your program’s data? 


As you consider how you act on your data, you should reference your CDLI toolkit to reflect on your data 

and create an action plan based on your individual responses. In general: 

Step 1: 

Review your overall scores by practice area. 

1. Identify strengths and a few areas for further development. Think about the questions in your 

CDLI toolkit: 

a. In which practice areas did you rate yourself the highest? 

b. Why do you think you were most confident in that area? 

c. In which practice areas did you rate yourself the lowest? 

d. Why do you think you were least confident in that area? 

e. Of the areas that you rated yourself the lowest, select one that you would like to improve in. 

f. What support do you need so that you can implement this practice area fully? 

2. Choose one practice area that you want to focus on for improvement. Review the items in the 

reflection tool and note in which areas you have less confidence. 

Step 2: 

Create a Personal Development Plan by creating one or two goals based on the items noted above and 

record them in a form (see example below). Review this personal development plan with your supervisor 

and determine how and when you will check in about your progress. 

Questions to consider when defining your goal and action steps: 

• What do I want to learn? 

• What do I have to do? 

• What support and resources will I need? 

o What professional learning experiences could facilitate improvement? 

o What can I do, or what do I need, to ensure that I’m implementing these practices fully? 

• How will I measure success? 


P 40

Sample Personal Development Plan 

Action Plan for the next months (6 mo/9 mo/12 mo). 

Development Goal 

Action Steps 

Complete by 

(Date) 

Obstacles/Solutions 

Evaluation 

Coaching Guide for Supervisors: 

It is important for supervisors to have conversations with staff and volunteers about their personal 

development and performance. Below are recommendations to discuss strengths and opportunities for 

growth with individual staff and volunteers, using the Youth Development Leader Self-Reflection tool as 

a guide. When individual staff and volunteers can set goals for growth, receive resources, practice, and 

receive observation and feedback, they will perform better and support stronger outcomes for youth. 

Individual growth supports program growth. The growth of each staff person and volunteer increases the 

collective knowledge of the team and therefore creates more opportunities to increase program quality 

and youth experience. As supervisors discuss strengths and opportunities with staff and volunteers, 

it is important to see how these can contribute to the successful implementation of your program and 

organizational Program Improvement goals. 

Action Steps for Supervisors: 

1. Schedule time to observe staff and volunteers. Collect evidence of their work as it relates to their 

defined areas of improvement. The Self Reflection Form and SEL PQA are tools you can use to guide 

your observation. Be sure to collect objective evidence that supports each behavior. 

2. Schedule discussion time after any observation to share feedback and provide ongoing 

coaching. These conversations will allow staff and volunteers to share progress, steps taken to 

support their learning, assess what additional resources and support are needed and share success. 

Explore perspectives: 

Ask staff and volunteers reflective questions about what they have accomplished, what they are 

doing well, and what needs to be improved. Share anything you observed or experienced that staff 

and volunteers may not be aware of. 

Share Feedback: 

Provide both appreciative and developmental feedback on staff’s strengths, opportunities, needs 

and potential (aligned with your observation tool) without interpretation, evaluation, or judgment. 

Prepare: 

Create a safe space for your staff to share about their goals and the work they are putting in. Be 

sure to find a quiet and comfortable space to meet and limit distraction. Be present! 

For More Information and Guiding Questions, check out the CDLI Online Community Resources. 


P 41

PROGRAM REFLECTION TOOLS FOR 

EACH PRACTICE AREA 



The Y-USA Character Development 

Learning Institute Program Reflection tool 

was developed to help organization and 

program staff, reflect on the five practice 

areas and how the environment (systems, 

polices, strategies) support each of the 

practice areas. It is not designed for 

evaluation, but rather for reflection and 

program capacity development. 


PROGRAM LEVEL 

YOUTH 

DEVELOPMENT 

LEADER LEVEL 










Adults support youth to be aware 

of and constructively handle both 


Adults develop youth to be reliable, 

committed, and fulfill obligations and 


Emotion 

Management 


Adults work with youth to relate 

to others with acceptance, 

understanding, and a sensitivity to 

diverse perspectives and experiences. 

Empathy 

CD 


Areas 

Personal 

Development 

Adults encourage youth to act, 

persist, and initiate goals and 

outcomes even through the ups 

and downs of difficult situations 

and challenges. 

Relationship 

Building 

Adults foster experiences 

where youth plan, 

collaborate, and coordinate 



These are the CDLI adult practice areas. 

What are we learning? 

Staff, particularly members of the program implementation team, 

reflect on ways they are supported to develop each practice area 

in the program and the ways that each item is built into the 

climate, culture and support strategies, scoring the program on 

a 0-3 scale based on the extent of execution for each item in a 

specific youth program. 

TAKE NOTE 




3 = To A Great Extent 

2 = Somewhat 

1 = Very Little 

0 = Not At All 


P 42

For action planning, staff indicate their total rating for each practice area and calculate their average. 

This will give the overall rating is for each of the five practice areas. 


• On which CDLI practice area did your program score the highest? Why? 

• On which CDL practice area did your program score the lowest? Why? 

• What evidence do you have to support the ratings you selected for your program’s highest 

practice area? Your lowest practice area? 

• How do you think your community partners would rate you? 

• What professional learning experiences could facilitate improvement in your lowest CDLI 

practice areas? 

• What comparisons do you see between your scores here and your capacity assessment scores? 

• What can your Implementation Team do, or what do you need, to ensure that you are 

implementing these practice areas fully? 


Step 1: 

Review other program data (SEL-PQA, Self-Reflections, Algorhythm Youth and Adult Surveys). 


• Where do you see similarities between your low-scoring and high-scoring areas between all of the 

data reports? 

• How do these results relate to your current SMART goal in your Program Implementation 

Plan (PIP)? 

Step 2: 

Review your capacity assessment action planning sheet and the actions steps you identified to 

strengthen organizational infrastructure. 

Question to consider: 

• How do these scores connect with or are dissimilar from your identified areas of growth 

around capacity? 

Step 3: 

Determine whether you have the bandwidth to do more in your program to support 

continuous improvement. 

If yes, how does this data enhance/inform your current smart goal? What might be a new goal? 

If no, how will this support your improvement process moving forward? 


P 43

SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LEARNING 

PROGRAM QUALITY ASSESSMENT 

(SEL PQA) 



The SEL PQA builds on the foundation of 

the Youth and School-Age PQA, centered 

on continuous quality improvement. High 

quality youth programs, as assessed by the 

Youth and School-Age PQAs, can provide 

opportunities for youth to learn and practice 

emerging social emotional skills such as 

empathy, teamwork, and problem solving. 


PROGRAM LEVEL 

YOUTH 

DEVELOPMENT 

LEADER LEVEL 










Drawing on research, the Youth and School-Age PQAs have been extended to make the SEL emphasis 

more explicit and articulate the deeper and expanded repertoire of instructional practices that 

support SEL skills. These include practices that more intentionally support the development of emotion 

management, empathy, problem solving and mindfulness. 

Emotion Management: Emotion Management is "the ability to be aware of, and constructively 

handle, both positive and challenging emotions." Important practices that support emotion management 

include naming and validating emotions and encouraging youth to think about causes and consequences 

of emotions. 

Empathy: Empathy is "the ability to see things from others' perspectives, to suspend judgment, actively 

listen, and recognize how different values, life opportunities, and obstacles have shaped others." To 

support the development of empathy, staff can support and express valuing difference among people, 

provide a safe emotional space, coach and model empathetic listening, and provide opportunities to 

focus conversations around understanding each other's perspectives, emotions and experiences. 

Teamwork: Teamwork is "the ability to collaborate and coordinate action with others." When staff 

practices include ample opportunities to discuss and work together in groups toward shared goals, youth 

learn to effectively communicate and support effective group work. 

Responsibility: Responsibility is the "disposition and ability to reliably meet commitments and fulfill 

obligations of challenging roles." To help youth grow in responsibility, staff must share control with them. 

Youth must be given sufficiently challenging roles or tasks with both an obligation to the group and a 

combination of support, accountability and empowerment suited to individual needs. 

Initiative: Initiative is the "capacity to take action, sustain motivation, and preserve through challenge 

toward an identified goal." Staff can support initiative by creating opportunities for youth to choose what 

is motivating them, experience moderate challenge and struggle, and experience the satisfaction of 

achievement that comes from hard work and perseverance. 

Problem Solving: Problem solving is "the ability to plan, strategize, and implement complex tasks." 

To support problem solving, staff can offer active processes where youth think, choose, plan, do, revise 

and reflect. 


P 44


High-quality youth programs can create the settings and experiences where youth learn the social 

and emotional skills they need to succeed in life. Intentionality in youth development leader practices, 

including both behaviors (e.g., modeling appropriate use of emotion) and program structure design, 

activities, and routines that introduce and reinforce SEL development are critical to this learning. 

As programs pursue the path of continuous improvement, they find that staff retention improves, 

staff ownership of the assessment process increases, and staff become more reflective about their 

own work (Smith, Akiva, Blazevski, Pelle, & Devaney, 2008). When staff members hone the practices 

measured on the SEL PQA, they deepen relationships with the youth in their programs, and provide 

increased opportunities for youth voice and ownership. As youth have increased opportunities for key 

developmental experiences, they are able to cultivate critical thinking and other skills necessary for 

success in work, school and life. 

The SEL PQA is applicable to programs that serve both school-age (grades K-6) and youth (grades 4-12). 

The SEL PQA consists of four domains, 18 scales and 70 items. The SEL PQA items are focused 

on observable practices at the point-of-service, or the place where youth and staff interact. The 

domains include Safe Space, Supportive Environment, Interaction, Engagement. 

These four domains have been cross-walked with the CDLI practice areas and generally align to those 

shown below. 

PRACTICE AREAS 

EMOTION 

MANAGEMENT 

EMPATHY 

PERSONAL 

DEVELOPMENT 

RELATIONSHIP 

BUILDING 


- Emotional 

Safety 

- Emotion 

Coaching 

- Mindfulness 

- Warm 

Welcome 

- Empathy 

- Belonging 

- Skill Building 

- Active Learning 

- Choice 

- Encouragement 

- Collaboration 

- Leadership 

- Planning 

- Problem Solving 

- Warm Welcome 

- Interactions with 

Adults 

- Encouragement 

- Belonging 

- Collaboration 

- Leadership 

- Empathy 

- Session Flow 

- Responsibility 

- Leadership 

Planning 

- Reflection 

The SEL PQA can be completed by program staff or by a reliable external assessor. Program selfassessment 

is an adaptable, consensus-driven process that provides site managers and frontline staff 

with opportunities to evaluate, discuss, and build on a shared understanding of instructional quality 

in their programs. This process includes managers and staff observing multiple program offerings 

and together, scoring a single program-wide PQA. Reliable external assessors focus on staff-youth 

interactions in program offerings, collecting objective anecdotal evidence for every indicator on the tool, 

observing a single program offering and scoring a PQA based on the observation. 


P 45


Self-Assessment Report: This report summarizes the results 

of the self-assessment process Question to consider and identifies 

areas that the implementation team determined to be of high pointof-service 

quality as well as areas where improvement is needed. 

External Assessment Report: This report summarizes the 

results of the external assessment process and identifies areas of 

high point-of-service quality as well as areas where improvement 

is needed. 

TAKE NOTE 




TAKE NOTE 

The performance data is given to 

help you improve your program. 

Most important are the 

conversations that you have with 

your site team about the reports 

regarding improvements efforts. 

SEL PQA Scores 

Scores are calculated using averages. Scales are averages of items 

and domains are average of scales. The total score at the bottom 

of the table is the unweighted average of the domain scores. The 

Instructional Total Score is the unweighted average of three of the 

four domains: Supportive Environment, Interaction, 

and Engagement. 

PQA scores range from 1.0 to 5.0. In general, scores can be 

interpreted as follows: 

Score of 1 = The practice is not in place 

Score of 3 = The practice is available to a limited extent 

or in a less advanced form 

Score of 5 = The practice is widely available and/or with 

great frequency 

Scores between 4.0 and 5.0 are excellent in most categories. Scores between 1.0 and 2.0 can be a 

general cause for concern. Low scores on your performance report (relative to other scores in the report) 

may suggest areas of potential improvement. 


P 46

The report also presents some of the program quality data form the SEL PQA grouped by a six domain 

SEL structure (http://cypq.org/SELChallenge). The associated SEL table and bar chart in the report 

represent the average of the PQA scales (i.e., staff practices) that we feel most likely influence the 

development of these behaviors. 

As you interpret each of the sections in your SEL PQA report, consider following this sequence and 

these questions: 

Examine the domains, scales, and items presented in the report 


• What scales and items make up each domain? 

• What are the instructional practices that are measured by the assessment? 

Examine whether your report shows a comparison against a large sample. 


• In which areas are you doing comparatively well? 

• In which area is there room for improvement? 

Celebrate your strengths! Identify the items that you feel are successes in your program. 

Question to consider: 

• What factors do you think contribute to these strengths? 

What can you work on? After you have identified which items you think could use improvement, refer to 

the corresponding practice descriptions in the appropriate PQA. Reflect on what might be causing some 

of your scores to be lower than you would like and brainstorm what steps you could take to improve in 

this area. 


It is recommended that programs set goals at the scale level. Goals can respond to scores in several 

ways, for example: (1) Focus on increasing scores for low-scoring items; (2) Work on structural/ 

organizational improvements to increase scores; (3) Set up mechanisms for individuals to be supported 

in improving items; (4) Set focused targets for improvement. After deciding which scales you will focus 

on, follow these steps: 

Step 1: 

Review your other program data (Self & Program Reflection, Algorhythm Youth and Adult Surveys, and 

Capacity Assessment) 


• Where do you see similarities between your low-scoring and high-scoring areas in all the data 

reports? 

• What story is being told between all your CDLI assessment data? 

Step 2: 

Consider how these experiences can be added or supported in your SMART goal in your Program 

Implementation Plan (PIP). 

Step 3: 

Determine if you have the bandwidth to do more in your program to support continuous improvement. 

If yes, how does this data enhance/inform your current smart goal? What might be a new goal? 

If no, how will this support your improvement process moving forward? 


P 47

CAPACITY ASSESSMENT 



Developing character in youth requires 

support from all levels at a Y. The Capacity 

Assessment focuses on the organizational 

level and was created to capture aspects 

of Y’s organizational infrastructure that are 

in place to implement youth development 

principals, strategies, and supports. This 

tool is intended to assess organizational and 

youth development programmatic capacity 

at each Y. 


PROGRAM LEVEL 

YOUTH 

DEVELOPMENT 

LEADER LEVEL 









How does this tool define Organizational Capacity? 

There are six sections in the Capacity Assessment. The first five sections refer to the core supports 

for a strong organizational infrastructure in place at your Y. These core supports have been identified 

by the Y-USA Capacity Building Team as important to effectively deliver, measure, grow, and sustain 

evidence-based practices over time. The core supports are Common Agenda, Backbone Support, 

Continuous Improvement Through Measurement, Investment and Sustainability, and Collaborative 

Action. The sixth section refers specifically to character development. 


Youth development leaders interact with youth in programs and those programs exist within a broader 

organizational context. Organizations are an important system in supporting positive youth development 

through the CDLI Adult practice areas. 

What are we learning? 

Reflecting on your Y's capacity to support youth character development is a useful process. It provides 

an opportunity to identify the successes your Y has had in serving youth. It also provides a chance to 

identify and prioritize areas for growth. 

Questions to consider when reviewing your assessment: 

• How does the capacity assessment reflect the good work that the Association is doing in the core 

support areas? 

• What can the team do (or stop doing) to support these strengths? 

• What are some areas for potential improvement? 

• What are capacity areas that can be further developed? 

• What strategies and resources can be used to strengthen, maintain, and sustain the core supports? 

How do we act on the data? 

• Develop an Action Plan using the Action Planning Sheet 

• Review the Algorhythm Adult Survey data, looking closely at the Organization Supports sections. 

What connections do you see between these two reports? Is your team’s data like your staff and 

volunteer data? 


P 48

A CLOSER LOOK 

1. Overview of the Assess-Plan-Improve Cycle 

2. MMOD Session Sample Agenda 

A Closer Look: Overview of the Assess-Plan-Improve Cycle 

Steps 

ASSESS PLAN IMPROVE 

Coordinate logistics to 

collect data 

• Review assessment tools 

or surveys with program 

team involved in data 

collection 

• Provide training to 

program team on data 

collection as needed 

• Distribute and collect 

consent/assent forms 

Collect data 

• Distribute and collect data 

Review Data 

• Coordinate and set up meeting 

with implementation team to 

make meaning of data 

• Review data report(s), first 

independently, then with 

implementation team 

• Reflect on data report(s) as a 

team, celebrating strengths and 

identifying areas of growth 

Plan with data 

• Based on your data and review, 

identify areas of growth you’d 

like to focus on to build on your 

SMART goals 

• Identify and establish the time, 

resources, and supports you’ll 

need to meet your goals 

• Develop or modify your PIP 

based on your SMART goals 

Share data 

• Identify what you’re most proud 

of and would like to share with 

your stakeholders 

• Discuss how you could use 

your findings to tell your story 

to community partners (e.g. 

funders, schools, parents, 

Community Based Organizations) 

• Discuss how you could 

use your findings to 

strengthen partnerships 

• Use your plan to improve 

• Implement each step of the 

action plan in your PIP to meet 

your goals 

• Create targeted opportunities 

for training, coaching, and 

professional development to 

support the action plan in 

your PIP 

Adapted from Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality’s Program Improvement Planning 

Guidebook, 2016-17 Draft Edition 


P 49

A CLOSER LOOK: MMOD SESSION SAMPLE AGENDA 

Materials, timing, objectives, section by section description 

We encourage you to modify this suggested agenda based on the needs of your program, but this 

should give you a good start! 

The Making Meaning of Data session has two main parts: review and reflect on your data and plan with 

your data. 

We estimate that a meeting that follows this agenda can take 2-3 hours, depending on the size of your 

group. Remember that you can break down the sections in the agenda into smaller chunks of time if it is 

not possible for your team to meet for this long. 

Preparation 

There are several things to consider as you plan for the MMOD session. See Making Meaning of Data 

Session Process Planning section above. 

Once you have followed the steps in the planning section, make sure you have all the materials listed 

below. Remember that you can also include other data in your meeting aside from your CDLI data, 

including attendance data, school data, etc. 

• Community building activity 

• Easel paper and markers 

• Data Reports 

• PIP 

Although not always possible, we recommend that you have staff review their data reports before 

coming to the meeting even if you will review the reports with them at the beginning of the session. 

That way, they come prepared with questions about the reports. 

Agenda Overview 

1. Welcome (5 minutes) 

2. Community building activity (10 minutes) 

3. Review and reflect on your data individually and as a team 

a. Review of Reporting Format (10 minutes) 

b. Reading and Interpreting Data (30-60 minutes) 

4. Plan with your data 

a. Creating/Modifying Action Plans (PIP) (1 hour) 

b. Plan Review (15 minutes) 

5. Reflection (5 minutes) 


P 50

DETAILED SAMPLE AGENDA (TO BE USED WITH MAKING MEANING 

OF DATA SESSION SECTION) 

Welcome (5 min) 

• Welcome participants to the meeting and introduce yourself if necessary. 

• Have participants introduce themselves to create community. 

• Remind participants of the Assess-Plan-Improve cycle. Reiterate that the entire process of making 

meaning of data is focused on providing experiences for young people that will help them grow and 

develop their character in a positive way. Providing a safe place for kids to go after school is not 

enough- the quality of the program matters and the experiences we provide for them to develop 

their character is key. 

Community Building Activity (10 min) 

• If possible, introduce a community building activity. 

Review of Reporting Format (10 min) 

• Review what was measured in the data reports and why it was collected. 

• Review the questions you set out to answer when you decided to collect data and what information 

the reports provide. Be sure participants fully understand the layout of the reports, where to find 

data sources, and how the data is represented. 

Reading and Interpreting Data (30-60 min) 

• Share data reports either via a link or printed copies. 

• Have staff review the data individually and work through the What? So What? Now What? questions. 

• Discuss as a large group. 

Creating/Modifying Action Plans (1 hour) 

• Remind participants how to create SMART goals. 

• Allow participants enough time to create actionable, measurable goals and plans in your PIP. Break 

the team up into pairs to work on one goal at a time. 

• Have team members gather in a large group and discuss how these new/modified goals will be 

represented in your PIP. 

Plan Review (15 min) 

• Review plan as a large group. Are the goals SMART? Do they focus on changing staff behavior? 

Will they lead to an improved experience for youth participants? Have we considered challenges 

and resources? 

• Designate a person to be responsible for tracking and updating goals in the PIP and set up frequent 

check-ins to discuss successes and challenges on accomplishing goals. 

Reflection (5 min) 

• Have participants think about how they feel about their teams’ plan and the change process. What is 

their personal weather forecast, for example (e.g., “I feel sunny with a chance of light showers”)? 

• Ask those participants who want to share explain their forecast or just state it without explanation. 

• Remind participants that they will be asked to take part in making meaning of data once more data 

reports are available, as this is a process and part of the A-P-I cycle. 


P 51


P 52

3Our 

Way Forward 

Building on our core values 

to develop character in youth. 


P 53

LOCAL Y VOICES 

Local Ys offered immensely helpful feedback to Y-USA - feedback which was then used to 

refine the technical assistance, to identify measurement supports, to identify high impact 

training and development and opportunities for peer learning, and to create learning 

resources that focused on character development. 

WE HEARD FROM YOU! 

✓ 61 local Y staff in the capacity assessment usability survey, 

✓ 113 in the webinar satisfaction polls, 

✓ 80 in the mid-point check-in survey, 

✓ 48 in the TA interaction survey, 

✓ 81 in the summit usefulness survey, 

✓ 6 in the toolkit testing interviews, and 

✓ 70 in the wrap-up surveys. 

WE LEARNED FROM YOU! 

During Pilot, Y-USA also learned from local Ys in the following ways: 

• 64 site visits, 

• 6 focus groups with character development implementation team members, and 

• 13 focus groups with youth and families. 

Thank you for supporting character development and continuous improvement with your reflections, 

advice, insights, and responses. 

THANK YOU! 

We as a Y Movement know that cause-driven leaders like you are critical to shaping values, skills, 

attitudes, and behaviors that encourage youth to flourish in learning, in work, in life. Because of you, 

cause-driven leaders are building on our core values to develop character in youth. 

We had an amazing year (2017-2018) supporting character development. We doubled the number of Y 

Associations—from 32 to 64—intentionally implementing personal development, empathy, responsibility, 

relationship building, and emotion management into their youth development programs. We reached 

1,250 staff, 2,200 volunteers, and 33,000 youth in 96 youth development programs across the nation. 

Local Ys identified 224 goals for character development in their specific programs, participated in 38 

training webinars, co-presented 14 professional development and networking sessions at our character 

development national summit, and co-created the character development toolkit in with the assistance of 

a working group of four committed Ys. We collected 64 organizational assessments, 67 external program 

assessments, 272 staff and volunteer surveys, and 344 youth surveys. 

WHAT WE LEARNED 

From the external program assessments, we know that local Ys provide safe spaces for their youth and 

from the staff surveys, we know that local Ys offer strong relationship building skills to youth. Ultimately, 

on our journey to elevate character development, we learned that we are better together. 

The tools that Y-USA developed, in many cases co-created with local Ys, have been well-received and 

are often referenced by implementation team members as ways to elevate or strengthen their youth 

development work. To better support local Ys, we hope to enhance of the capacity of local Ys to use data 

to monitor progress and make program improvements and utilize character development as a means for 

youth development. 

WHAT’S NEXT? 

During 2018-2019, we plan to add 79 new Y Associations and 111 youth programs to the character 

development family. We will welcome 8 local Ys as character development hubs to provide coaching and 

technical assistance to the Y Movement. 


P 54

4The 

Placemat 

and Conceptual 

Framework 

Process for cultivating the values, attitudes, 

knowledge, and behaviors that prepare youth 

to thrive in learning, in work, and in life. 


P 55

FOSTERING 

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT 

When the entire organization commits to character development, 

youth development leaders have the support they need to nurture 

the potential of all youth. 

The entire organization 

commits to character 

development. 

Youth development leaders 

intentionally interact with 

youth in 5 areas. 

Youth development 

character. 

Organization Level 

Youth 

Development 

Leader 

Level 

Program Level (Structure) 

Empathy 

Emotion 

Management 

CD 


Areas 


Personal 

Development 

Relationship 

Building 

ORGANIZATION - WIDE 

SUPPORTS FOR STAFF 

& VOLUNTEERS 

Organization-wide commitment 

leads to integration of character 

development at the organizational 

level, program level, and youth 

development leader level. 

YD LEADERS FOCUS 

ON 5 AREAS 

Integrated supports promote high 

quality youth programs. YD Leaders 

can then intentionally focus on 5 

areas of character development. 

HIGHER RATES OF 

SUCCESS FOR YOUTH 

Intentional focus on 5 areas 

encourages youth to develop 

and integrate a set of values, 

skills, attitudes, and behaviors 

that allow them to operate 

successfully and responsibly 

in learning, work, and life. 


P 56

FOCUSING ON ADULT PRACTICE AREAS 

Y-USA selected these five practice areas for the following reasons: 1) they are supported by 

research and expert feedback; 2) they are scalable; 3) their implementation and outcomes 

can be measured. Reference the sources page to learn more. 

Emotion Management: Adults support youth in becoming aware of and constructively handling both 


Empathy: Adults work with youth to relate to others with acceptance, understanding, and a sensitivity 

to diverse perspective and experiences. 

Personal Development: Adults encourage youth to act, persist, and initiate goals and outcomes even 

through the ups and downs of difficult situations and challenges. 

Relationship Building: Adults foster experiences where youth plan, collaborate, and coordinate action 

with others. 

Responsibility: Adults develop youth to be reliable and committed, and to fulfill obligations and 


NAMING ADULT PRACTICES 

Several frameworks and tools adopted in the out-of-school time field are applicable and adaptable to Y 

settings. These five practice areas were cross-referenced and verified with other well-known character 

development resources, including the Weikart Social- Emotional Program Quality Assessment (SEL PQA), 

CASEL’s integrated framework of core Social and Emotional Learning competencies, the Devereux Student 

Strengths Assessment (DESSA), and Algorhythm’s staff surveys and their ‘Hello Insight’ youth surveys. 

Although sometimes called something different, the five adult practice areas generally align with 

these research- informed frameworks and tools, and can be implemented within the variety of youth 

development programs at Ys. 

TAKING A LOCAL, Y-CENTRIC APPROACH 

Thinking about ways to embed character development into youth programming has been 

co-constructed for Ys and by Ys. The relevance, need, and expertise of the Y movement has been 

integral to creating tools and professional development experiences and implementing youth character 

development to fulfill our shared cause. 

THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 

Character is the habit of mind and disposition that assists young people to flourish. Character 

Development is the process for cultivating the values, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors that prepare 

youth to thrive in learning, in work, and in life. An intentional focus on the character development of youth 

represents an opportunity to develop, coach towards, and evaluate effective behaviors of the adults who 

work directly with youth and to engage organizational leaders in supporting and sustaining character 

development as a strategy to promote positive youth development. 

The Y’s cause-driven leaders are best able to affect positive character development outcomes in youth 

when there is support by the organization, the program, and front-line youth development leaders. At the 

organization level, this means that Ys have an infrastructure in place to implement youth development 

principals, strategies, and supports. At the program level, this means youth programming is high quality. 

At the Youth Development Leader level, this means Y adults intentionally focus their practice in five areas 

when interacting with youth: 

• Emotion Management – Adults support youth to be aware of and constructively handle both positive 

and challenging emotions. 

• Empathy – Adults work with youth to relate to others with acceptance, understanding, and a 

sensitivity to diverse perspective and experiences. 

• Relationship Building – Adults foster experiences where youth plan, collaborate, and coordinate 



P 57

• Responsibility – Adults develop youth to be reliable and committed, and to fulfill obligations and 


• Personal Development – Adults encourage youth to act, persist, and initiate goals and outcomes 

even through the ups and downs of difficult situations and challenges. 

Each of these adult practice areas is related to fundamental features that bolster high-quality youth 

development programming: 

Appropriate Structure – The organization has the appropriate leadership and staffing model to support 

youth development outcomes; 

Supportive Relationships – Adults and youth have an open line of communication, deliberately 

collaborate, problem solve together, and engage in positive interactions (i.e., apprenticeships, 

mentoring); 

Opportunities to Belong – Adults and youth appreciate one another by creating an inclusive culture 

where youth can explore and express their identities in meaningful and authentic ways; 

Positive Social Norms – Adults act as role models and provide support for youth to set positive goals; 

Support for Efficacy and Mattering – Adults intentionally foster with youth a sense of worth, respect, and 

belonging; Opportunity for Skill Building – Adults provide opportunities for youth to gain new knowledge 

and skills; and 

Integration for Family Engagement – Adults recognize and actively include the family and the 

community as partners in positive youth development. 

Character can be taught and caught. Every adult – staff and volunteers, from the membership clerk to 

the C-Suite executive - are responsible for successfully supporting the development of character in youth. 

Intentional actions by the adults – referred to as the Youth Development Leader - along with specific shifts 

in the program and organizational structures form the basis of character development as a mechanism for 

positive youth development. 

The Character Development Conceptual Framework is an organizing document that can be used 

throughout a Y – at the organizational level, the program level and by the Youth Development 

Leader level. 

THE KEY TO THE LAYOUT: 

i LEVEL - The “LEVEL” – Youth Development Leader or Program/Organization – is distinguished by color 

and includes the key features exemplified (i.e., Support for Efficacy and Mattering, Positive Social 

Norms, etc.) in the practice areas. 

i YOUTH DEVELOPMENT COMPETENCY - Our YMCA Cause-Driven Leadership frames the thoughtful 

behaviors Youth Development Leaders use to influence and impact youth development. In the CDLI 

conceptual framework, “Youth Development Competencies” contextualize the primary proficiencies in 

each area of practice. 

i STRATEGY - The “Strategy” to support the key feature can be informative to the C-Suite Executive as 

a means of identifying the appropriate resources (people, time, and money) to influence and impact 

essential decisions related to youth development. 

i INDICATORS - The “Indicators” denote evidence of strategies in action. Y Leadership (C-Suite, 

Program Staff, and Lead Volunteers) can use these indicators to measure the degree to which what is 

planned with the Youth Development Leader and the youth program is actually taking place. 

i BEHAVIORS - “Behaviors” represent what the area of practice should look and sound like in action in 

a youth program. Program Leaders and Lead Volunteers can utilize these behaviors to pinpoint 

training topics, identify coaching goals, and inform recruitment strategies for Youth Development staff 

and volunteers. 

i EXAMPLES - “Examples” exemplify culturally, contextually and development appropriate and practical 

methods to implement each area of practice. Program staff and Volunteer can learn from, build on, or 

elevate how they might apply these tactics in a real-world situation. 


P 58

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT LEADER LEVEL 

EMOTION MANAGEMENT: Adults support youth to be aware of and constructively handle both positive and challenging emotions. 

Key Feature 

Youth 

Development 

Competency Strategy Indicator Behavior Examples 

Appropriate 

Structure and 

Routine 

A. Developing Others 

B. Functional 

Expertise 

A. Youth Development 

Leader create and 

adjust program 

activities to 

accommodate youth's 

processing 

of emotion. 

B. Youth Development 

Leader regularly 

assess their own 

person feelings, 

strengths, and 

limitations and 

relate it to how 

their emotions 

impact relationships 

with others. 


Leader structure 

meetings and activities 

that can accommodate 

the expression and 

processing of a range 

of positive and 

challenging emotions 

in a safe space. 

A. Youth Development Leader 

creates time, space or rituals 

within program activities for 

youth to process and learn 

from emotions. 

B. When speaking with a group or 

an individual, adults use language 

that communicates their emotions 

honestly, empathetically, 

inclusively and clearly while 

respectfully acknowledging and 

validating emotions in others. 

1. Youth Development Leader 

facilitate "Roses and Thorns" 

check-in and reflection exercise 

after an activity. 

2. Small groups participate in 

a daily ice breaker where staff 

present typical scenarios the age 

groups would experience and 

engage youth in discussions about 

how to best handle it. 


encourages youth members to 

journal, reflecting on and writing 

about their experiences and 

emotions. (NOTE: Themes can be 

modified t adapt to younger and 

older age groups.) 

Supportive 

Relationships 

A. Relationships 

B. Developing 

Others 

C. Communication 

A. Youth 

Development 

Leader create 

opportunities to 

develop emotion 

management 

skills by modeling 

and engaging 

in meaningful 

interactions 

that build trust, 

respect and shared 

commitments. 

B. Youth 

Development 

Leader recognizes 

the emotional 

needs of by their 

choice of words, 

tone of voice, 

expressions and 

other non-verbal 

behaviors. 

A. Youth 

Development 

Leader become role 

models and mentors 

through personal 

sharing. 

B. Youth program 

participants the core 

value of "Respect" 

as a description of 

their relationship 

with the adults. 


model healthy strategies for 

dealing with emotions in a 

caring, age-appropriate, and 

respectful context. 

B. Youth Development Leader 

uses effective listening and 

verbal skills, including positive 

body language and tone of 

voice to encourage an open 

exchange of ideas. 

C. Youth Development 

Leader regularly names, 

acknowledges and validates 

emotions of youth. 


organizes "getting acquainted" 

mixers; adults and youth address 

each other by name; adults 

engage in culturally relevant and 

inclusive social conversations 

around personal, age-appropriate, 

and/or high interest youth topics. 

2. The staff are responsive to 

the youth needs by getting down 

on the same level (physical 

proximity) while listening to youth 

share aloud and reflect. 


works with the youth to create 

ways for youth to express their 

feelings, improve upon ability 

their ability to communicate their 

needs, and resolve problems. For 

example, aquatics staff can say; 

“I know it can feel scary to get 

into the water for the first time, 

most people are. I’m here to keep 

you safe. Let me know when 

you’re ready.” 

Opportunity 

for Skill 

Building 

A. Communication 

B. Developing Others 

C. Functional 

Expertise 


Leader provides 

coaching and 

support to youth to 

manage and learn 

from their emotional 

experiences. 

B. Youth 

Development Leader 

guide students to use 

self- direction and 

self- management 

strategies. 


Leader uses active 

listening, de-escalation 

techniques and 

problem-solving 

methods during 

tense or challenging 

situations. 


Leader coaches youth 

to express emotions in 

a clear and productive 

manner and using 

positive or affirming 

language. 


Leader promotes 

critical thinking habits 

that develop youth's 

decision making and 

coping skills. 

D. Youth Development 

Leader connects youth 

to other youth and 

adults who display 

an ability to manage 

their emotions. 


applies strategies to assist youth 

in learning to express emotions 

in positive ways. 


asks youth to describe their 

emotion or identify the 

intensity of emotions they are 

experiencing. 

C. Youth Development Leader 

discusses with youth constructive 

ways to handle emotions. 

D. Adults support youth to 

distinguish between feelings and 

actions, and identify ways to 

self-regulate. 

F. Youth Development Leader 

asks youth about causes or 

consequences of 


G. Youth Development Leader 

encourages, supports and 

provides structured 

opportunities for positive 

peer-to-peer relationships 

among youth. 


includes explicit emphasis on 

emotion management skills 

through incorporating yoga, 

meditation, and other 

mindfulness activities for youth. 


shows youth how to use mindful 

techniques such as breathing 

exercises to help manage their 

own emotions. For example, 

when youth enter the program 

space, the youth development 

leader can use chimes or other 

instruments to signal a “mindful 

moment” prompting mindfulness. 

3. During swim lessons staff 

help youth identify emotions 

and strategies for coping with 

uncomfortable emotions such as 

“If you start feeling scared when 

you are putting your face in the 

water, what can you do to stay 

calm? Can you give this a try?” 


matches youth with a peer or 

near peer who displays a positive 

attitude, control of his/her 

emotions, and expresses him/ 

herself clearly. 


P 59

PROGRAM/ORGANIZATION LEVEL 

EMOTION MANAGEMENT: Adults support youth to be aware of and constructively handle both positive and challenging emotions. 

Key Feature 

Youth 

Development 

Competency Strategy Indicator Behavior 

Examples 

(Not exclusive or applicable 

to all ages) 

Appropriate 

Structure and 

Routine 

A. Functional 

Expertise 

B. Quality Results 

A. Adults assess the 

youth's emotional 

readiness and adjust 

and engage in 

response to the data. 

A. Ys use researchbased 

valid assessment 

tools such as youth 

surveys (i.e. HSA from 

PEAR, Algorhthym 

Youth survey) to 

measure youth 

stakeholder input. 

B. The Y adopts and 

uses a research based 

character development 

curriculum. 

C. Y leadership creates 

accountability metrics 

for staff and volunteers 

to deepen one-to-one 

relationships with 

youth. 

A. The Youth Development Leader 

recognizes the social-emotional, 

cognitive, and physical milestones 

youth experience during their 

journey from birth to career. 

B. The Youth Program Staff and 

Leaders actively implement 

regular evaluations of program 

goals, the program environmental 

quality and program outcomes. 

C. The Y uses data to highlight 

youth achievement and progress 

to key stakeholders and 

community partners. 

1. Staff conduct an annual needs 

assessment of the condition and 

types of equipment available to 

youth; if adjustments are needed, 

Y Association leadership reallocates 

resources or raises funds. 

2. Ys include a quick survey for 

campers' parents/caregivers to 

complete as a part of the camper 

application. Afterwards, each 

counselor creates a personalized 

youth engagement plan for 

each camper. 

3. Ys conduct a SEL Program 

Quality Assessment (self and 

external) and discuss the 

outcomes as a team. 

Supportive 

Relationships 


B. Functional 

Expertise 

C. Developing 

Others 

A. The physical 

environment 

nurtures 

appropriate 

cognitive, physical, 

and, social youth 

development. 

B. The Youth 

Development 

Leader recognize 

that all youth have 

individual needs, 

temperaments, 

characteristics 

and abilities and 

develop at their 

own rate. 

C. Leadership 

promotes and 

provides systems 

for staff well being. 

A. Materials & 

resources are made 

available to staff to 

help identify and 

maintain their own 

emotional 

well being. 

B. Adults encourage 

a culture where 

youth can 

appropriately optout 

of program 

activities. 

C. Y leadership 

create accountability 

metrics for staff to 

deepen one-to-one 


youth. 

A. Adults create safe spaces 

for youth to retreat and have 

appropriate personalized, 

reflection time. 

B. A system is in place for 

youth to regular monitor 

and express their individual 

emotions. 

1. Program spaces are 

accommodating to meet youth 

needs (i.e. flexible furniture, 

appropriate size furniture, 

comfortable furniture). Youth 

have options to move freely 

through the program space at 

appropriate times. 

2. An emoji chart is available and 

displayed to help youth express 


3. Multiple signs are displayed 

around the teen center that 

encourage mental wellness and 

reflection (e.g., "How will you 

make the most of today?" 

"The golden rule," and "LGBT 

Safe Zone"). 

Opportunity 

for Skill 

Building 


B. Functional 

Expertise 

A. Y Leadership 

creates a plan 

for intentional 

recruitment, 

onboarding 

and orientation 

activities with the 

adults responsible 

for character 

development. 

B. Y Leadership 

provides ongoing 

Youth Development 

training opportunities 

for Emotion 

Management. 


establishes a 

recruitment pipeline 

for staff and volunteers 

from internal and 

local community 

organizations. 


establishes professional 

development 

and career path 

opportunities for staff. 

A. Y Leadership schedules 

regular training to review and 

learn healthy strategies and 

behaviors for supporting youth to 

deal with their emotions. 

1. Existing and new staff receive 

training on Emotion Management 

techniques. 

2. Staff members are given time 

once a week, or at the end of 

the program time, to reflect and 

get support from other staff to 

address any youth issues that 

were identified. 

3. Staff communicate with each 

other and share best practices for 

interacting with youth. 

4. Provide staff with Listen 

First training. 


P 60


EMPATHY: Adults work with youth to relate to others with acceptance, understanding, and a sensitive to diverse 

perspectives and experiences. 

Key Feature 

Youth 

Development 


Appropriate 

Structure and 

Routine 


B. Communication 

C. Inclusion 


Leaders create a safe 

space that promotes 

feelings of mutual 

respect, acceptance 

and appreciation 

among youth and 

leaders. 

A. All staff model 

and apply cultural 

competency and global 

awareness in youth 

development work. 

B. The Youth 


creates positive rapport 

and shared interest 

with all youth. 


Leaders create 

protocols that allow 

youth to reflect, provide 

feedback, and be 

empathic while listening 

to the experiences, 

perspectives, and 

narratives of others. 

A. Youth Development Leaders 

use warm, inclusive and 

respectful tone of voice and 

positive body language to 

intentionally create a 

welcoming atmosphere. 


uses effective listening and verbal 

skills, including positive body 

language and tone of voice to 

create a positive rapport with 

all youth. 


promotes feelings of mutual 

respect, acceptance, and 

appreciation among 

youth and adults 

D. Youth Development Leader 

creates a mechanism for youth to 

confidentially convey information 

about their experiences, 

concerns, and suggestions for 

program improvement. 

1. Youth Development Leaders 

engage with youth in inclusive, 

empathetic, and friendly 

conversation making intentional 

efforts to know the youth's 

interest. 

2. During discussions, a talking 

stick (or alternate tool) is used to 

provide equal opportunities and 

respect for youth to share and 

to participate. 

3. Staff meetings include a 

problem of practice protocol 

for reviewing youth needs and 

experiences in programs. 

4. Staff take YUSA E-Learnings: 

Advancing Equity: Understanding 

My Biases, Youth Reflection and 

Youth Affirmation. 

Opportunities 

to Belong 


B. Quality Results 

A. Youth 

Development 

Leaders provide 

opportunities for 

youth to appreciate 

or show kindness 

to others. 

B. Youth voice and 

perspective are 

reflected within the 

youth program. 

C. Youth 

Development 

Leaders provide 


youth to develop 

their voice and 

perspective. 

A. Youth 

Development 

Leaders provides 

structured 


youth to get to 

know each other 

during each program 

session. 

B. Youth 

Development 

Leaders offer 

authentic choice 

within activities. 

C. Organized 

opportunities are 

provided for youth to 

discover, explore and 

discuss what's going 

on in their community 

and lives. 

A. Youth explore effects of 

stereotypes, discrimination, and 

social structures. 

B. Youth develop and share 

their own personal stories and 

attentively and emphatically 

listen to the experience, 

backgrounds and perspectives 

of others. 


use affirmations and pay 

attention to youth when they 

communicate about things that 

matter to them. 

1. Youth write get-well and 

encouraging notes to peers that 

are ill or have been absent for a 

period of time. 

2. After a game, youth share with 

each other the strengths they 

appreciate in teammates and 

competitors. 

3. Students in the Youth Advisory 

Council meet every Friday to 

help create the following week's 

program activity schedule. 

4. Youth use literacy 

(poetry writing, storytelling) 

to something personal 

about themselves. 

Opportunity 

for Skill 

Building 



C. Inclusion 

A. Youth 


models and applies 

cultural sensitivity, 

compassion and 

global awareness 

to exemplify and 

advance inclusive 

practice skills with 

youth. 

B. Youth 


provide formal 

opportunities to learn 

about and value 

differences among 

each other. 


Leader recognizes 

that all youth have 

individual needs, 

temperaments, 

characteristic, and 

abilities and develop at 

their own rate. 


Leader introduces 

youth to diverse 

cultures, careers, 

individual life 

experiences, and 

alternate perspectives 

on current events and 

topics relevant to the 

youth’s generation. 


Leader applies 

strategies to assist 

youth in learning to 

express emotions in 

positive ways. 

A. Youth practice identifying, 

understanding and managing 

judgments and demonstrate 

care when others reveal or share 

emotional experiences. 

B. Youth Development Leaders 

express affirmation, care, 

curiosity, and pay attention to 

youth when they communicate 

about things that matter 

to them. 


create authentic interactions 

where youth experience new 

foods, friends, music, and field 

experiences. 

2. youth Development Leaders 

organizes activities for youth to 

make new friends and learn new 

information about them. 

3. Youth discuss the stereotypical 

portrayal of Native Americans in 

movies and how such portrayals 

might influence their views, as 

well as how those portrayals may 

influence Native American youth 

in the community. 

4. Youth volunteer with other 

members (youth and adult) who 

are from different generations, 

countries or backgrounds. 

5. Staff organize youth volunteers 

to participate in service activities. 


P 61


EMPATHY: Adults work with youth to relate to others with acceptance, understanding, and a sensitive to diverse 

perspectives and experiences. 

Key Feature 

Youth 

Development 


Appropriate 

Structure and 

Routine 

A. Inclusion 


A. The program 

physical environment 

is a culturally 

sensitive safe place. 


structures intentional 

recruitment, 

onboarding 

and orientation 

activities with 

adults responsible 

for character 

development. 

A. Y Leadership secures 

resources (people, 

time and money) 

for materials to be 

displayed in the Y that 

reflect the diversity of 

its members, including 

different ethnicities, 

languages, genders, 

cultures and races. 


organize volunteers and 

hire staff and assign 

them to programs who 

reflect the composition 

and interest of the local 

Y community. 

A. Multicultural materials are 

accessible and visible that reflect 

the diversity of people including 

different ethnicities, languages, 

genders, cultures and races. 

B. The Y collateral includes 

messages on your YMCA websites 

and social media channels that 

highlights diversity, inclusion and 

global work. 

C. Behavioral based questions 

are embedded in the recruitment 

and hiring process to screen 

candidates for empathy. 

1. Flags from member represented 

countries around the world are 

displayed in the program space. 

2. A word wall displays "Hello" in 

different languages. 

3. A "peace corner" is setup to 

provide youth with the tools and 

resources to help understand 

other's perspectives. 

4. Y Leadership practice strategic 

recruitment for volunteers 

and program staff from local 

organizations, (high schools, 

colleges/universities with Youth 

Development experience). 

5. Diverse community members 

are invited as guest speakers to 

youth programs, that highlight and 

expose youth to diverse and global 

learning experiences. 

6. Y-USA Listen First training is 

included in the onboarding process 

for all Youth Development Leaders. 

Listen First Discussion Guide are 

used in follow-up conversations 

with staff and volunteers. 

Opportunity 

for Skill 

Building 


B. Functional 

Expertise 


create systems 

that provide Youth 

Development Leaders 

with ongoing training, 

support and regular 

feedback on their 

facilitation and group 

management skills 

to maintain respect, 

acceptance and care 

for all. 

A. Staff meetings 

include high quality 

examples of what a 

welcoming, respectful, 

and inclusive program 

environment looks like. 

B. Staff have scheduled 

training (onboarding, 

professional 

development) on 

the subject of safe, 

trusting, and inclusive 

environments. 

A. Y Leadership provides 

ongoing training and resources 

in support of healthy strategies 

and behaviors for dealing with 

emotions. 

B. Y Leadership actively 

implements regular evaluation 

of program goals, environment 

and outcomes. 

C. Y Leadership uses data to 

highlight youth achievement and 

progress to key stakeholders and 

continuous improvement. 

1. Y Leadership uses program 

quality assessments and other 

continuous improvement 

measures to monitor their 

program environments; results 

are shared and decisions are 

made that are informed by data. 

2. Staff are provided with an 

"empathy tool kit" to utilize 

with participants. 


take YUSA Dimensions of Diversity 

and Cultural Lenses workshops. 


P 62


RELATIONSHIP BUILDING: Adults foster experiences where youth plan, collaborate, and coordinate action with others. 

Key Feature 

Youth 

Development 


Appropriate 

Structure and 

Routine 




Leaders provides 

structured 


youth to build positive 


one another. 


Leaders create a 

positive rapport and 

shared interest with 

all youth. 


Leader encourages, 

supports and provides 

structured opportunities 

for positive peer-topeer 

relationships 

among youth. 


Leader creates norms 

and routines for 

effective group work. 

C. Time is dedicated 

to support adults in 

managing unproductive 

conflict. 

A. Youth Development Leaders 

ensures time is designated for Ice 

Breakers, Team Building or get to 

know you activities. 

B. Youth Development Leaders 

provides opportunities for youth 

to lead, problem-solve, and 

make decisions. 


facilitates youth-led groups 

that work together towards 

shared goals. 


intervenes as need to support 

positive group dynamics thru 

one-on-one conversations, 

problem solving and reflection 

of group norms. 


serves as advisors to youth created 

clubs and groups. 

2. The program environment has 

many examples of flipcharts, quote 

cards, graffiti walls and youthcreated 

art to document youth 

input of group discussions. 

Supportive 

Relationships 



A. Youth 

Development 

Leader engages 

with youth in 

positive, inclusive 

and nurturing 

manner. 

B. Youth 

Development 

Leader creates 


youth and families 

to connect during 

and outside of the 

program. 


Leader initiates 

opportunity to get to 

know youth better or 

to show interest in 

their lives. 

B. Youth 


uses effective 

listening and verbal 

skills, including 

positive body 

language and tone 

of voice. 

C. Youth 


works with parents, 

caregivers and 

families to identify 

shared goals for 

youth and support 

youth in reaching 

those goals. 


give a formal opening and 

closing at the beginning and end 

of every program session. 


engages youth in conversation 

using open-ended questions 

and listens and responds, when 

appropriate, to 

their responses. 


encourages feedback from youth 

and caregivers and provides 

stakeholder driven choices 

within youth programs. 


creates a "welcome back" bulletin 

board that acknowledges new and 

returning program participants. 

2. End-of-session swim lessons 

events are held that bring parents, 

youth, and staff together all at one 

time, allowing everyone to come 

together and deepen relationships 

that have been created during the 

swim session. 

3. When speaking with youth, the 

Youth Development Leader lowers 

their body in order for his/her 

body to match the youth, where 

appropriate. 

Opportunities 

to Belong 


B. Project 

Management 


Leader ensures 


youth to develop a 

sense of belonging. 


Leader encourages 

youth to manage 

group dynamics and 

define a group's 

accountability. 


Leader promotes 

feelings of mutual 

respect, acceptance, 

and appreciation among 

youth and adults. 


Leader works with 

youth to create a vision 

and define outcomes 

for a youth group. 


Leader holds youth and 

him/herself accountable 

to an agreed upon 

set of rules, behavior 

expectations and 

consequences. 


works with youth to develop 

program rules and related positive 

and negative consequences. 

B. Group norms and values are 

posted in the program space 

and are referenced by youth and 

adults frequently. 

1. Club and group meeting and 

activities are scheduled and 

accompanied by participant 

contracts that outline agreed upon 

norms, expectations, behaviors, 

and responsibilities. 

2. The Youth Development 

Leader works with youth to learn 

how to write a mission and 

vision statement. 

3. In the class, adults and youth 

review the Ys mission and vision 

and practice writing a mission 

statement for a group or club in 

which they are a part. 


P 63



Key Feature 

Youth 

Development 


Support 

Efficacy/ 

Mattering 

A. Developing 

B. Relationships 

A. Youth 

Development 

Leader uses and 

inclusive youthcentered 

approach 

to address and 

respond to youth's 

developmental 

needs and 

identities. 

A. "Teachable 

moments" are 

frequently used to 

address dilemmas, 

situations, and 

issues across youth 

groups and between 

individual youth. 

B. Youth 


refers to youth as 

"leaders", work 

side-by-side with 

them, and provides 

youth control over 

how their roles 

and responsibilities 

are developed and 

executed in teams 

and groups. 


employs positive behavior 

guidance strategies that provide 

youth with increased selfawareness 

and self-control. 

B. Lesson plans and the program 

environment document visible 

methods of recording youth 

voice, input, and ideas. 


coaches youth to use mindfulness 

and breathing practices to help 

youth stay calm and focused 

during practice and games. 


urges youth to "call a friend" or 

"three before me" to encourage 

youth to initially ask questions of a 

peer before asking an adult. 


P 64



Key Feature 

Youth 

Development 


Appropriate 

Structure and 

Routine 



C. Inclusion 


Leaders cultivates 

partnerships among 

staff, parents, 

and caregivers, 

and community 

organizations to 

maximize program 

impact level. 


Leader becomes a 

spokesperson for youth 

to organizations (local 

school system, state/ 

local government, rec) 

that partner with the Y 

on youth development 

initiatives. 

B. Staff and volunteers 

have sufficient access 

to technology to 

convene meetings 

with internal and 

external stakeholders. 


utilizes existing parent 

observation space as a place 

for parents to connect and build 

relationships with other parents 

and staff. 

1. Y Leadership and staff 

participate on community and 

organizational Boards advocating 

and inform youth development 

initiatives. 

2. In addition to classrooms, where 

appropriate, youth can use on-site 

meeting space and age appropriate 

software and technological devices 

to develop ideas, meet with each 

other, and complete projects. 

3. A slide show of pictures from the 

day's activities are displayed on a 

TV at the parent table 

during sign-out. 

Opportunity 

for Skill 

Building 

A. Developing 

Others 

B. Functional 

Expertise 


provide ongoing 

training and 

resources on youth 

development 

techniques and 

strategies for 

adults. 

A. Youth 

Development 

Leaders are given 

time for continuing 

education on 

topics of youth 

development. 

A. During training, Youth 

Development Leaders role play 

with each other taking different 

approaches to engaging various 

youth personalities. 


participate in frequent retreats 

and "step backs" that include 

topics such as managing conflict, 

eliminating cyberbullying, and 

building trust with and empathy for 

youth who've experienced trauma. 

2. YUSA's Youth Affirmations 

training is provided to all Youth 

Development Leaders. 


P 65


RESPONSIBILITY: Adults develop youth to be reliable and committed, and to fulfill obligations and challenging roles. 

Key Feature 

Youth 

Development 


Support 

Efficacy/ 

Mattering 

A. Developing 


A. Youth 

Development 

Leader train, 

provide adults 

support, and then 

gradually release 

youth to take 

ownership and 

accountability 

for their growth 

and development. 

A. In youth 

development 

programs, 

adults create 

situations in which 

youth must produce 

a finished product. 

B. Adults create 

lessons that require 

youth to master 

multiple steps with 

varying difficulty. 

C. Youth 


provide all youth 

with opportunities 

to be responsible for 

specific activities or 

routine tasks. 

D. Youth 

Development 

Leader supports and 

encourages youth to 

be successful with 

their responsibilities 

by coaching youth on 

follow-through. 


encourages youth 

to try new skills and provides 

support and guidance through 

the learning process. 


Leader encourage, supports 

and provides structured 

opportunities for positive 

peer to peer relationships 

among youth. 


respects youth's ownership and 

decision making within their 

roles while providing support as 

youth encounter the demands, 

requirements, and obligations of 

their roles and understand that 

their actions will impact self, 

peers, or others. 

D. As youth succeed in their 

roles, Youth Development 

Leader helps youth internalize 

the experience of having fulfilled 

valued roles. 

1. The Y uses a Leaders 

In Training program to 

develop youth. 

2. Adults stage a "Jobs for Teens" 

workshop focusing on the Core 

value of "Responsibility"; this 

workshop should include a career 

panel, mock interviews, and 

resume writing session. 

3. Youth Development provide the 

necessary materials and supplies 

for youth to prepare snack time 

to include selecting snacks, 

organizing the distribution of 

snacks, and cleaning up. 

4. During basketball practice, 

youth are assigned roles such as 

equipment manager, time keeper, 

and sportscaster. 

Opportunity 

for Skill 

Building 

A. Developing 

Others 


A. Youth 

Development 

Leader, in 

partnership with 

youth, develops 

entrepreneurial 

activities for 

generating 

commerce to 

support a cause 

at the local Y 

and/or within 

the surrounding 

community. 

A. Youth 

Development 

Leader establishes 

partnerships 

with surrounding 

businesses to 

provide materials, 

venues and supplies 

for youth projects. 


Leader works 

with youth on a 

cause driven, age 

appropriate project. 


Leader develops 

financial literacy 

through age 

appropriate projects 

with youth. 


Leader acknowledges youth 

through specific observations, 

appreciations of their efforts ad 

accomplishments. 


develops partnerships among 

staff, families, caregivers, and 

community organizations, 

(schools, youth programs, etc.) 

to maximize program impact. 


encourages youth to try new 

skills and provides support and 

guidance through the learning 

process. 

1. Youth grow and sell potted 

plants to raise money to purchase 

and care for a classroom pet. 

2. Youth create and sell art work to 

donate funds to contribute towards 

a Y Campaign. 

3. The local Y showcases youth 

projects during special events such 

as a "Community Dance-Off" for 

Breast Cancer Awareness or "Story 

Squad" and open mic events as 

a part of the Youth Safety and 

Violence Prevention project. 

4. Youth organize a Family Fun 

Run to educate each other and 

the community on healthy 

living habits. 

5. Youth practice swimming 

techniques they learned by 

performing the skill with or without 

the assistance of flotation devices. 

6. Youth explore social justice 

issues of interest through program 

activities and volunteer work that 

help youth understand their own 

community while empowering 

them to make change in 

the community. 


P 66



Key Feature 

Youth 

Development 


Integration 

fro Family 

Engagement 


B. Inclusion 

C. Relationships 


Leader intentionally 

connects with 

families and 

members of the 

community to 

identify and develop 

youth interests, 

manage any issues 

and address youth 

concerns. 


Leader communicates 

with families 

frequently and in 

a language that is 

accessible to them. 


Leaders collaborate 

to plan projects for 

youth that prioritize 

youth issues, 

interests, 

and curiosities. 

D. Youth Development 

Leader organizes 

projects that establish 

a connection between 

the local community 

and the Y Association. 


develops and maintains 

open, friendly, cooperative, 

and respectful relationships 

with families and community 

partners. 


helps youth or families with 

unique experiences or points 

of view so families can 

share their perspectives 

with others. 

1. During the season of a youth 

program, youth development 

leaders communicate in print and 

in person with families; this may 

include email, newsletters, 

via text, as well as face to 

face meetings. 


work with youth to create a social 

media venue to highlight youth 

events, causes and projects. 


creates service learning and 

internship opportunities for 

youth to serve as translators and 

interpreters where necessary. 

4. Led by the Core Value, 

"Responsibility", the Y staff and 

volunteers work with multi- age 

groups to clean up litter on the Y 

grounds and immediate vicinity; 

afterwards, youth create signage 

with slogans that encourage "good 

neighbor" practices. 


provides caregivers youth progress 

reports that contributes to youth 

self-confidence, challenges, and 

ways caregivers and family can 

enlist support. 


P 67



Key Feature 

Youth 

Development 

Competency Strategy Indicator Behavior 

Examples 

(Not exclusive or applicable 

to all ages) 

Appropriate 

Structure and 

Routine 



C. Inclusion 

A. Program design 

includes embedded 

opportunities 

for youth to be 

responsible for 

specific activities or 

routine tasks. 


Leader uses a youthcentered 

approach to 

address and respond 

to developmental 

needs. 

A. The Y Association 

has age appropriate 

furniture, program 

materials and supplies 

that are accessible to 

youth participants. 

B. Y leadership 

engages in continuous 

improvement to ensure 

youth development 

programs support 

innovative approaches 

to learning and develop 

next generation skills. 

A. The Youth Development 

Leader ensures all staff model 

and apply cultural competency 

and global awareness in youth 

development work. 


Leaders have clear roles and 

responsibilities within 

the program. 

1. Youth are encouraged and 

taught how to use technology 

and social media appropriately to 

communicate with each other and 

with adults. 


provide ample waste and 

recycling receptacles for youth's 

program use. 

3. Signs around the program 

promote the importance of 

individual responsibility and 

respect for program space 

a others. 


support youth to take turns 

preparing meals and cleaning 

camp grounds. 

Integration 

for Family 

Engagement 

A. Inclusion 

B. Developing 

Others 

A. Youth 

Development 

Leaders 

intentionally 

connect with 

families and 

members of 

the community 

to identify and 

develop youth 

interest; manage 

any issues and 

address youth 

concerns. 

A. Families have 

access to the 

building and staff 

where and when 

appropriate. 

B. Family and 

community 

engagement are 

written into the 

Association's 

strategic plan. 


creates a safe environment 

that helps all youth feel 

welcome and respected. 

1. Y leadership and staff establish 

office hours and telephone and 

email access to families that 

outlines in writing appropriate 

response time. 

2. Family engagement 

responsibilities are part of the job 

duties of at least one full time 

youth development position. 


maintains and updates community 

wall where resources, employment 

opportunities and local business 

are highlighted. 

Opportunity 

for Skill 

Building 


B. Functional 

Expertise 

A. Youth 


has professional 

development 

opportunities 

to support their 

facilitation of 

meaningful roles in 

the program 

for youth. 

A. During staff 

meetings, the 

agenda includes high 

quality examples of 

meaningful youth roles 

and how staff can 

support youth in 

those roles. 

A. Y Leadership provides ongoing 

training and resources around 

youth development techniques 

where working with youth. 


attends training on technology 

use, blended learning, and virtual 

platforms into lesson planning and 

instructional delivery. 


provides positive and constructive 

feedback to youth. Feedback 

that encourages youth to 

be responsible, affirmed, 

and supported. 


P 68


PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: Adults encourage youth to act, persist, and initiate goals and outcomes.. 

Key Feature 

Youth 

Development 


Appropriate 

Structure and 

Routine 




Leaders works with 

youth to develop and 

monitor personal 

goals. 


Leader retreat with 

youth to discover 

personal motivation 

and interests. 


implements regular 

evaluation of program 

goals, environment 

and outcomes. 


Leader provides 

opportunities for youth 

to have authentic 

choices during program 

activities based on 

their interest. 


asks questions to learn about 

what motivates and interest 

youth in my program. 


facilitates regular opportunities 

for youth to reflect on and 

respond to their experience 

(plans, feeding, etc.) 

C. Youth choice is embedded in 

program structure. 

1. In camp settings, camp 

counselors spend time during 

fireside chats with campers to 

review the Core Values; youth will 

identify one value that they will 

focus on throughout the duration 

of camp and begin journaling using 

the topic, "Building a Better Me". 

2. Youth development will query 

using a youth survey or other 

tool to learn more about youth 

confidence, fears, concerns, 

and cares. 

Integration 

for Family 

Engagement 




Leader will make 

explicit connections 

between youth 

goals and family 

and community 

expectations. 


Leader schedule 

events for families 

to attend youth 

showcases. 

B. Youth 


works with families 

and caregivers to 

teach them how 

to integrate the 

Core Values into a 

youth's homelife. 


develops partnerships among 

staff, parents, and caregivers 

and community organization to 

maximize program impact. 


acknowledges and affirms the 

contribution of youth to their 

parents and caregivers. 


organizes celebrations and 

end of program events to 

highlight youth accomplishments 

and developments. 

2. Youth Development Leader will 

provide parents and caregivers a 

toolkit of motivational words and 

developmentally appropriate 

actions that can support character 

development in the home. 

Support for 

Efficacy and 

Mattering 



A. Adults coach youth 

to persevere through 

challenging work by 

acknowledging effort, 

celebrating success, 

and appropriately 

responding to 

youth failure. 

A. Staff choose 

curricula that is 

rigorous and stretches 

youth to perform, think 

and create outside of 

their comfort zone. 

B. Adults arrange 


youth to reflect on and 

share their feelings 

about wins, losses, 

successes, failures, 

and future goals. 

C. Adults provide 

specific affirmation 

(not generic praise) 

how their efforts lead 

to positive results. 

A. Encourages, supports and 

provides structured opportunities 

for peer to peer relationships 

among youth. 

B. Adults use appropriate, S.A.F.E. 

(Sequences, Active, Focused and 

Explicit) and fun activities based 

on participant age, ability 

and interest. 


facilitates daily opportunities for 

youth to reflect ton and respond 

to their experiences (plan, 

feeling, etc.) 


creates opportunities for the 

celebration of youth's efforts 

and accomplishments with one 

another and with their families. 


organize snack and lunch buddies 

between youth and Association 

staff and members as an 

opportunity to coach youth on 

perseverance, resilience, and grit. 

2. After a competitive event, Youth 

Development Leaders schedule 

time for youth to speak with each 

other and them about how they 

feel, identify what was successful 

and areas for improvement in 

the future. 


P 69


PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: Adults encourage youth to act, persist, and initiate goals and outcomes. 

Key Feature 

Youth 

Development 


Support for 

Efficacy and 

Mattering 

A. Inclusion 



Leader mentors youth 

who struggle to make 

friends, have poor 

attendance, or do 

not enthusiastically 

participate in program 

activities and events. 


Leader identifies 

individual youth who 

attend the youth 

development program 

less than 90% of 

the time and know 

their reasons for poor 

attendance. 


Leaders work closely 

with youth who 

display a disinterest 

or boredom with the 

program by challenging 

and encouraging them 


creates a safe environment that 

helps all youth feel welcome 

and respected. 


employs positive behavior 

guidance strategies that provide 

youth with increased selfawareness 

and self-control 


practices with youth to ask for 

quiet or alone time to process 

emotions and practice, when 

ready, appropriately re-engaging 

with others. 


coaches youth to turn difficult 

personal situations into advocacy 

for others; for example, where 

youth experience personal 

tragedies involving trauma, 

abuse and violence, adults 

work with youth to engage in 

service or create public service 

announcements around the issue. 


will work with youth to select a 

high interest project and ageappropriate 

mechanisms such 

as journals, avatars, and daily 

checklists for youth to use to 

record their progress on a task 

or project. 


P 70


PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: Adults encourage youth to act, persist, and initiate goals and outcomes. 

Key Feature 

Youth 

Development 


Appropriate 

Structure and 

Routine 

A. Functional 

Expertise 

B. Project 

Management 

A. Program structure 

ensures youth engage 

in activities that 

have a clear focus 

and a skill building 

component. 

A. Youth choice is 

embedded in 


B. Youth goal setting 

is embedded in 


A. Embed goal setting into staff 

training and provide support for 

staff on how to develop goals 

with youth. 

1. Youth were asked to identify 

how high they intended to climb on 

the climbing wall and other youth 

were encouraged to plan and build 

a shelter. 

2. Youth were given freedom 

to decide how their final video 

project will look and feel. As a 

consequence of this autonomy, 

youth are faced with many 

challenges for which they must 

identify and execute solutions. 

These opportunities help youth 

develop the skills to set goals and 

persevere in achieving those goals. 

Opportunity 

for Skill 

Building 

A. Developing 

Others 

B. Functional 

Expertise 


provides ongoing 

training and 

resources on youth 

development 

techniques 

and strategies 

for adults. 


Leaders are given 

time and access to 

continued professional 

development. 


Leader receives 

training on using data 

to inform and guide 

program decisions. 


Leader will review data 

and other sources 

of research to better 

understand the 

current state of youth 

in their community 

(neighborhood, city, 

state, nation). 


has scheduled training on 

working with youth to 

develop goals. 

B. In meetings, Youth 

Development Leaders practice 

how to talk youth through 

challenging situation while 

encouraging perseverance and 

goal achievement. 

1. Youth Development Leaders will 

be a member of or have access to 

at least one journal or magazine 

that focuses on youth development 

(i.e. New Directions for Youth 

Development, Journal of Youth 

Development, Parks 

& Rec Business, Youth 

Connections Magazine). 

2. Youth Development Leader will 

access databases such as Kids 

Count and research from the 

Afterschool Alliance while planning 

youth development programs. 

3. YUSA’s Introduction to S.A.F.E. 

training has been provided to all 

Youth Development Leaders. 

Integration 

for Inclusion 

A. Inclusion A. Y Leadership 

will remove or 

minimize financial 

and cultural barriers 

that may prevent 

youth and families 

from participating 

in character 

development 

programs. 


Leaders will work 

together to raise funds 

for financial assistance 

for fee-based youth 

development programs. 

B. Y Leadership partner 

with community and 

citywide organizations 

to serve as a 

community resource. 

A. Y Leadership ensures all 

staff model and apply cultural 

competency and global awareness 

in youth development work. 

1. Y Leadership commission a 

working group to identify the 

number of families who were 

interested in a youth program but 

did not apply because of its cost; 

in response, as a part of its annual 

campaign. Y staff and volunteers 

organize and launch a community 

wide fundraising event – i.e. 

sidewalk sale, bake sale, etc. 

2. The Association/branch offers 

GED classes, the use of a computer 

lab, and English classes on site and 

at no cost. 


P 71

SOURCES 

PRACTICE AREA SELECTION 

1) Research: Bradley, M. & Andrews, K. (2017). Literature Review on Adult Practices that Nurture 

Character Development in Youth: Prepared for the YMCA of the USA as a part of the Character 

Development Leadership Institute. Washington, DC: Child Trends. Research cited in this literature review 

include Beatty, A. (2017). Approaches to the development of character: Proceedings of a workshop. 

Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; Catalano, R. F., Berglund, M. L., Ryan, J. A. M., 

Lonczak, H. S., & Hawkings, J. D. (2004). Positive youth development in the United States: Research 

Findings on evaluations of positive youth development programs. The ANNALS of the American Academy 

of Political and Social Science, 591(98), 98–124; Hanover Research. (2015). Supporting character 

development in youth and children: Prepared for the YMCA of the USA. Arlington, VA: Hanover Research; 

Hansen, D. M., Larson, R. W., & Dworkin, J. B. (2003). What adolescents learn in organized youth 

activities: A survey of self-reported developmental experiences. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 

13(1), 25–55; Levings, J., Moroney, D., & Garcia, B. (2016). YMCA: Examining best practices to promote 

youth character development. Chicago: American Institutes for Research; Lickona, T., Schaps, E., Lewis, 

C. (1995). The eleven principles of effective character education: A guide for schools and districts. 

Washington, DC: Character.org; Lickona, T. (1996). Eleven principles of effective character education. 

Journal of Moral Education, 25(1), 93; Lickona, T. (2004). Character matters: How to help our children 

develop good judgment, integrity, and other essential virtues. New York: Simon & Schuster; Park, N. 

(2009). Building strengths of character: Keys to positive youth development. Reclaiming Children and 

Youth, 18(2), 42–47; Smith, C., McGovern, G., Peck., S.C., Larson, R., Hillaker, B., Roy, L. (2016). 

Preparing Youth to Thrive: Methodology and Findings from the Social and Emotional Learning Challenge. 

Washington, DC: Forum for Youth Investment. 

(2) Expert feedback: Child Trends. (2017). Identifying and Categorizing Adult Practices to Support 

Character Development in Programs for Children and Youth: Findings from a Delphi Survey. Prepared 

for the YMCA of the USA as a part of the Character Development Leadership Institute. Washington, DC: 

Child Trends. 

(3) Scalable: Levings, J., Moroney, D., & Garcia, B. (2016). YMCA: Examining best practices to promote 

youth character development. Chicago: American Institutes for Research. Through a national selection 

process in 2016, three Y Associations—The Granite YMCA, Sherman Lake YMCA Outdoor Center, and 

YMCA of Silicon Valley—were nominated as character ‘Bright Spots’ and participated in this examination 

of best practices embedded within the Y Movement. 

(4) Measurable: YMCA of the USA. (2018). Character Development Crosswalk of SEL Terms. Chicago: 

YMCA of the USA; Yohalem, N. & Wilson-Ahlstrom, A. (2010). Inside the Black Box: Assessing and 

Improving Quality in Youth Programs. American Journal of Community Psychology, 45 (3-4):350-7. 

ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE 

Youth Development at the Y requires that adults at the Y, from C-Suite to front-line Youth Development 

Leaders, have the knowledge and skills to implement high-quality opportunities for youth. Youth 

development programs are a medium through which youth can develop their character. At a Y 

Association, this means that the organization has the capacity to engage staff and volunteers at the Y in 

a process to build upon their knowledge of character development, to increase the capacity of individuals 

and organizations to intentionally apply that knowledge, to enhance the implementation character in our 

Movement, and, ultimately, to develop positive character among youth. In 2015, the Y-USA Capacity 

Building Team identified by 5 core supports that should be evident at a Y Association to effectively 

deliver, measure, grow, and sustain high-quality youth development programming over time. The core 

supports are Common Agenda, Backbone Support, Continuous Improvement Through Measurement, 

Investment and Sustainability, and Collaborative Action. 


P 72

DEFINITION OF HIGH-QUALITY YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING 

According to the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council (2002), there are eight 

fundamental features that bolster high-quality youth development programming ('Community Programs 

to Promote Youth Development', Washington, DC: National Academy Press): 

Physical and Psychological Safety – The site is physically safe and encourages psychologically safe 

youth interaction; 

Appropriate Structure – The organization has the appropriate leadership and staffing model to support 

youth development outcomes; 

Supportive Relationships – Adults and youth have an open line of communication, deliberately 

collaborate, problem solve together, and engage in positive interactions (i.e., apprenticeships, 

mentoring); 

Opportunities to Belong – Adults and youth appreciate one another by creating an inclusive culture 

where youth can explore and express their identities in meaningful and authentic ways; 

Positive Social Norms – Adults act as role models and provide support for youth to set positive goals; 

Support for Efficacy and Mattering – Adults intentionally foster with youth a sense of worth, respect, 

and belonging; Opportunity for Skill Building – Adults provide opportunities for youth to gain new 

knowledge and skills; and 

Integration for Family Engagement – Adults recognize and actively include the family and the 

community as partners in positive youth development. 


P 73

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