CDLI_Guidebook_18_Final_Print

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.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT GUIDEBOOK
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