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 (2017-20<strong>18</strong>) 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 20<strong>18</strong>-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 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. CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT GUIDEBOOK P 55
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