Advancing Youth Development

The centerpiece of DC BEST training, Advancing Youth Development is currently offered in five formats tailored to specific audiences. Courses are available for a variety of audiences, including educators, mentors, coaches, camp counselors, after-school program, parents and other caring adult figures – all of whom play an important role in the lives of District youth.

Courses in Advancing Youth Development help to ensure that programs provide a safe and nurturing place for youth to successfully transition through adolescence into adulthood.

The Advancing Youth Development (AYD) Frontline Youth Worker 30-hour training program is an interactive course that introduces frontline youth workers to the principles and best practices of youth development. It is recommended for youth workers with at least two years of paid experience in working with youth 10-18 years old.

Supervising Youth Development, also known as AYD for Supervisors is a 15-hour course that introduces supervisors of frontline youth workers to youth development from a managerial perspective. It is designed to help an organization infuse the youth development approach into program design and organizational culture.

Advancing Youth Development for Educators is a modified version of the 30-hour course, specifically aimed at educators, such as teachers, assistants, school administrators and counselors.

Advancing Youth Development 1-Day Overview is a day-long snapshot of the 30-hour course, designed to give those who have indirect contact with young people – custodians, front office workers, executive directors – a helpful peek into the world of youth development, so that all members of an organization or agency speak the same language and demonstrate consistency with youth. The one-day training is very beneficial to executive directors, agency staff and policy makers who have limited time available to devote to a training.

Youth Development for Parents is a series of classes that teaches parents to use a strength-based approach to raising their children. Parents are taught the basic principles of youth development, and then are given a keen understanding of the importance of letting young people feel safe, valued and engaged.

Training Schedule
Click here to see the full schedule of trainings open to the community and to download an application.

If you are interested in receiving training for your entire organization or agency, the Trust can arrange for an organizational training. Such a training provides the opportunity for a larger number of staff to be trained in youth development than normally would be accommodated through the regularly scheduled trainings. These are offered by the Trust for a fee and are scheduled based on the Trust’s existing training calendar. Please click here and complete the Youth Development Training Request Form.