Vol. 1 no. 16 August 2008

Success of School-Age & Youth Development Pilot

Dear  Friends,

“Pilot” has been commonly used in this field to describe an experimental project - often a popular choice for funders because of the short term investment. Yet in the dictionary you’ll find that the word “pilot” refers to a skilled leader (as in the pilot of a plane or ship). While the School-Age and Youth Development (SAYD) Pilot is an experimental project developed by a group of skilled leaders it best matches what the Miriam Webster Dictionary defines as "a pilot engine: a locomotive going in advance of a train to make sure that the way is clear.”  Think of the SAYD Pilot as the locomotive venturing ahead to make sure that the way is clear for others. Testing well developed models on a small scale so that lessons learned can be used to improve the model on an even larger scale. 

In this issue, Boston Beyond is proud to share with you the news that this pilot engine has indeed cleared the way for a larger train.  The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, as part of the Pathways to Success By 21 (P-21), has created the statewide P-21 Professional Youth Workers Credential based on the SAYD's standards and competencies. The P-21 PYWC is currently piloting its own training model in Hampden County under the leadership of Commonwealth Corporation, and hopes to expand that model statewide in coming years. 

The School-Age and Youth Development Credential (SAYD) originated from elements of Achieve Boston’s working document, “Blueprint for Action: Professional Development System for the Out-of-School time Workforce”. The Higher Education Round Table (HEAYR) used its collective experience in college coursework and adult learning in the afterschool field to develop the curriculum. The combination of this work produced the SAYD pilot, which was taught by Cambridge College, Urban College, and UMass Boston.  It is a competency-based credential which includes a three-part sequence of college coursework, community-based training, and direct field experience.  The SAYD pilot started in January of 2007 and was completed in June of 2008. 

Our Guest Column this month comes from Georgia Hall, a NIOST researcher who is one of the many skilled leaders to develop and evaluate the SAYD from its inception.

In our Featured Funder piece, Klare Shaw shares the Barr Foundation’s involvement with the pilot. (To learn more about the history and other participating organizations go to Boston Beyond’s SAYD webpage)

It has been said that imitation is the highest form of flattery and that is why everyone involved in the School-Age and Youth Development pilot is rejoicing in this news!  

Enjoy!
Boston After School & Beyond