Our approach is grounded in the belief that when organization and program staff have access to equity-centered, culturally responsive professional learning—the impact on youth and community can be transformative.
Since 2008, School’s Out Washington has been leading the effort to build and sustain a quality improvement system for expanded learning programs in Washington state. This work is backed by research and focused on cultivating youth-driven learning opportunities that reflect the strengths and needs of local communities.
By defining what quality looks like, supporting programs to better understand where they are on a continuum of improvement, and providing training and coaching—we ensure that staff are equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to create positive relationships with and between the young people they support.
School’s Out Washington’s offerings support programs in creating safe, equitable, and responsive environments for young people. We provide a range of professional learning services designed to drive program quality and build staff competencies.
Our workshops are for expanded learning, youth development, and child care professionals looking to develop their skills. Or, for program managers wanting to provide learning opportunities for their staff. These workshops are designed to teach foundational practices for leading and engaging young people, strategies to support social emotional learning, and much more.
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We offer customized training upon request. Based on the unique needs of a program or organization, we develop a training package that targets areas for learning and improvement that can be delivered on a designated timeline. We tailor our workshops so all staff can gain skills together and learn how to support each other to improve their work practices with young people, families, and communities.
Customized training is a cost-effective way to ensure that all program staff have the same knowledge base about critical issues and best practices. Organizations with multiple locations find this approach particularly helpful for improving quality across locations.
Learn moreSOWA and Best Starts for Kids (BSK) King County are partnering to implement the King County Professional Learning System.
This Professional Learning System offers open access to continuous learning opportunities for King County-based youth programs. These trainings encompass a variety of topics, including the Weikart Center’s Youth Program Quality Intervention workshops, equity and cultural responsiveness in youth programming, STEM, school-age child care basics, management, and much more.
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