Linking Theory with Practice in Youth Development
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BEST stands for Building Exemplary Systems for Training Youth Workers. Cities in the BEST network offer youth development training and other professional development opportunities to better equip youth program staff to serve young people from a developmental approach. Participants in the youth development trainings come from all types of youth-serving settings including school-based afterschool programs, residential juvenile justice facilities, parks & recreation centers, faith-based programs, independent out-of-school time programs, and many others.
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What Does BEST Offer?
The Federation of Neighborhood Centers has been the regional sponsor site for BEST since 1996; offering training and technical assistance, as well as providing access to resources, professional development opportunities and organizational policies that support youth development. The Federation’s BEST Initiative, in partnership with the National Training Institute for Community Youth Work, is one of 26 national sites that has collectively trained nearly 6,000 individuals across the country.
What Local Initiatives are a part of BEST?
In Philadelphia, the Federation sponsors several different BEST initiatives. the Federation provides local trainings in three curricula, Advancing Youth Development, Emotional Intelligence and Supervising Youth Development Practice.
With the support of the US Department of Labor, the Federation also launched BEST Apprentices in 2001 to establish a professional career track for youth workers in the State of Pennsylvania. BEST Apprentices is a program that provides professional training, mentoring and career growth opportunities for youth workers. In conjunction with Temple University, Eastern University and Community College of Philadelphia, apprentices complete course work that can be applied towards an associate or bachelor’s degree. BEST Apprentices also offers youth workers the opportunity to obtain national certification as Youth Development Practitioners.
What Regional Initiatives are a part of BEST?
In 2004, the Federation began offering BEST to communities outside of greater Philadelphia. The goal of this new regional training program is to further the professionalization of the youth work field. This is accomplished by creating a network of youth workers who are all trained in youth development, and by assisting new cities as they become equipped to promote the professional development of youth work in their communities. Currently, the Federation is working with cities in Chester County in Pennsylvania and in Camden New Jersey.
For more information on the courses offered, visit here