Program Design for Youth Skills Building

Program Design for Youth Skills Building

The organization designs programs to allow youth to develop identified skills, including soft and life skills⁵ through skill building activities.

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NOT YET DEVELOPED (1)	BEGINNING (2)	DEVELOPING (3)	COMPETENT (4)	SCORING
*1.A.1 Program staff consistently adapt skill-building opportunities to match youths’ skills levels (activities are challenging, but doable).
The program design or curriculum does not clearly identify specific priority to be targeted.	The program design or curriculum identifies specific priority skills to be targeted but does not have planned or sequenced activities to build those skills.	The program design or curriculum identifies specific priority skills to be targeted and has planned sequenced activities to develop the skills. Priority skills include soft skills.	The program design or curriculum identifies specific priority skills, including soft skills, for development, and defines them in writing, and the program has planned sequenced activities that are designed to introduce, revisit, and reinforce the development of skills at increasing levels of depth.	Score: ___________
Examples: The program does not have a set curriculum, or the curriculum does not emphasize the need for skills.	Examples: During program design, staff identifies specific soft skills to develop and defines them, but does not have activities linked to those specific skills.	Examples: Curriculum or program design identifies specific skills to be developed throughout the program (e.g., introduces self-control and its definition) and has planned and sequenced activities to develop the specific skills.	Examples: Program adopts a written sequenced approach to skill development. Specific skills are practiced during the program with increasing levels of difficulty. Specific skills are promoted in different contexts (role play, projects, written exercises, internships, community service). The program conducts a soft skills capacity assessment of participating youth and uses results to determine which skills to prioritize. Organization has assessed gender and social groups and designed specific programming to address existing gaps that may exist among social groups or individuals.	Evidence:
*1.A.2 The program uses experiential or project-based activities to promote youth soft skills development.
Program activities provide no opportunities for youth to practice soft skills.	Program promotes sporadic opportunities (less than 30% of the time) for youth to practice soft skills.	Program promotes frequent opportunities (over 50% of the time) to practice soft skills within the program setting.	Program promotes frequent opportunities (over 50% of the time) to engage in experiential learning inside and outside of the program setting.	Score: ___________
Examples: Program introduces soft skills mostly through lecturing, listening, and watching.	Examples: Program offers infrequent and irregular opportunities for youth to practice soft skills within the program setting (e.g., through role plays, simulations, debates) or outside (e.g., community service, outdoor projects).	Examples: Program regularly offers project-based activities such as role plays, simulations, debates, etc. within the program setting.	Examples: Program offers scheduled opportunities (e.g., monthly) for youth to participate in community service, outdoor projects, or role-plays. Program offers internships, apprenticeships, and training as way to practice soft skills. Curriculum includes opportunities for youth to develop and implement a community-based project.	Evidence:
*1.A.3 Youth experiences in the program are paired with time to reflect on what was learned and how well a skill was applied.
The program does not provide opportunities for youth to reflect on their experiences individually or in group settings at the end of an experiential activity.	The program allocates time for youth to reflect on their experiences at the end of an activity without much staff guidance or structure.	The program is designed to provide opportunities for youth to reflect on their experiences with staff guidance at the end of some but not all experiential learning activities. Reflection is individual and in groups.	The program is designed to provide opportunities for youth to reflect on their experiences with staff guidance at the end of all experiential activities. Reflection is individual and in groups.	Score: ___________
Examples: There are no planned activities that initiate self-reflection during the program.	Examples: At the end of a learning activity, staff allocate quiet time for youth to reflect individually without guidance.	Examples: Staff guide youth’s individual reflection process through guided-questions. Staff ask youth to write about their experiences in journals.	Examples: Staff guide reflections in group-settings where youth share progress, accomplishments, or feelings about the experience.	Evidence:
1.A.4 The program tailors activities based on needs of different youth segments (e.g., age, sex, other social differences, and developmental stages).
Program does not consider the characteristics/needs of different youth’s segments when planning activities.	Program groups youth by age but does not create different activities/approaches based on different youth developmental stages and social/cultural characteristics.	Program groups youth by age and creates some different activities/approaches based on different youth developmental stages and social/cultural characteristics.	Program tailors all activities based on youth developmental stages and considers whether additional segmentation is required to accommodate different skill levels and needs of gender and social groups.	Score: ___________
Examples: All youth receive same activities regardless of age and background.	Examples: Youth are grouped by age (e.g., ages 10¬–14; 15–18; 19–24; 25–29) but does not have a specific approach to address the developmental characteristics of each age group.	Examples: Program offers a few activities based on youth’s developmental stage (e.g., activities for younger adolescents use peer collaboration and cooperative learning due to the social nature of this age group; older adolescents are given greater independence and responsibility and have more opportunities to develop their own opinions).	Examples: Program staff understand and tailor activities and practices to address developmental characteristics of different age groups (e.g., early adolescents are more emotionally sensitive and need support to understand and manage emotions). Program/curriculum offers a range of activities that are tailored to specific age and/or skill level of youth. Some youth are grouped by gender to address cultural considerations, or for specific types of discussions such as sexual and reproductive health.	Evidence:
*1.A.5 The program is designed to provide youth opportunities to master new skills and experience challenging activities to develop confidence.
The program does not intentionally provide opportunities for youth to master new skills and experience challenging activities to develop confidence in their abilities.	The program encourages some youth to master new skills and experience challenging activities to develop confidence in their abilities, but these opportunities are limited to within the program.	The program encourages all youth, including marginalized youth, to master new skills and experience challenging activities to develop confidence in their abilities, but these opportunities are limited to within the program.	The program encourages all youth, including marginalized youth, to take on challenging activities within program and in real-world settings.	Score: ___________
Examples: Program does not introduce challenging skills or focus on building confidence among youth.	Examples: Youth have opportunities to facilitate program meetings or activities, but typically, the same youth consistently take on these roles, while others don’t have a chance to.	Examples: Youth have opportunities to facilitate program meetings or activities. Program staff encourage youth to try out new things and practice skills in areas that they don’t easily thrive in (for example, asking quieter youth to lead meetings). Staff are encouraged to make an effort to engage marginalized youth into program activities and recognize they may need different methods to build their confidence and take positive risks.	Examples: Program staff find ways to encourage youth to advance the skills they have, practice new skills, and persevere if/when obstacles arise in the project planning process. Program activities push youth beyond their comfort zone and foster positive risk-taking through public speaking, trying a risky sport or outdoor adventure, or taking on a leadership role.	Evidence:
*1.A.6 The program incorporates opportunities for youth to develop plans and vision for the future to contribute to their agency.
The program design or curriculum does not provide opportunities for youth to develop plans and visions for the future.	The program design or curriculum has infrequent opportunities for youth to develop plans and visions for the future.	The program design or curriculum has some activities for youth to practice goal setting and planning their future.	The program design or curriculum purposefully and explicitly incorporates skills that contribute to youth agency such as goal setting and positive visions for the future.	Score: ___________
Examples: The program does not have a set curriculum, or the curriculum does not emphasize developing future plans and visions.	Examples: Curriculum/program includes one-time activities to help youth think about future plans (e.g., at the beginning of a session, youth brainstorm what they would like to be).	Examples: Program has a set of activities to help youth determine steps to reach their goals/vision.	Examples: Program has a clear and written plan for providing youth opportunities to practice and master goal setting and future plans. Program has activities to help youth reflect on their strengths before determining goals. Program helps youth identify potential challenges in their plans and come up with solutions. Program helps youth identify resources to help them accomplish their goals.	Evidence:

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