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Youth Learning HubInnovative Programming for At-Risk Youth1 Charitable organization with over 37 years experience in building stronger communities by providing our clients with the skills they need to fulfill their potential

Providing innovative services and supports to +12,000 clients annually

Operating from 18 Springboard locations across Ontario with +190 staff

Reaching +130 communities through partnerships with +300 community partners

Operating budget of $12M annually

Funded from all levels of government with a diversified mix of fundraising & fee-based services

Springboard Overview

2Building Stronger Communities through a diversified community program portfolio: Youth Justice Justice alternatives holding youth accountable through skill building interventions 12 to 17 yrs old + 1,700 clients annuallyAdult Justice Community supports & interventions for adults charged and sentenced

18 yrs & older + 4,800 clients annuallyEmploymentServices Comprehensive supports & services to help people find & keep work

16 yrs & older + 5,800 clients annuallyDevelopmentalServices Life skills training & transition supports towards community participation & independence 16 yrs & older + 80 clients annuallyCommunity Learning HUBSpringboard Overview

3In the last year Springboards community impact includes:Expansion of the HUB from 11 sites to 34 sites including 6 provincial secure institutions

Over 90,000 hours of community service hours valued at over $900,000

Over $65,000 paid in restitution to victims of crime

+3,200 clients have found work or returned to school

Over 90% satisfaction rate by clients and families for developmental services Springboard Overview

4The Problem

Notes:

Imagine yourself walking into a youth centre and, on a moments notice, being told you will be delivering an Anger Management workshop to a group of six at-risk youth, some of who are not too excited to be there, AND, you have ten minutes to get ready

You hustle into the workshop room and, after retrieving session #6 from the old stand-by pen and paper program, you look around the room to make sure things are pretty much in order, and then hurry back to the kitchen to prepare the juice and the snacks.

Youve done this session before, so youre not expecting too many roadblocks. The youth file into the room and youre happy to get at least a few polite His back. You start your session but only to discoverPage 3 is missingThe flip chart has no paper leftThe markers are out ink.You cant find the diceThe previous facilitator gave out the last copy of the What Makes Me Angry hand-out. After using your sleeve to part-erase the previously facilitators markings from the sessions transparencies, the overhead projector then overheats and goes out.And, the juice is warm.

No matter how prepared you are, and no matter what your service delivery strategy, the fundamental problem of WHAT we are going to talk about with the youth when they get here; about what learning activities we are going to undertake; and about just how good those skill building activities may or may not be These are the fundamental problems of program content and, if not properly addressed, poor quality content can undermine even the most seasoned facilitators and the best designed programs. They can diminish the youths experience of the program and intensify facilitator stress.

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The Solution6

Why?The driving force behind our recent innovations in electronic multi-media is to enhance the immediate impact of programming:

Increase overall levels of interest & participationIncrease comprehension of key concepts and teachingsDecrease in the overall number of distracting moments in any one sessionMore effective, rehearsed and uniform presentationsContinually updated, dynamic contentIncrease the rate of successful completion

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Why?8

Why?9

Workshops make extensive use of interactive exercises, featuring the capacity for participants to:

Sort and organize objectsGenerate new contentLabel or mark significant features of objectsPlay fully interactive learning gamesExplore relevant web-based content, including: video, music, news items, and images and slide shows

Building Better Coaching Materials10To develop a more inclusive content development process that will actively engage youth and the wider youth-serving community:

Employ an evidence-based approach to develop a COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

Invite creative inputs from youth themselves; develop a youth centred CREATIVE COMMUNITY

Future DirectionsProceed by way of an inter-connected web of community partners

Hub programming is being delivered at multiple sites across Ontario

Delivery sites will be in continuous communication with Springboard and the rest of the wider Hub community

Building a Community of Practice12

Building a Community of Practice

34 HUB sites

In 27 diverse communities

In partnership with 24 independent community agencies & provincial institutions

Over 165 community agency facilitators trained & participating in the HUBs community of practice13Facilitate structured communication between service sites, including:

Standardized mechanism for collection of service delivery stats

Standardized pre/post test tool for each program

Standardized client feedback forms

Standardized facilitator feedback tool

Results of data analysis to be shared back to delivery sites via regular service bulletins

Building a Community of Practice14YLH Web Forum: dedicated web space providing program information, resources, up to date program outcomes and service statistics, facilitator training materials, and collaborative blog-space where facilitators can exchange ideas, concerns, and knowledge in real-time. www.youthlearninghub.wordpress.com YLH Distance Training: Citrix GoToTraining applications allow remote updates training, booster sessions, and facilitation feedback. Distance training applications also provide shared digital space in which new content can be collaboratively developed

Building a Community of Practice15Regular annual regional conferences for trained YLH facilitators providing new training, program outcomes, content updates, and opportunity for face to face discussion, program feedback, and collaborative content development

Continually improve program content on the basis of community feedback/data

Regularly send updated versions of program content back out to service sites

Building a Community of Practice16

Building a Community of PracticeEVIDENCE-BASEDProven PracticeScientific KnowledgeExperimental designs (RCTs)Statistically validated, reliable, and peer reviewedSpecialist drivenProgram EfficacyAuthoritative social relations

Outcomes focused: Reductions in recidivism (YJS), positive pre-post CAFAS changes (CMH)

Pure knowledge (context neutral); can sometimes be socially nave or uncritical of key political interests/influences

EVIDENCEINFORMEDPromising PracticeAnecdotal knowledgeSystematic gathering of informationStatistically suggestivePractitioner drivenProgram EffectivenessCollaborative social relationsOutputs/Process Focused: Program integrity, access/ capacity/ sustainability, community engagement & asset building, health promotion, social justice

Applied knowledge (context rich); can sometimes be scientifically weak or thin

Proceed as an Evidence Informed-Practice:

Building a Community of PracticeEvidence InformedEvidence Based

Proceed as an Evidence-Informed Practice:

Programming modeled on proven interventions (i.e.: CBT)

Hub program development based on a decade of Springboard experience delivering skill development programming to thousands of youth

Building a Community of Practice

Evidence-Informed Practice continuedTrack service delivery outcomesAdminister systematic pre/post testingCollect client feedbackEnable facilitator fieldworkOrganize youth and facilitator forums and conferencesFacilitate external evaluations of programming materialsPrevious evaluationsExpert reviewFacilitate formal research into program outcomes and impact on recidivism

Building a Community of Practice

Evidence-Informed Practice continued

Develop program content according to:Trends in service deliveryResults from systematic pre/post testingIndications from client feedback and facilitator fieldworkStrategic directions from youth and facilitator conferences and forumsResults from any process of external review

Building a Community of Practice To date 444 clients from 14 different sites have completed tests

Client Approval Ratings:

>90% are engaged, like multi-media, interactive & play-based program format

>80% approval rating of treatment benefits received from programming

>90% of clients able to retain key cognitive tools taught

Rate of Improvement In Attitudes/ Outlooks & Knowledge/ Skills:

+/- 12% improvement (as measured on pre/post tests) 88% of Anger Management graduates show on post testing.

82% of Substance Abuse Prevention graduates show improvement on post-testing

76% of Girls' Group graduates show on post testing Building a Community of Practice

22 Approximately 72% of all HUB facilitators are submitting tests>87% approve of HUB program approach>96% indicate HUB has added value to their agency service practice>88% indicate HUB has enhanced their practice as a social worker100% view HUB as an exceptional vehicle for client engagement Building a Community of Practice

23Develop a strategy to incorporate creativeopportunities for youth:

Guide sites in the acquisition of technologies enabling youth to create original digital works of art:

Provide a Youth Art Panel in the Hub Menu

Incorporate original artwork and narratives produced by youth themselves

A Creative CommunityBuild a Hub Community where the voice of youth will be heard:

Program goals and priorities

How to best address clients risks and needs

The therapeutic relevance of Hub Practice

Empower and engage youth in the development and delivery of Hub services

A Creative CommunityObjective #1

To enable agencies to deliver more, better quality skill-development programming for at-risk youth, faster, to more youth, in more diverse and easier ways...

Program Structure Objectives

Objective #2

To enable agencies to help communities realize the full range of cost savings and social benefits associated with the YCJA (enhanced opportunities for diversion, alternatives to custody, community re-integration, decreased recidivism)...

Program Structure Objectives

Objective #3

To build a community of practice focussed on the ongoing development of high quality, fully interactive, CBT-based, skill development programming for at-risk youth...

Program Structure Objectives

Objective #4

To build a creative community where youth themselves can directly contribute to the ongoing development of programming and help guide the direction of HUB practice.

Program Structure Objectives

Community of PracticeBest PracticeCreativeCommunitySkillDevelopmentDigitalDirectory

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