Consult4Kids Launches A Free Webinar Training Series For After-School Professionals

July 23, 2012 - PRLog -- Consult4Kids is a staff development and training organization that works primarily with adults who work in the field of after-school. Each month C4K is offering three free webinars covering a variety of topics.  Each webinar is one hour in length and is specialized to the position and experience of the participants.  The webinars are every 3rd Tuesday of the month.  Anyone can participate by emailing C4K at support@consultfourkids.com and completing the easy webinar registration process.

Frontline staff members, those who work directly with youth, or those who are new to working in after-school or with kids, will enjoy topics such as Professionalism, Safety In After School, Behavior Management, Positive Reward Systems and Discipline, and many others.  Supervisors, those who oversee an entire program including staff and students, will benefit from trainings on Expecting Excellence, Coaching Your Staff, and The Importance of Choice.  In C4K's manager's series, participants gain valuable information about Running Effective Meetings, Accountability, and the Many Hats of A Manager.  All of these topics, plus many more will be covered in this free webinar series.  

The webinars are presented by C4K consultants.  These consultants have a combined 75 years experience in the world of education and have all worked in after-school programs, in a variety of capacities, themselves.  Origniating out of Bakersfield, California the webinar presenters have consulted, trained, and provided support for many programs up and down the state and across the nation.

Out-of-school time is a particularly dangerous time for many youth.  This is the time after the school bells rings and before parents return home from work. According to the US Department of Health and Social Services in 2010, violent crimes committed by juveniles occur most often between the hours of 3pm and 4pm- right around the time that the school day has ended.  After-school programs give students a safe place to go to keep them off of streets and out of troublesome situations during this time.

After-school programs vary widely in terms of the schedules and the activities that they provide, however, they all share the same goal- to provide youth a safe and stimulating place to be after-school, to provide working parents a sense of security, and to allow an opportunity for youth to express themselves and educate themselves. Many programs offer snacks for youth directly after school.  Sports, drama, music, art, and dance are all examples of experiences that youth in after-school have an opportunity to receive. After-school programs are also providing an extra dose of education, as well.  Schools are seeing improved test scores in students who attend the after-school program at their schools.  According to Learning Point Associates, annual performance report data from 21st CCLC grantees across the country demonstrate that students attending 21st CCLC programs improve their reading (43%) and math grades (42%). Students who attend 21st CCLC programs more regularly are more likely to improve their grades and their performance on state assessments. After-school programs are also able to focus on wellness, nutrition and character education.

A majority of after-school programs are funded by state and federal grants.  They are free to youth and their families. Because they provide a free service, the annual budget of an average after-school program is not large.  Consult4Kids understands this, as all of the employees, consultants, trainers and volunteers have worked in after-school.  C4K is committed to making sure that the adults who work with youth are highly and effectively trained. They have developed an online training resource https://consultfourkids.com.  Their webpage offers over 400 tutorial videos, lesson plans and resources, vocational training workbooks, and much more.  Many of the services are free- free materials, project ideas and lesson plans, social networking with other professionals, tips and tricks, and of course, the free webinar series.   Webinars are live every 3rd Tuesday of the month beginning at 10:00am, 11:15am, and 12:30am.  Visit the website https://www.consultfourkids.com or email to register at support@consultfourkids.com.