Bringing Yourself to Work

 

The most significant characteristic of a good afterschool program is the quality of relationships between care providers and the children in their charge. How do these relationships truly flourish? How do we increase our awareness that the qualities of these interactions are often constructed through the lens of our own experience and identity?  The Bringing Yourself to Work training model highlights the importance of self-awareness and emotional intelligence as the key ingredients towards building optimum social emotional environments for children.

BYTW is based on research and insights from several disciplines including emotional intelligence, relational/cultural theory, organizational behavior and  youth development All of these fields reinforce the basic premise that good caregiving requires self understanding, relational abilities and good team membership. BYTW provides a concrete way to improve these skills through assessment, training and on-going follow up with participating programs.  Evaluation results include increased emotional intelligence, better teamwork among staff, a more respectful climate in the program and stronger relationships between staff and children.

 

Training Model
BYTW training is divided into three main focus areas; self-awareness, relational ability and group dynamics. In each of these three areas, BYTW trainers utilize several methodologies for learning; small discussions, theoretical presentations, experiential learning and practice using each new concept learned.  Through group interaction, participants learn from one another, sharing everyday examples of how BYTW applies to their work. While the training requires openness, boundaries of each individual are respected and an atmosphere of comfort and safety is always assured.

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All of our trainings, except for our annual Summer Seminar, are conducted in a location of your choice. Clients arrange a local training event with NIOST that typically draws 20-40 participants. Two NIOST Training Associates plan and deliver the training, while a local sponsor, such as a Resource and Referral Agency, State Government Agency, City Agency, or State or Local Provider Association, coordinates the publicity and logistics. This model allows for maximum local participation. If a client has a small number of potential participants, it may make fiscal sense to send the group to the annual Summer Seminars series in Boston.

Opportunities for individual participants to attend NIOST trainings include our annual Summer Seminar series held in July in Boston. NIOST has been hosting its annual Seminars since 1999. The goal of our Summer Seminars is to provide training for after-school professionals from all over the country which can be attended as individuals. In addition, this series of events allows participants to connect with other professionals outside of their community, and thus create a potential national network among the field.