Quality Improvement in Action Series

Camp is a setting where many young people feel safe to be themselves and supported to engage in new and exciting activities. This doesn’t just inherently happen, but instead must be created through intentional staff practices. The ways in which staff, activities, and culture create the environment of camp is called program quality. But how do you create high quality programs? Through initial training and continuous improvement!

Learn more about camp program quality at ACA.

Quality Improvement in Action: Intro (58 Min.)

This webinar will focus on two concepts, program quality and continuous improvement, and real examples of introducing them at a camp organization. Come learn about what camp program quality looks like in action and how to engage with continuous improvement in this context.

Quality Improvement in Action: Prepare (58 Min)

The first phase of the continuous improvement cycle is “prepare”. In this phase, camp professionals should ensure organizational readiness to engage in assessments and improvements. Specifically related to program quality, a focus should be on training staff to understand high-quality camp practices, structuring camp activities for learning, facilitating with these practices in mind, and building capacity to assess quality during peak operations. This is where the hard, but important work begins! Join us on the journey!

Quality Improvement in Action: Assess (60 Min)

The second phase of the continuous improvement cycle is “assess”. During this phase, camp professionals organize and execute program quality assessments at their camp, facilitate ongoing coaching conversations with staff, and manage assessment data. An important consideration is how to modify assessment plans in the face of the craziness of peak camp operations! Participants will benefit most from this session if they have joined the previous webinar focused on preparing for program quality assessments and improvements.

Quality Improvement in Action: Plan (55 Min)

The third phase of the continuous improvement cycle is “plan”. This important step in the process is dedicated to review and reflection. After assessments are completed, digging into the data and looking to understand what the data mean and why allow for a deeper awareness of how campers experience a program.  Greatest learning will occur if participants have joined us for the previous two phases of the webinar series, focused on preparing for and conducting program quality assessments. Come learn how to understand what those assessments are telling you.

Quality Improvement in Action: Improve (58 Min)

The last phase of the continuous improvement cycle is “improve”. This is where the magic happens and steps to improve can be discovered! Using learnings from the reflection process during “plan”, key areas of focus are identified and steps for improving those focus areas are planned. Creating action steps allow for accountability and connects an organization’s last step in the cycle to their first step in the next round of quality improvement. Participants who have attended all prior webinars in the series will benefit the most from this session.

Presenter Bio

Victoria Povilaitis, PhD, is the Director, Program Innovation at Tim Hortons Foundation Camps. In this role she guides program quality, outcome, and impact measurement and uses these data to inform program development, facilitation, and continuous improvement.

Lacey Maglinger is the Senior Manager, Program Quality & Development at Tim Hortons Foundation Camps, she has worked with the organization since 2012 in various roles. Currently, her work includes conducting PQ assessments, supporting camp teams in their assessments, and using data to create and improve programs and resources for camp teams.

Cost

Regular Rates

• Single person access — Price: $100 Members; $200 Nonmembers
• Purchase access for multiple persons — Please contact us to purchase access for more than one person. 
  • Your staff will self-enroll into course with an enrollment key we provide. 
  • Your staff may complete the program at their convenience.