The Experienced Program Staff Certificate course is specifically designed for experienced program staff who have worked with young people in a camp, afterschool, summer enrichment program, or in other community-based youth settings. The activities in this course provide opportunities to apply the lessons to the learner’s own past youth work experiences within the framework of typical work expectations for more experienced program staff. This online course is an intensive 15 hour course built around ACA's thirteen core competencies that results in a certificate of completion and 15 continuing education credits (CECs). (Note: some learners will enter this course after completing the Entry-Level Program Staff Certificate.)
The final component of the course, “Special Interest Experience,” is designed to provide options to focus on a topic of particular interest to the learner. For example, one might be interested in working with a specific clientele (i.e., youth with special needs), a special setting (i.e., wilderness tripping), or a specialized activity (i.e., ropes courses). The learner then designs the learning experiences that allow exploration of the chosen interests. One could attend a special training or conference, complete online experiences, select additional readings, or create some other unique learning opportunities that meet the objectives for the experience.
At the end of the course, learners will have completed learning experiences that builds on their past experience in working with youth as well as augment their personal skills/knowledge sets, improve their abilities to offer quality experiences to the youth they serve, and enhance their own professional development.
If interested in the scope of the lessons for this certificate course, please review the following course overview and learner outcomes.
Experienced Program Staff Course Overview (Syllabus)
Learner Outcomes for the Experienced Program Staff Certificate Course
EPS-CAQ Length: 15 hours
EPS-CAQ Credits: 15.0 CEC