KYD Network serves as the intermediary organization for the Out-of-School Time (OST) sectors in Kalamazoo and Calhoun Counties.
When youth participate in high-quality OST programming their odds change by improving their social-emotional learning skills, school attendance, and academic performance.
Organizations participate in our continuous quality improvement process and participate in targeted professional development that allows them to improve their program quality, strengthen youth social-emotional learning skills, provide opportunities for youth leadership and authentic family engagement, and create more inclusive and equitable learning environments.
Cohort members and our community partners share resources to maximize efficiency and impact.
KYD Network staff observe sites and complete the Youth Program Quality Assessment (YPQA) every program year. Overall, program quality was maintained at a high level in Safe Environment, Supportive Environment and Interaction through the year, and improved in Engagement from the 2022-23 school year. The quality ratings were higher than the national average on all four domains.
"Youth are able to use their voice in the reflection and truly be heard.”
Would recommend the program to a friend (85%)
Learning preferences matched program experience (62%)
At the beginning of the program year, during the initial engagement meeting, cohort members worked with their Coach to select one essential SEL skill for their SEL goal for the year. The three most popular goals in 2023-24 were Self-Management, Contribution, and Positive Identity.
91% of youth surveyed have at least three adults in their life who believe they will succeed - building social capital.
Identity
Strong sense of “who I am” and recognizing where I hold power and privilege; grounded in my core values; honor my culture(s); and have empathy for others and myself.
Belonging
When I belong, my racial, cultural and intersecting identities are welcomed, valued, represented and celebrated. When I belong, I feel motivated to be and to do my personal best.
Agency
Youth practice the skills they need to move through their intersecting communities in an authentic way so that they can dismantle oppressive systems and build a more equitable future.
Youth live and learn within many different learning environments including their homes and out-of-school time programs. We strive to authentically engage with caregivers and families to ensure young people have a continuum of care that supports their identity development, offers them belonging, and supports their agency.
“It’s about recognizing that families are essential partners in the educational journey, and by building strong connections, we create a supportive environment where every child can thrive.”
While our work centers around creating liberatory learning environments for youth, we recognize the necessity of equitable and inclusive workplaces for program staff. We encourage all cohort members to select one of our three long-term Inclusion & Equity goals to focus on for the year: Disaggregated Data, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Centered Policies, and Equitable Compensation.
“See where our money is coming from, working on the transparency of the budget and how to make this happen. ED is advocating for staff stipends for self-care, creating time off between summer and fall sessions. Space to have brave/safe space to have conversations.”
“Within our program committee, we are starting to work on disaggregating data by age groups (elementary/secondary), where we had grouped youth outcomes together before. However, there are other groups we can disaggregate the information on.”
THE 2023-24 PROGRAM YEAR PROVIDED NEW AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO CENTERING YOUTH VOICES.
KYD Network received a grant from the Blueprint for Peace (a project of United Way) to implement the Community Peace Project (CPP), an initiative that provided 18 Kalamazoo youth and 8 adults with training in Restorative Response. This methodology engages transformational relationships, to support each other in working through traumas – one person, one relationship, one encounter at a time, using skills from CRM® and CISM. CPP participants continue to meet in a cohort-style to strengthen and apply these skills within the community.
In addition to this project, cohort members selected a youth leadership goal to focus on throughout the year. The three most popular goal for 2023-24 were Youth Leadership, Youth Advisory Council, and Youth Voice.