Quality

The Quality Campaign

APOST works to support and strengthen OST organizations in their high-quality program implementation. The Quality Campaign is a cohort of out-of-school time providers that commit to continuous quality improvement (CQI). APOST’s Quality Campaign started in 2012 with a cohort of 12 Quality Campaign Members and grew to 58 Members by 2020.

Statement of Quality

What We Deserve: A Statement of Quality in Afterschool

Quality out-of-school time programs inspire and promote learning and positive youth development by providing opportunities for autonomy and leadership, caring relationships, connections to family, community and school, safe environments, and engaging activities.

Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool Youth Development Network (PSAYDN) Program Quality Value Statement identifies principles and ideals which we believe should guide the actions of afterschool programming, regardless of program purpose or ages served. It does not, however, indicate levels of program quality. The purpose of this statement is to provide a straightforward framework to define quality for Pennsylvania’s afterschool programs and all other individuals, organizations, and entities that have a vested interest in the quality of these programs, including public and private funders, parents, and youth.

Quality programming requires the following elements:

    • Well-trained, consistent staff and volunteers that represent the community being served

    • Written policies and procedures that are consistently used and updated and supported by management

    • Sustainable funding and sound fiscal management

    • Continuous improvement methods including: evaluation, outcomes measurement, participant/family input, strategic planning, and professional development

    • Positive relationships between and among youth and staff

    • Strong partnerships with families, schools, businesses and other community stakeholders

    • Opportunities for youth to contribute to the well-being of the community

    • Safe and accessible environment

    • Clean & well maintained facilities

    • Programming and environments which promotes fitness, good nutrition, and healthy choices

    • Activities which are intentionally designed, are age-appropriate, develop skills, promote learning, and foster positive youth development

    • Activities which contain varied content, learning strategies and combine different academic, recreational, and cultural elements

    • Activities which are youth-centered, are responsive to youth interests, and actively involve youth in program development, planning, and implementation

    • Activities which promote understanding and respect for youth’s and others’ cultures

Our Approach

To support providers in continuous program quality assessment & improvement, APOST will relaunch the Quality Campaign (QC) in the fall of 2024 by working with The Forum for Youth Investment’s Weikart Center.

Using The Weikart Center’s Youth Program Quality Improvement (YPQI) approach of Prepare – Assess – Plan – Improve, we work with youth program leaders and staff to incorporate self- and external assessments, meaningful and actionable improvement plans, and professional learning supports (i.e. coaching, training and peer learning) to drive improvement and create powerful developmental environments for youth.

APOST supports a cohort-based learning model with the YPQI process – shared learning experience with peers moving together through a cycle of CQI throughout the year.

Quality Campaign Partners

Our existing partners are dedicated to providing high-quality afterschool and youth programs throughout Allegheny County. By collaborating with APOST, they commit to continuous improvement and making a positive impact on the lives of children.

Want to join the Quality Campaign?

Applications for the next QC Cohort are CLOSED for the 2025 Pilot Year, but you can learn more about the application process here.

Questions?

Get in touch with the APOST Team at apostpgh@gmail.com 

New Members: Beginning June 2025, any organization that successfully participates in the Quality Campaign process will be recognized as a QC member for three years. Learn more about the Quality Campaign process here.  

Pre-Existing Members: Organizations that previously completed the QC process to become QC members, can continue to call themselves QC members until January 1, 2027. At that point, they will need to have either gone through the new QC process or stop referring to their organization as a QC member.