Transcript Slide 1

“I Know I Offer A Quality
Program… Or Do I?”
M. Deborah Bialeschki, ACA
Marie Schmid, Camp Foley
Beginning A Quality
Improvement Process
• Why do I need to consider a quality
“improvement process”- things seem
to be going well!
• Get everyone in the Mindset!
• Lay the Groundwork for Success!
• Understand what we need to do to
help contribute to positive growth in
our campers!
Goals For This Session
• Become familiar with a camper development
framework!
• Understand “what the research tells us” about the
role of camp in providing positive opportunities
for growth for our young people!
• Learn the steps needed to implement your own
quality improvement process!
ACA Program Improvement
Project 2004-2006
• Benchmark Study on Supports and
Opportunities
– 80 Camps in 4 regions
– 7672 Campers
• Program Improvement Process
– 23 camps for two summers
– Targeted improvement strategies
– 2278 campers
Community Action Framework for Youth
Development
Build Community
Capacity and Conditions
for Change (E)
© Connell & Gambone 1998
Improve Youth
Developmental
Outcomes (B)
Increase Supports
& Opportunities for
Youth (C)
Adequate nutrition,
health & shelter
Multiple supportive
relationships
Implement Community
Strategies to Enhance
Supports & Opportunities
for Youth (D)
Meaningful
involvement
Challenging &
engaging skill building
activities
Safety
Improve LongTerm Outcomes
in Adulthood (A)
Overall Supports & Opportunities
(Optimal) (Insufficient)
100%
80%
69%
60%
39%
40%
20%
30%
41%
25%
9%
1%
5%
0%
Support ive
Relat ionships
Saf et y
Yout h Involvement
Skill Building
Steps in the Organizational
Improvement Process
1. Leadership Sets Initial Targets
2. Staff Conducts an Organizational Assessment
3. Youth & Staff Review Survey Results
4. Develop Action Plan
5. Prioritize Areas for Improvement in Year One
6. Re-set Targets for Year One Plan
7. Leadership Reviews Survey Results
Percent ACA PIP Camps with Positive Change in 1
or More Dimension
(N=23)
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Supportive
Relationships
Safety
Skill Building
% camps with positive change in 1 or more dimension
Youth Involvement
That being said…
It is NOT ABOUT specific
Strategies….
It IS ABOUT being
purposeful in making
organizational changes.
Organizational
Improvement Process
Step 2. Organizational Assessment
Organizational structures (S):
• Low youth to staff/volunteer ratios
• Safe, reliable, and accessible activities and spaces
• Continuity and consistency of care
Organizational policies (P):
• Ongoing, results-based staff and organizational
improvement process
• Flexibility in allocating available resources
• Community engagement
Organizational activities (A):
• Range of diverse, interesting, and skill-building
activities
• Youth engagement in organizational decision making
• High, clear, and fair standards
Rate of Improvements Associated
with Level of Implementation
(Structure, Policy and Activities)
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
11 S, P & A Camps
12 non SPA Camps
20%
10%
0%
Change in 3 or more
S&O areas
Change in 1 or 2 S&O
areas
No Change
So What?
• Camps of all types improved their
impact on campers by specifically
targeting camp structures, policies,
and activities by using a continuous
improvement process.
• In fact, 83% of camps in ACA’s study
showed significant improvement in
one or more dimensions vital to
positive camper development.
• Getting feedback from campers and staff
on their perceptions of camp programs,
procedures, and relationships is critical to
developing strategies that will work in
camp.
• Simply selecting another camp’s strategies
is not nearly as effective as using a process
for self-examination that results in
strategies that are designed by campers
and staff and intentionally applied to the
camp setting.
• To improve the likeliness of having a
positive influence on camper growth,
strategies need to integrated into the
camp’s structures, policies, and activities.
Step #1: Gather Information on
youth’s experience of camp!


Systematic survey
Discussions with campers:
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Don’t “react” while gathering
campers’ perceptions- listen!
Write what they say on Flip
Chart
Think about timing for
discussions
Conversation logistics
Step #2: Gather Input
From Staff
•Discuss key points about youth
development
•Identify your camp’s strengths &
weaknesses (share campers’
input)
Step #3: Assess the 9
organizational practices


Looks at Structures, Policies,
and Activities (S-P-A)
Tips on how to assess
organizational practices

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Small groups of staff on 1-2
strategies
Individual staff members assess
each practice
Step #4: Brainstorm
Strategies
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

Come up with ways to address
the issues raised in your
discussions for YOUR camp
Place a new strategies into
one of the S-P-A areas
Try to generate several ideas
for each concern and integrate
them into the SPA areas
Step #5: Choose What to Try
in the Next Camp Season
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Be realistic with what you try
Check your resources (human,
time, $)
Get “Buy-In” (staff & campers)
Build a “Big Picture” plan on
how to implement ideas over a
couple of years
Step #6: Share With Campers
and Staff What You Will Do
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If possible, share the “new”
changes with them before
they come to camp
Shows you have taken some
action on their ideas
Share with staff during precamp training as an exciting
opportunity
Step #7: Take Stock
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Go back to your campers and
staff for feedback (survey or
group discussions)
Look at the next potential
strategies to implement
Continue to be Intentional
about what fits for YOUR
camp!
LESSONS FROM DIRECTORS:
What Worked?
 Start with Systematic Data
o “We always thought we were camper centered…this
process brought meat to what it means to be camper
centered.”
 Use a Youth Development Framework
o “The process helped us do strategic planning in direct
relationship to youth development. We thought about
youth development but this helped us focus…and remotivated us around youth development principles.”
 Focus on Intentionality and Accountability
o “Leaders felt more confident about knowing their job –
better prepared to provide the emotional support. What
we covered and how we covered it was different… felt
prepared to focus on the campers. There was a different
attitude through camp because of intentionality on a fun
safe summer.”
LESSONS FROM DIRECTORS:
What Was Challenging?
Staff Buy In
Staff Skills
Camp Structure
Youth Buy In
Unexpected Events
Things to Remember
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Be intentional in what will work
best for YOUR camp
Quality improvement is hard
work and requires commitment
Changes that are integrated
into structures, policies, and
activities have the best chance
for success!