Core competencies set goals and standards for training, education and professional development to ensure quality. Out-of-school time core competencies define the expected applicable day-to-day knowledge and care for providers at all levels, including volunteers, and in all settings. Core competencies vary from state to state, but they all detail the skills, knowledge, ethics and practice to support child and youth development and families. At the same time, competencies empower practitioners to better understand their practice and further their professional development.
In Pennsylvania, a leading body on core competencies and professional development for early childhood and school-age (up to 12 years) practitioners is The Pennsylvania Key, sponsored by the Department of Human Service’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning.
Youth Work Core Competencies: A review of Existing Frameworks and Purposes
After School Programs Internship
Olivet Boys & Girls Club, Reading, Pennsylvania
Community Initiatives Coordinator
Girls Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Computer Science Educator and Program Manager
Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Summer Camp Educator
Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Discovery Camp Counselor
Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
