Professional Development

Youth programs often have challenges sustaining engaging environments throughout the year. In this webinar we will examine factors that influence youth engagement in a program setting. We will also consider ways we can reshape activities, staff interactions, and our program space to cultivate more youth engagement.

Over time, cultural norms and ideas about disability, diversity, and inclusion have changed. As more organizations across sectors focus on “Diversity and Equity”, disability is sometimes left out of the conversation about diversity. KIT’s mission is to meaningfully include children and youth with disabilities, and our webinar focus today is to share current, relevant information regarding the intersectionality of disability and diversity. This webinar will focus on strategies to support tweens and teens in inclusive programs.

Transitions can make or break a routine. Moving a group of children from one activity to another smoothly is an art. Join us for this webinar to learn simple creative ideas for establishing FUN transitions that will make your program feel smoother and you job easier. Please note that in order to receive a certificate, you will need to watch and view the resources, engage with the materials (click), pass the quiz, and complete the survey.

This webinar is focused on what it is like for our guest presenter, Stephen Hinkle, to grow up with autism. He'll explain the various academic and social challenges he faced and had to overcome throughout childhood to this day. Please note that in order to receive a certificate, you will need to watch and view the resources, engage with the materials (click), pass the quiz, and complete the survey.

This Virtual Learning Series is for leadership and contains 3 sessions:

Strengthening Relationships With and Among Staff - Making staff feel valued and respected is a key practice for employee retention.
Leveraging Your Resources - Clarity and consistency are just as important for your staff as they are for children. Learn how to leverage those resources to support staff morale.
Building a Support Network - Support networks are connections among staff that lead to emotional safety. Learn how to use resiliency practices to build these networks.

Middle schoolers and teens can experience at least 24 mood changes in a day, so it’s no wonder social-emotional learning is a trend in youth centers. In this series, you’ll learn ways to support social-emotional learning in your program. You’ll also explore how disability is a dimension of diversity and how to make your program truly inclusive for all.

This bundle includes these webinars at a 20% discount:

Intermediate Series

How does one provide quality, inclusive programs for teens and tweens? The first step is to understand what is going on in their bodies, minds, and emotions. This intermediate level series continues to build upon the foundation level series. In these webinars, you will examine the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of youth between the ages of 10-18.

This bundle includes these webinars at a 20% discount:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announces the availability of a new Independent Study Course titled: Active Shooter, What You Can Do (IS-907), a no-cost training course developed to provide the public with guidance on how to prepare for and respond to active shooter crisis situations. An active shooter is defined in the course as an individual “engaged in killing or
attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area. In most cases, there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims.

According to the CDC, an estimated 1 in 36 children in the United States have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Knowing how to support children and youth with ASD in an inclusive environment will help you create a program where everyone feels a sense of belonging. This series is a collection of webinars that will give you information about what ASD is, the diverse needs of children and youth with ASD, and strategies to support those needs.

Have you ever felt like you knew how to do something, but couldn't accomplish it the way you’d hoped? This is something that children with ASD experience whether dealing with a task or an emotion. If they could verbally express it, they might say, “I want to, but I don’t know how.” This webinar will introduce skill building supports to help children learn how to function independently.

Please note, this webinar will focus on school-age youth.