NYNP blog post 4-30-10

Article: Using E-learning to Train Youth Workers

The latest issue of the journal Afterschool Matters is available online today at http://www.niost.org/content/view/1645/297/. This issue is a special one with a focus on professional development, and Zora Jones Rizzi, Amita Desai Parikh, and I have an article in it called "Using E-learning to Train Youth Workers: The BELL Experience." Afterschool Matters is a peer-reviewed journal published by the National Institute on Out-of-School Time at the Wellsley Centers for Women, with support from the Robert Bowne Foundation.

In collaborating on the article, I was grateful to have the opportunity to talk with Managing Editor Georgia Hall, who offered insightful direction, and work with Editor Jan Gallagher, who provided skillful editing and guidance.

The article's downloadable at http://www.niost.org/pdf/afterschoolmatters/ASM_Spring2010.pdf, and here's the abstract: "BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life) cut training costs by two-thirds and improved outcomes for students in its summer program by developing e-learning modules for program staff and managers." Hall's Welcome from the Editor says, "Marquart, Rizzi, and Parikh, in 'Using E-learning to Train Youth Workers,' offer an effective model for overcoming familiar challenges to staff training such as limited resources, staff turnover, and multi-site programs. BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life) has successfully implemented blended online and in-person training to train its summer program staff."