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Harassment and Discrimination Prevention |
1.00 |
A respectful workplace is a key element in creating a fair, collaborative, and inclusive environment that allows every member of a higher education institution’s community to meet their teaching, research, and public service goals. At the heart of a respectful workplace is zero tolerance for discrimination and harassment. |
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Conflicts of Interest (Corrections) |
1.00 |
A conflict of interest is a clash between personal interests and work requirements. It occurs when an individual’s personal interests, whether financial, professional, or social, including those of family and friends, compromise his or her judgment, decision, or actions in the workplace. Conflicts of interest matter because they compromise the quality of an employee’s decision-making, which reflects on higher education institutions. |
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Clery Act |
1.50 |
When we talk about the Clery Act, we are actually referring to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, and a series of other security-related disclosure requirements contained in section 485 of the Higher Education Act (20 USC §1092). The Clery Act requires colleges and universities to track and disclose information about crimes that occur on or near campus.
The basic requirements of the Act fall into six categories:
1. Campus crime reporting.
2. Timely warning notices.
3. Emergency notifications and emergency response testing.
4. Fire safety reporting and missing student procedures.
5. Notices to prospective students and employees.
6. Policy statements.
We’ll address each of these categories throughout this course. |
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Course 08: Human Relations Skill Development |
2.00 |
Being able to communicate effectively is an essential human relations skill for school-age care professionals. To be a good communicator, school-age professionals need to understand the components of communication and how the communication process works. They need to identify barriers to clear communication and develop strategies for minimizing or eliminating barriers to communication. School-age care professionals also need to work cooperatively with other team members to solve problems and conflicts. This requires an understanding of how teams work and the characteristics of effective teams. Assessing the current status of personal human relations skills helps each professional identify priorities for making improvements to these skills. |
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Course 09: School-Age Care as a Family Service - Part One |
2.00 |
Strong, positive, cooperative relationships with parents and families are at the heart of quality school-age programs. Unfortunately, positive relationships with parents and families are not always easy to achieve because parents, like children, have widely varying personalities; some are easier to reach than others. Parents in school-age programs have different ideas, values, concerns, knowledge, pressures, lifestyles, plans, dreams, resources, and constraints. Staff who are successful in building positive relationships begin by recognizing the importance of accepting parents as the most important people in children’s lives, regardless of differences among them. They understand that staff attitudes toward parents can have a strong effect on whether or not staff can establish positive relationships with parents. Staff in quality programs make a commitment to learning as much as possible about parents’ needs, interests, wants, and concerns and develop effective strategies for making positive connections with parents. |
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Course 15: Designing Effective Indoor School-Age Play and Learning Environments |
2.00 |
Planning effective environments is the first step to planning an effective program. When environments are attractive, interesting, and comfortable, they provide a backdrop for a varied program that can address the developmental needs of school-age children. The look and feel of well-planned environments send messages that let children know they are welcome and valued. They are inviting and encourage children to get involved and stay engaged with program activities and experiences |
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Course 16: Developing and Implementing Effective Indoor Interest Areas |
2.00 |
In order to operate an effective school-age program environment, it is essential for staff to know how to design, set up, and operate a variety of different interest areas that meet the developmental needs of school-age children. Effective interest areas are multi-dimensional; they provide a wide variety of activity options within the area. Effective interest areas provide children with opportunities to work and play independently on their own or with others. They also provide a setting for focused, staff-led activities designed to introduce children to new concepts and skills. Staff in quality school-age programs know how to work with colleagues and children to define, develop, and manage a wide variety of interest areas |
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Course 23: Providing Homework Support |
2.00 |
The National Standard Objectives of Learning (SOL) have raised questions about the role of school-age programs in providing homework help and support. Research indicates there are many different ways to provide effective homework support in school-age programs. Some are more structured than others. When planning a homework support program, it is important for school-age programs to develop a homework philosophy that is consistent with the program’s overall philosophy and reflects current research on best practices for providing homework help. The homework philosophy should also reflect the needs of parents and children in the program and strike a balance between homework needs and other experiences that help children grow and learn out-of-school. When staff know how to design homework environments, identify appropriate homework materials, and use effective strategies to guide children’s efforts, homework support can be an effective component of ongoing programs. |
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Course 25: Focus on Health and Stress Management |
2.00 |
Every day OST professionals dedicate themselves to caring for and nurturing children, youth, and families. Often OST professionals are so dedicated to serving others, they neglect their own needs. When this happens, OST staff can experience stress that causes them to become overwhelmed, exhausted, frustrated, dissatisfied with job responsibilities, and unappreciated. When OST professionals maintain a healthy balanced lifestyle, they are in a much better position to face the challenges of supporting and nurturing children and families with positive energy, enthusiasm, patience, and empathy. By developing self-awareness; linking their personal and professional goals; developing a healthy balanced lifestyle; and identifying and managing stressors effectively, OST staff can create and maintain a positive sense of well-being that allows them to maximize their ability to build positive relationships with children, parents, colleagues, and others. |
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Course 31: The Six "Ps" of Marketing School-Age Programs |
2.00 |
Effective marketing of OST programs is a systematic process that involves research, analysis, assessment of market trends and needs, short-term and long-term planning, and development of effective strategies to promote OST program services and develop a positive image of the program in the community. It is important for OST leaders to recognize that marketing is a far reaching process that includes, but is not limited to, advertising and publicity. When OST leaders take a comprehensive approach to marketing, their programs and projects have an excellent chance of success. Knowledge and understanding of the marketing process is an invaluable tool for OST leaders as they plan and implement new programs and projects, assess the stability and need for improvement of current programs, develop plans for new or expanded programs, and develop a positive public image of the program and its services. |
