At the Academy for Competent Youth Work, our heroes and heroines are those who dedicate their lives to working with children and youth and those who manage and oversee programming for young people. For 20 years, we have been involved in the transformation of Child and Youth Care Work and in guiding individuals and organizations to excellent practice. We want to help you and your staff succeed in offering your young people and families the very best support to wellbeing.
We developed the CYC: Basic Course, and have trained over 3600 youth workers in over 700 organizations across the United States. We have collaborated with CYCs and programs around the globe to improve services and outcomes for children and youth. Most recently we worked with the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) and the National Resource Center for Youth Services to create the Youth Thrive: Protective and Promotive Factors for Adolescent Health and Well-being curriculum. In 2015 we launched the blended online and live CYC: Foundations Course. In 2018 we developed the Families Thrive: Protective and Promotive Factors to Enhance Thriving in All Children, Youth, & Families with CSSP to support community development initiatives. In 2022 we launched a Spanish language version of the CYC Foundations Course and Training for Trainers.
We support Child and Youth Care Workers in every area of practice including child welfare, education, out-of-school time, juvenile justice, disabilities, recreation, transitional living, and community-based youth-serving programs. Our courses focus on core youth development principles that are widely used in all practice settings across the field of youth services.
The Academy offers a variety of live youth worker courses that are:
- relational
- strengths-based
- asset focused
- trauma informed
- brain-based
- diversity inclusive
- evidence-informed
- based on CYC Certification competencies and requirements
All classes are competency-based and designed using an experiential approach that supports adult learning. For more information on presentation formats and costs, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
We look forward to working with you to improve your work with children and youth.