Experience, education, and quality supervision or mentoring support your professional development. Afterschool Professional Pathways is an essential tool for planning and tracking your professional growth that helps organize education, certificates, and credentials. Each Step of the Pathway can help you move ahead in your career. Your Certificate will recognize your accumulated skills and knowledge through education, trainings, and experience.
Find Your Path and Stay on Track
Use the resources on this page to get familiar with your career pathway:
- The Career Advising Guide shows how different roles in various settings fit into Afterschool Professional Pathways;
- The Afterschool Pathways Fact Sheet further explains each Step, its various requirements and related information in greater detail;
- Vermont’s Core Knowledge and Competencies for Afterschool Professionals and self-assessment tools
If you need support navigating your career requirements, please contact us for further assistance.
Upcoming Trainings
Afterschool Pathways Certificates and Credentials
Vermont Afterschool Foundations Certificate
- 16 total hours of training across the 5 core knowledge areas
- A current Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP)
- Completed application
Afterschool Essentials Course: completed with a group, over a year
Requirements:
- Youth Development Institute (YDI) online modules
- Participate in 4 identified ISS-AP (Vt Afterschool, Inc.) training days
- 6 hour Basic Specialized Care course
- 5 hours of training in a concentration area learning
- Formal Observation of participant at work
- A current Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP)
- Additional planned workshops
Recognition Bonus available from the Child Development Division or VT Afterschool, Inc. when additional requirements are met.
Credential earned thru college coursework and independent development of a portfolio
Requirements:
- 3 years working as a program director or in other leadership capacity
- Two 3-credit online courses at Community College of VT:
– Introduction to Afterschool Education and Care*
– Special Topics in Education: Development of the School Age Child Vermont* - Additional training hours across the 5 Core Knowledge Areas
- Completed Professional Portfolio
Recognition Bonus available from the Child Development Division or VT Afterschool, Inc. when additional requirements are met.
* Afterschool, Inc. offers scholarships for these courses, which also meet Program Director steps listed below.
Step 1 – 3 courses:
- Child Development
- Curriculum
- Program Management
Step 2 – 3 courses:
- Leadership, Mentoring, Supervision
- Human Resources Management
- Legal and Financial Issues
Step 3
Culminating Seminar and approved portfolio
Recognition Bonus available from the Child Development Division or VT Afterschool, Inc. when additional requirements are met.
