The OST Professional

Professional development is vital to the success of afterschool programs. Effective professional development enhances afterschool program quality by facilitating staff performance and knowledge; in addition, professional development is vital for improving student learning outcomes (Bouffard & Little, 2004; Hall & Surr, 2005; Joyce & Showers, 2002).   Afterschool director at For the Children Teen Center Latoya Taylor has worked…

Prime Time offers a wide variety of trainings to empower out-of-school time (OST) practitioners to create safe, supportive and welcoming environments and encourage positive social interactions among youth. In a recent training entitled Cooperative Learning, Prime Time’s training gave practitioners the tools they need to give youth in their program the opportunities to work together…

Northmore Elementary Afterschool Director Kanishia Mortin always dreamed of the day that she would be the first in her immediate family to go to college and graduate. Her dream was temporarily put on hold as she writes, “of course, life happens!” After working for the School District of Palm Beach County for the past 17 years, Kanishia’s dream has…

Congratulations to Frank Verney, afterschool director at City of West Palm Beach, Coleman Park Community Center who has completed his final class for his Associate of Sciences Degree in Human services – Youth Development! “It has been a battle to get this degree and after facing my math fears I did it. It’s never too…

Congratulations to Nicole Childs, a school teacher and afterschool practitioner at Watson B Duncan Middle School, for being nominated and one of four finalists for the 36th Annual Dwyer Awards in the Career Education category. Nicole, has been working in afterschool for more than 10 years. After completing her Bachelor’s Degree through Prime Time’s Education…

Written by Nicole Tarsia, Professional Development Scholarship and Incentives Specialist , Prime Time Palm Beach County After 12 years of working at Prime Time, my passion for professionalizing the out-of-school time (OST) field grows. Each year, my greatest reward is seeing afterschool practitioners advance as professionals and continue their education in the youth development field. Children…

Written by Patrick Freeland, Quality Improvement Manager, Prime Time Palm Beach County Lesson plans can play a vital role in an afterschool program’s efforts to provide intentional opportunities for high quality programming.  Often times, afterschool practitioners have less time than needed for developing lesson plans and infusing them into activities, while some are able to…

Written by Elisa Moro, Career Advisor & Registry Coach, Prime Time Palm Beach County Joeniseley Mathurin, afterschool director at Achievement Centers for Children and Families at Pine Grove Elementary School, is now a graduate of Palm Beach State College, earning a Youth Development College Credit Certificate and Associate Degree in Human Services-Youth Development. Joeniseley is continuing…