Camp Fire Goes to D.C. to Help Inform Policy
Sharing Our Success with Measuring Program Quality
May 18, 2009
On May 8, 2009, Camp Fire USA Minnesota Council’s VP of Community Programs, Ge Xiong, was part of a four-person panel that presented at the American Youth Policy Forum’s “Improving the Quality of Extended Learning Opportunities” in Washington D.C. to an audience of nearly 100 congressional staff and nonprofit leaders.
The invitation to present at this forum came at the culmination of Camp Fire USA Minnesota Council’s participation in a two-year national study that measured the effectiveness of the Youth Program Quality Intervention’s (YPQI) assessment tool in improving quality within youth programs. Camp Fire was joined by 55 other youth-serving sites within Minnesota and 100 sites across the nation to be part of this study.
The forum was designed to help inform the D.C. policy community on best practices for ensuring high-quality within “Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELOs).” The other presenters included Dr. Charles Smith, the principal investigator for the YPQI along with Lee Pearson, who led data collection analysis and reporting for the YPQI. Lorraine Thoreson, Education Consultant also presented on the effectiveness of the YPQI assessment tool within the Michigan Department of Education.
There is a growing movement within the youth development field to focus on the quality of programs, rather than the breadth. And the YPQI’s assessment tool is leading the way for programs to be able to implement a stronger focus on quality. The YPQI’s assessment tool measures the most critical element within youth programs — staff and youth interaction at the point of service. The instrument contains quality rating scales that focus on safety, support, peer interaction, and youth engagement and voice. “While we’ve always monitored and evaluated the quality of Camp Fire programs, this tool has helped Camp Fire focus these efforts,” explains Ge Xiong. “It has given us a clear and powerful way to consistently frame our conversations about quality.”
Within Minnesota, the movement toward measuring quality within youth programs is especially strong. The University of Minnesota along with the Youth Community Connections recently convened a workshop for youth development professionals across the state entitled, “Youth Program Quality Research” that highlighted the YPQI research. “Camp Fire USA Minnesota Council is proud to play a pivotal role within this community that is leading the way for high-quality youth development work,” says Marnie K. Wells, CEO of Camp Fire USA Minnesota Council.
