Professional Development
Supporting Program Quality
MAP helps support program quality of afterschool and summer programs through professional development opportunities and other quality supports. From professional learning communities to individualized coaching, there are opportunities to help your program thrive. Explore opportunities below!
“Coaching with Jen has been such a huge help with running our program. She is a wealth of knowledge and I continue to learn with her guidance. Jen is so supportive and is always looking for new tools and ways to help our program grow, her coaching has been such an asset to Delvante and me.”
Click the button below for a brief one-pager about our Professional Development Services.
Professional Development Trainings with MAP!
MAP’s Professional Development Team includes a database of trainers with various levels of diversity and expertise on subject matter that reflects the MA Department of Early Education and Care’s Core Competencies and National Afterschool Association’s Core Knowledge, Skills and Competencies.
MAP’s professional development sessions can be offered in several formats: 2, 3, 4 or 5-hour training sessions during the day or evening or in a Professional Learning Communities (PLC) format. A PLC is usually offered in a two- or three-part series, each session in the series is 2 hours and there is a job-embedded activity between sessions.
All training can be done virtually or in person. Trainings can be adapted and created based on an After School and Out of School Time (ASOST) program or organization’s needs and staff’s experience. MAP will provide a training certificate to all participants upon completion. Some professional development sessions can be offered in Portuguese and Spanish.
We ask that programs give us between 2 and 4 weeks’ notice. If that is not possible, we will do our best to accommodate your request based on the trainer's availability. You will usually get a response to your request within a few business days to set up a time to discuss the details of your training request.
For PD sessions during the months of July and August, please submit the PD request form by June 30th.
PD Newsletter: September & October
Office Hours with Jen Reth
Interested in learning more about Professional Development services and resources? Email jreth@massafterschool.org to schedule a 15-minute information session with MAP’s Program Support Specialist, Jennifer Reth.
September 23rd at 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM | October 5th at 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
October 21st at 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Back to School!
Schedule your professional development now!
Check out MAP’s Professional Development Resources and reach out to Lisa Demoulias at ldemoulias@massafterschool.org to get started.
Building Executive Functioning Skills In Youth
Executive functioning refers to a set of cognitive skills managed by the prefrontal cortex—often described as the brain's "air traffic control"—that regulate attention, emotion, and behavior to achieve goals. Key components include working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control. These skills are essential for planning, organizing, multitasking, and problem-solving in daily life.
A MAP trainer will come to your afterschool/camp program and work directly with the youth modeling how these skills can be developed using board games. This professional development opportunity would include one hour of direct instruction with the youth and a one follow up session with the trainer.
Please contact Lisa Demoulias, Director of Professional Development to learn more about how your program can benefit from this professional development.
STEM Next Toolkit
The Launching Futures Toolkit gives educators hands-on resources to connect students with careers in aerospace. It includes real-world projects and career profiles spanning fields like aerospace engineering, robotics, geospatial science, manufacturing, cybersecurity, and mission planning.
Free Curriculum: Life Skills Lessons, Activities, and More
MAP Trainer Highlight: Amy Epstein
Amy Epstein, a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a degree in Sociology, has been working with youth and young adults for over 25 years. Her passion for increasing protective factors for youth has stemmed from years of working with young people in diverse environments ranging from children’s museums and school settings to youth homeless shelters and transitional living programs. Her 15+ years working in the field of public health has included diverse environments and populations. From Holyoke, MA to Santa Fe, NM, Amy brings her passion for social justice to all the work she does. Amy is motivated and excited by the prospect of bolstering protective factors and strengthening youth resiliency through creating opportunities for positive and enriching experiences for all youth, but is particularly invested in underserved and harder to reach factions of the community. She believes that all people have a seat at the table and aims to engage all members of the community in creating healthy environments conducive to positive health outcomes.
Some of her most popular trainings include:
The Science of Belonging: Creating Afterschool Programs Where Every Young Person Wants to Be: Explore the research linking belonging to attendance, engagement, and resilience, and leave with tools to strengthen relationships and build an inclusive program culture.
Building Meaningful Youth Leadership in Afterschool Programs: Move beyond token input to create authentic leadership opportunities, with practical strategies for youth voice, shared power, and leadership pathways.
Creating Safe Spaces for LGBTQ Youth: Build your knowledge of key terms, statistics, and legal responsibilities, assess your comfort level, and leave with a plan of action.
Prevention 101: Learn how to identify risk and protective factors in youth and apply evidence-based prevention practices in your work.
Resource Lab
MAP has a library of resources and curriculum available to afterschool and summer programs. From resources on social-emotional learning to webinars on sustaining the OST workforce, there are plenty of resources that will be useful to educators and administrators of programs.
Program Improvement Plans
MAP has a library of resources and curriculum available to afterschool and summer programs. From resources on social-emotional learning to webinars on sustaining the OST workforce, there are plenty of resources that will be useful to educators and administrators of programs.
Meet MAP’s Professional Development Team!
Lisa DeCaro Demoulias (she/her) began her career as a kindergarten teacher and has held many positions in the field of education. She holds a Professional Massachusetts Teacher License as well as a certification as a Principal N-8. She graduated from Boston College with a Master Degree in Educational Administration and currently works for Lesley University leading aspiring teachers to an initial licensure. Lisa was the Chief Operating Officer of an International Educational Consultancy group and was the Senior Child Care Director of the YMCA of the Greater Boston Association. She managed all aspects of the school-age programs and was the leader of the Eastern Mass Cluster group of the YMCA developing best practices for the school-age sites. Lisa is a passionate educator and enjoys sharing her knowledge and learning from others.
"Lisa was a fantastic coach for me this past year. Having this coaching support from her and the entire team at MAP has been a wonderful help for me and our program. Whether someone is relatively new to this field, like myself, or someone who may just be looking for additional support throughout the year, this has been a great way to help answer any of my random questions, help find areas to improve on, and to have someone who is there to help that AS/OST employee in all areas of our programs."
Jen Reth (she/her) has been in the Afterschool and Out-Of-School Time field since 1993 working in various positions. She is currently the Director of Youthworks, the Soft Skills Career Readiness Program for youth in Winthrop with Winthrop Public Schools and CASA. She serves on the Community Action for Safe Alternatives board and is a Massachusetts Ambassador for the National Afterschool Alliance.
“I cannot put in to words how much Jen’s support as a coach has helped me to grow. Her guidance has helped me to make difficult decisions regarding my business and staffing and to move forward personally and professionally."
"I have grown so much professionally and personally with Jenn. I feel I would continue to grow,change and pivot with her guidance."
Professional Development Request Form
Ready to get started?
Click here to complete our Professional Development Request form!
If you have questions, please reach out to ldemoulias@massafterschool.org and jreth@massafterschool.org.
EEC Professional Development Requirements
EEC Requires Large Group and School Age Child Care [See 606 CMR 7.09(19)(b)]
1. Educators working fewer than ten hours per week shall complete a minimum of five hours of professional development activities per year;
2. Educators working at least ten but fewer than 20 hours per week shall complete a minimum of 12 hours of professional development activities per year;
3. Educators working 20 or more hours per week shall complete a minimum of 20 hours of professional development activities per year.
Upcoming Trainings
To learn more about a training and to register, click on the flyer.
Out of School Time Job Quality Standards
The National AfterSchool Association’s OST Job Quality Standards provide a standard structure for defining and discussing “good jobs.” The Standards ground the conversation in the available empirical evidence demonstrating how job quality relates to worker outcomes and outline effective practices that support workforce development — including recruitment and retention — and workforce stability by promoting high-quality, equitable jobs.
The Standards are based on the Job Quality Framework and include:
4 Pillars: Overarching categories representing key job quality areas
16 Elements: Critical pieces of each pillar
67 Indicators: Observable practices that support each job quality element
An annotated bibliography of supporting evidence
The JQS Usage Guide & Assessment tool provides audiences with a roadmap for effectively using the OST Job Quality Standards, including concrete steps for those in advocacy, funding, policy, and out-of-school time leadership to improve job quality in their respective roles.
18 Degrees
21st CCLC Warren Elementary
21st CCLC @ OSV
21st CCLC ASOST STEAM
ABACUS
A.R.T.S Foundation Inc
After the Bell
Angier After School Program
BBTE
Beyond the Bell - Holyoke Public Schools
Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center
Boys & Girls Club of Metro South
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell
Boys & Girls Club of Stoneham
Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Holyoke
Build A Robot
Building Audacity
Building Bridges through Music, Inc
Cabot Manor After School Program and summer camp
Camp Fire North Shore
CAPIC After School Program
CARE
CCLC Afterschool
Central MA Professional Development Center
Child Care of the Berkshires - Monument Square
CLEO (21st Century Learning)
Clyde Brown Elementary Extended Day
Programs We’ve Worked With:
Communities Together, Inc.
Community Kids Place
Connected Beginnings
CS4Youth, Inc.
Curiosity Club at the John M. Barry Boys & Girls Club
Da Vinci exploration program
Dartmouth YMCA - School Age Childcare
East Boston Social Center
East End House
Elizabeth's Daycare
Enrichment
Eureka! MetroWest
Eureka! Stem and Leadership
Extended Learning Time
Flying Cloud Institute
For Kids Only Afterschool
Girls Inc.
Greenwood Childcare Center
Guild Of St Agnes
Hill House Boston
Holyoke Community College
Hoops and Homework
Imagine Nation Academy
In Our Hands Learning and Preschool
In Our Hands Learning and Preschool Center
J.T Hood School
Jamaica Plain Head Start
Jewish Community of Amherst Shemesh Summer Program
JMB Boys and Girls Club of Newton
Kid Care
Kid Care of Andover Rec
Kids in Tech
Kids LAHF
Kwong Kow Chinese School
Leap for Education
LEAP for Education Teen Centers, Summer Work Program
Little Treasures Schoolhouse (TAS After school program)
Lowell Community Charter Public School
Mason-Rice Afterschool
Mass Mentoring Partnership
McLean Child Care Center
Medfield Afterschool Program Inc.
Methuen Public Schools - Community Programs
Metrowest YMCA
Millis Public Schools' Extended Day
Monomoy Community Services
Mystic Valley YMCA
NEDP
NIOST
Parkway YMCA -Early Focus Program
Playful Minds @ Western
PVD Young Makers
Reading With Your Kids
Regional Environmental Council
Rise Extended Day
Robbins Children’s program
School on Wheels of MA
Science Club for Girls
Somerville YMCA Pre-K/K OST Program
South Shore Community Action Council
Sunny Sky and Rainbows
Tenderhearts Preschool
TERC
TERC-Zoombinis Club
The Community Group - Community Kids Place
The Cottage Children's Center
The Institute for Education & Professional Development, Inc.
Tutoring Plus
US Tae Kwon Do Center Agawam
Walpole Extended Day
Waverley Square Daycare
West Bridgewater Surround Care
West End House Boys and Girls Club
West Springfield Boys and Girls Club
Whitman Hanson Regional School District
YMCA Boston
YMCA Cape Cod School Age Child Care Harwich
YMCA Cape Cod School Age Child Care LPL
YMCA of Greater Springfield
Youth Center Inc.
YWCA Roosevelt After School Program
EEC Training Opportunities
EEC offers this list of training opportunities for your program staff, and other resources to support program quality. From PD trainings to an Early Childhood Educator Scholarship, there are many resources that can help your program! Click below to download more information!
National Afterschool Association
The NAA has a new membership structure. Click below to learn more!
The Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership is the Massachusetts Affiliate of the National AfterSchool Association. NAA and its State Affiliates share a mutual purpose and agreement to support, develop, and advocate for Out-of-School Time professionals and the profession. NAA and its State Affiliates build connectivity among stakeholders and create opportunities for engagement to ensure a vibrant future for the Out-of-School Time profession.
For OST professionals who are not paid NAA members and live in Massachusetts, our affiliation and conference registration make you eligible for a free NAA membership. If you prefer, NAA membership may be purchased directly from NAA on a sliding scale from $25 to $150.