Caring for youth in communities impacted by violence takes heart, and it also takes a toll. This session centers staff wellness as an essential part of safety and prevention, not an afterthought. We’ll talk honestly about stress, burnout, and the emotional weight of the work, while exploring realistic ways to support staff and ourselves.

Join us for Lunch N’ Learn Office Hours, a flexible drop-in session focused on the relaunch of our on-demand courses on The Dash. Stop by anytime between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. for a walkthrough, registration support, and answers to your questions. You do not need to stay for the full session. Come when you can and leave when you’re ready. We’ll help make sure everyone is registered on the site and able to access the on-demand learning opportunities. Free giveaways will also be available.

In this session participants will learn effective and positive ways to engage with OST participants who have different learning abilities. Participants will learn about the different types of learning abilities, and how they effect a students learning experience. This session will be facilitated by Variety, the Children’s Charity of Delaware County. Please be prepared to discuss challenges that you are currently facing at your OST site. 

To feel seen and acknowledged by adults is vital to the positive development of children. When young people feel valued and respected, they are much more likely to trust, which deepens any exchange. In this workshop, we explore the empowering skills of acknowledgment and validation (along with their opposites), examining the potential impact of each.

Ready to rethink how activities come together? Let’s dig into how starting with youth strengths—not just the agenda—can help staff support planning, flexibility, persistence, and decision making without falling into over direction. We’ll explore concrete ways to design experiences for youth and practice coaching conversations that help staff break activities into doable steps, offer real choices, and put supportive structure in place—supporting growth and development for youth and staff alike.

If you are interested in participating in an upcoming Cityspan Basics training, please complete the interest form below. We will follow up with confirmed training details and a registration link once dates are finalized (approximately 14 days in advance). Completing this form does not guarantee registration but ensures you are notified when trainings become available.

Your digital presence is often the first version of you that people meet. As you advance in your career journey, are you making the most of your digital presence to showcase your skills, expand your network, and unlock new opportunities? This training is the first live learning experience designed to increase OST professionals’ engagement with LinkedIn as a platform for networking, professional growth, and building a strong digital footprint. Participants will explore the platform’s features and learn how to use their profile to tell their unique OST story while recognizing their role as part of a larger community of professionals committed to youth development and learning. 

Variety – the Children’s Charity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting children with disabilities throughout the Delaware Valley, will lead this engaging and practical training on creating more inclusive Out-of-School Time (OST) environments. Participants will explore tools and techniques that can be easily incorporated into everyday programming to ensure all children feel welcomed, supported, and able to thrive. 

Youth behavior challenges present opportunities for learning, growth, and connection. This session introduces participants to restorative practices as an alternative to punitive approaches that often disconnect youth from their communities. Participants will explore strategies for fostering accountability, repairing harm, and building a positive program culture rooted in respect and belonging. Through real-world scenarios and practical applications, frontline staff will learn how to respond to behavior in ways that strengthen relationships, elevate youth voice, and keep youth engaged in OST environments.  

Mental Health First Aid gives you the skills to recognize when someone is facing mental health or substance use challenges — and the confidence to be a source of support! In this training, you will learn how to apply the MHFA Action Plan (ALGEE) to help someone in a variety of situations, from a panic attack to an overdose. Additionally, we will dive into self-help strategies and how to encourage people to use them. Then you can use those same skills to build your own resiliency and internal support system. Get certified and join a national network of first aiders with this 3-year certificate!

Many supervisors struggle to balance accountability with support. While concepts such as psychological safety, feedback, and accountability may be familiar, effectively integrating them into day-to-day leadership practice remains challenging. In this session, participants will take a deeper dive into how psychological safety, clear expectations, and constructive feedback work together to create healthy team cultures. We will also explore how differing communication styles, workplace perspectives, and individual needs influence leadership effectiveness, using the DISC Communication Styles framework to better understand and strengthen workplace communication. Through practical scenarios and discussion, supervisors will learn strategies for maintaining high standards while building trust, strengthening communication, and fostering staff engagement. 

Meaningful youth voice and leadership begin with strong relationships. When young people feel they are known and that their perspectives are valued and respected, they are more willing to contribute to and take ownership of their experiences. In this session, OST leaders will explore how relationship-centered practices create a foundation for youth leadership and shared decision-making, without inviting power struggles. Participants will utilize the Five Cs Model of Positive Youth Development to embed equitable engagement practices into staff practices and daily interactions. Leaders will leave with actionable steps to cultivate a culture of belonging, engagement, and youth agency. 

Creating a safe space for youth doesn't happen by accident - it happens by design. In this interactive workshop, participants will explore how everyday interactions, routines, and systems shape whether young people feel safe, connected, and able to thrive. Together, we'll examine the difference between culture and systems, identify where safety breaks down in programs, and discover practical strategies that build consistency across staff and settings. Through reflection, discussion, and action planning, participants will leave with a 30-day implementation plan and concrete tools they can use immediately to strengthen belonging, improve behavior, and create environments where every young person can succeed. 

Youth behavior is shaped by a variety of factors, including lived experiences, identity, culture, and exposure to stress or trauma. This session explores how these factors can influence both youth behavior and adult perceptions of behavior. Participants will examine the role of trauma, identity, and bias in behavior response and learn strategies for creating equitable, inclusive, and supportive environments. Through reflection and skill-building activities, frontline staff will strengthen their ability to respond to challenging situations in ways that honor youth dignity, promote belonging, and support positive youth development.  

In this session participants will learn effective and positive ways to engage with OST participants who have different learning abilities. Participants will learn about the different types of learning abilities, and how they effect a students learning experience. This session will be facilitated by Variety, the Children’s Charity of Delaware County. Please be prepared to discuss challenges that you are currently facing at your OST site. 

Transitioning from team member to leader requires more than accepting a new title. It involves a significant shift in mindset, relationships, accountability, communication, and professional identity. New leaders must learn to move from personally completing the work to helping others succeed, while also establishing credibility, setting expectations, maintaining appropriate boundaries, and navigating changing relationships. This session will help emerging leaders understand the most important shifts required to successfully move from individual contributor to effective leader.  

This session invites participants to explore how power, privilege, and bias influence youth engagement within programs and organizations. Through reflection, discussion, and practical tools, participants will examine barriers to authentic youth voice, assess their current level of youth participation using Hart's Ladder, and identify opportunities to share decision-making power with young people. Grounded in real-world examples and actionable strategies, this session will help participants strengthen youth-adult partnerships and create more inclusive, equitable, and youth-centered environments.

Do your team members feel truly seen, heard and valued? Are there moments when your team seems disconnected or out of sync? In today’s fast-paced work environments, leaders often underestimate the power of interpersonal awareness—the ability to recognize and respond to the emotional dynamics that shape team culture. This interactive session explores how emotionally intelligent leadership fosters deeper connections, enhances communication and strengthens team morale. Participants will leave with five practical, research-based strategies to lead with empathy, build trust and cultivate a more connected culture across schools, programs or organizations. 

Variety – the Children’s Charity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting children with disabilities throughout the Delaware Valley, will lead this engaging and practical training on creating more inclusive Out-of-School Time (OST) environments. Participants will explore tools and techniques that can be easily incorporated into everyday programming to ensure all children feel welcomed, supported, and able to thrive. 

Youth engagement, voice, and choice are more than just program ideals; they are observable practices tied directly to youth experiences. If you know where to look, evidence of these practices can be found everywhere from a staff member’s decision about grouping participants, to a youth’s employment of self-regulation skills. In this interactive session, OST leaders will examine ways youth engagement is measured, reflect on their current program practices, and identify opportunities to strengthen youth agency across activities and routines. Participants will leave with concrete strategies and staff training priorities designed to increase meaningful youth involvement.