Communities of Practice

Communities of Practice (COP) provide a place where our Cambridge Out-of-School-Time (OST) professionals can come together to collectively explore, challenge and test ideas and practices arising in our OST work or professional lives with the support of an experienced facilitator. The COP brings together OST staff who want to pursue exploration of their OST practices and professional development needs. By engaging over time in collective and generative learning as a COP participant, you will develop new relationships, knowledge and resources to enhance your OST practices and professional career. 
​Click here to return to the OST Learning Institute.

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Communities of Practice

Youth Workers

Staff, who work directly with young people and have no supervisory responsibilities, explore creating and delivering age-appropriate, quality program practices, as well as their professional development and self-care

Staff Leaders

Supervisors, who have program oversight responsibility, explore what it means to lead, mentor and coach staff engaged in working directly with young people, while attending to their own professional growth and self-care.

Quality Stewards

Directors/managers, who have responsibility for setting and/or overseeing the program quality and operational visions for their organization, reflect upon, examine and develop effective and inspirational leadership behaviors and practices that link organizational mission, program outcomes, and building and retaining empowered staff teams.

Executive Director Learning Space

Facilitated time and space for executive level directors and similar positions to gather with their peers, share their work, learn from each other and move their programs to new levels of quality.  Quarterly, senior executives discuss leadership topics, as well as their organizational strategies and opportunities.

STEAM Programming

​The Cambridge STEAM Initiative offers a monthly STEAM-focused COP which is open to all OST staff.  The STEAM COP is a curriculum building CoP, a collaborative space for Front Line Staff and Program Directors to connect with one another, problem solve, and build our capacity to adapt into remote learning for our young people.

Upcoming CoPs

Youth Workers, Staff Leaders and Quality Stewards COPs are held October-June on the second Wednesday of each month so that teams of staff from different OST programs can attend their COP and then share their experiences when they return to their OST programs. Executive Director Learning Space COP meets four times a year seasonally. 
All COPs are supported by a skilled AFCOST facilitator - check out their bios here.
So register for your COP below and build your peer community! ​

Email: Susan@agendaforchildrenost.org if you need additional information

2022-23 Schedule of COPs

View the Community of Practice 2022-23 schedule & directory.

Click here to return to the OST Learning Institute.

"COP conversations have helped me support staff--by creating leadership opportunities and
empowering them to solve problems. This has contributed to a happy and cohesive teaching team.
That impacts the children because their teachers are happy, motivated, and excited to bring high
quality programs."