Donate
CAP Directors to Attend Boys & Girls Clubs Youth Development Conference
Inside News Headlines
CAPP 60-11
Cadet Programs Officer Handbook & Specialty Track Guide Change 1
…
Capt. Matthew Chirik
Public Affairs Officer
Pennsylvania Wing
Civil Air Patrol members can register alone or with a group at a discounted rate for the U.S. Air Force Marathon, which is being held virtually this year because of the COVID-19 …
On June 17, the National Emergency Services Academy-Mobile Training Team (NESA-MTT) broke through the 1,000-member ceiling of Civil Air Patrol students trained.
Beginning with three pilot courses conducted in Arizona in 2015, …
More than 60 Civil Air Patrol region and wing directors are attending the organization's first Youth Development Conference today through Monday at National Boys & Girls Clubs Headquarters in Atlanta.
“Youth-serving programs thrive only when theadults are well-trained,” said Curt LaFond, CAP’s director of youth programs. “While CAP has lotsof in-house training, it is not enough.
“To take adult training up a notch, we’ve asked some of the top experts in the youth development profession to enlighten our community’s top leaders.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs developed a collaborative partnership with CAP in 2017. By working together, officials believe, the organizations can achieve broader goals and outcomes to develop the next generation of American youth to be successful,healthy and engaged citizens.
“This training aims to create opportunities for current CAP staff members and volunteers to continue to learn and develop through evidence informed program models, staff practices and organization systems and practices that lead to impact,” said Dawn Brunson ,Boys & Girls Clubs senior director of military outreach.
Boys & Girls Clubs provides CAP access to memberservices, including organizational development,program and resource development, assistance with developing a comprehensive professional development strategy, and assistance with developing acomprehensive growth strategy using the clubs’ strategic growth model.
“We’re trying to equip our community’s top leaders with the latest evidence-based best practices,”LaFond said. “We’re asking people to learn what the experts recommend and imagine ways to incorporatethat learning in our cadet program.”
While there’s a huge amount of information to be learned, LaFond is confident the event will be a success.
“CAP is asking a lot of the adults who volunteer to serve cadets,” LaFond said. “Their job is really hard.They have to make cadet life educational, but not school.
“Adult leaders must point cadets in the right direction,correct them, challenge them, allow lots of opportunit yfor youth voice and autonomy while keeping the program a safe place to fail and bounce-back. This conference can help do that.”
Along with LaFond, other CAP leaders have been invitedto speak at the conference, including Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, CAP's national commander/CEO.
Cadet Lt. Col. Isabella Mollison of the Alaska Wing's Birchwood Composite Squadron, the Boys & Girls Clubs' 2019 Overseas Military Youth of the Year, will deliver the conference's closing address.