What will MidWest BEST accomplish?
MidWest BEST is a three-year initiative that began mid 2001. Currently, in year one, YouthNet is negotiating relationships with communities to participate in MidWest BEST. In year two YouthNet will deliver the Advancing Youth Development curriculum in each community. By year three, local trainers will have been identified and trained in the curriculum and will co-facilitate with YouthNet trainers so that at the end of the initiative, a local system is up and running. Networking among YouthNet and the communities will continue.
MidWest BEST is a strategy for nationalizing professional development opportunities for youth workers. It will serve as a model for five additional regional intermediaries that will adapt the MidWest BEST approach to potentially ten surrounding communities in each of their respective regions. Ultimately, this initiative will build a network of up to 60 communities working to improve programs for youth.
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