Prime Time Palm Beach County Inc

Program Enrichment:For more than 20 years, Prime Time has supported the out-of-school time field locally, at the state and national levels. Prime Time works with out-of-school time (OST) programs that are participants of the Palm Beach County Quality Improvement System (QIS) to maintain or increase their program quality. Using the Palm Beach County Quality Standards for Afterschool as the foundation for the work, Prime Time guides OST program directors, program managers and staff in identifying and implementing opportunities to improve the overall quality of the program. In 2023-2024, 144 OST programs participated in the Palm Beach County Quality Improvement System, giving them the opportunity to receive Prime Time's suite of offerings. Of the 144 programs, there were: 5 charter schools 31 community-based centers 23 early learning centers 16 middle schools 4 municipalities 65 school district programsThis fiscal year also marks a five-year partnership with the Children's Services Council of Martin County, sharing best practices and lessons learned with 12 community-based organizations. To give Palm Beach County's children and youth access to a wide range of experiences and reduce the opportunity gap for children who have limited access to them, Prime Time partners with local organizations to offer expanded learning opportunities at no cost to eligible afterschool and summer programs. In 2023-2024, Prime Time impacted more than 32,000 children and youth by giving them access to hands-on enrichment activities provided by local content experts such as Loggerhead Marinelife Center.

Practitioner Training and Incentives:In 2023-2024, Prime Time offered 173 professional development training sessions impacting more than 2,662 practitioners (duplicated). Prime Time awarded 2,126 financial stipends to attendees for successfully completing each training offered. More than 400 practitioners were awarded ACHIEVE OST financial incentives, which is a tiered incentive award program that rewards practitioners for participating in trainings and earning certificates and degrees, with an emphasis on best practices in youth development. Two hundred and forty-seven continuing education units (CEUs) were awarded to OST practitioners who used them to maintain and renew their various professional credentials. Prime Time maintained its International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) accreditation by continuing to provide high quality and effective training offerings. Prime Time's entire suite of professional development offerings helps to increase practitioners' knowledge, skills and attitudes, so they have the tools to positively affect the quality of their programs. Prime Time offers eligible OST programs, Quality Core Practice incentives, an incentive-based recognition program that awards financial incentives for demonstrating an elevated commitment to implementing positive youth development strategies through a quality improvement process. In 2023-2024, 47 OST programs and staff received Quality Core Practice incentives to help increase the quality of children's OST experiences and help children achieve improved outcomes.