NAA Launches National Credential for Youth Development Professionals

The National AfterSchool Association has launched the National Youth Development Foundational Practices Credential, a nationally recognized credential designed to validate the knowledge, skills, and practices of out-of-school time professionals across the country.

This new credential marks an important step forward for the OST field. For years, there has been a growing need to better define, recognize, and elevate the competencies that youth development professionals bring to their work every day. Built on NAA’s competency-based framework, the credential gives OST professionals a meaningful way to demonstrate their skills in areas such as youth development, leadership, and social-emotional learning.

Unlike credentials based solely on training hours, this pathway focuses on evidence of practice, making it a flexible option for professionals at different stages of their careers. It also represents progress toward a more unified national standard for recognizing the important role OST professionals play in supporting young people.

Professionalizing the OST workforce is about more than individual recognition. It helps elevate the entire field and strengthens the quality of experiences programs can provide for youth, families, and communities.

KYOSA is committed to keeping our network informed as more details become available, including how this national credential may connect with professional development pathways and credentialing efforts already underway in Kentucky. We will continue to share opportunities, resources, and updates that support OST professionals and strengthen the field across the Commonwealth.

Stay tuned for more information as this work continues to unfold.

»Learn More: https://naaweb.org/page/NationalYouthDevelopmentFoundationalPracticesCredential