1. What does QYD™ mean?

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QYD™ are the initials for Quality Youth Development. It can be spoken as individual letters (Q-Y-D) or pronounced phonetically as “quid."

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2. What is the definition of Quality Youth Development?

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We define the term Quality Youth Development as “substantive, measurable and sustainable community actions that support, engage, inspire, and empower youth.”

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3. What is a QYD Community™?

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This is a city, town, village, or neighborhood (or other geographically defined ‘community’) that has successfully completed a 6-9 month process through which it has achieved at least 7 of the 10 QYD Benchmarks to demonstrate their support of youth, and as a result has been certified as a QYD Community™.

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4. Why would a community seek the QYD™ certification?

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The 10 QYD Benchmarks are aligned with the Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets which are embraced by youth-serving agencies throughout the nation. By achieving these benchmarks, a community is demonstrating its support for youth, which will help youth to thrive. This commitment to youth may then attract residents and businesses to the community, and may encourage youth to remain in or return to the community after graduation from high school or college.

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5. How can our town become a QYD Community™?

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Download the QYD™ manual on the Become Certified page. The manual describes the step-by-step process that a group of residents can follow to galvanize other community members in support of the project.

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6. Is there a fee to become a QYD Community™?

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Currently, there is no fee for the first six communities in Vermont to begin the QYD™ process, receive technical support from CHIPS, and become certified. However, there may be a fee for additional Vermont communities — or those outside of Vermont — wanting to undertake this process.

 

7. How long does it take to become certified?

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This process has been designed to take 6-9 months for a community to achieve. It may be possible to achieve in less than 6 months, and extensions beyond 9 months are possible, depending upon the progress being made.

 

8. Will the QYD Project™ support us during this process?

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QYD™ technical assistance providers are available to guide and support a local QYD Steering Committee through the certification process. This could involve up to 12 hours per month of support by phone, video conference, or in person as needed. The QYD Project™ will provide up to 25 free copies of this manual, benchmark resources, and numerous templates for various documents required by the certification process.

 

9. Who decides if we have met the QYD benchmarks?

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An independent QYD Credentialing Committee (QCC) will review, score, and rate your application to become a QYD Community™. The QCC is appointed by QYD Inc., and consists of 3-7 Youth Development/Education professionals and older teens from outside the community under review. Each member of the QCC will score your application separately and, if needed, the group as a whole will decide as to whether you have met the QYD Benchmarks, and what star rating you have achieved. The decision by the QCC can be appealed in writing within 30 days by the community.

 

10. Can we can an extension on the time period to complete the process?

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Yes, 3-month extensions (up to a total of 15 months for an application process) are possible, depending on the progress being made by the community.