Youth Program Quality External Assessor (Independent Contractor)
Summary of Scope of Work: After School Matters is seeking several part-time independent Youth Program Quality External Assessors to conduct program observations in a variety of After School Matters programs during the Summer 2025 program session, and potentially for subsequent school year sessions. The External Assessor’s primary responsibility is to observe and assess programs using the Youth Program Quality Assessment (YPQA), an evidence-based assessment tool that focuses on four key areas of positive youth development: safe environment, supportive environment, peer interaction, and youth engagement. YPQ assessments are a part of a continuous improvement process After School Matters uses to ensure programs implement best practices needed to build high-quality programs. All independent External Assessors will receive supplemental training to properly utilize the tool for data collection and scoring that After School Matters employs. The External Assessor will also make note of other critical issues impacting program quality.
The After School Matters Summer 2025 program session runs from June 23, 2025, through August 1, 2025. External Assessors must be available on weekdays during that time period to conduct external observations of apprenticeship programs. If External Assessors do not have previous training in the YPQA or an up-to-date certification, they must also be available to complete the necessary training ahead of programs starting. Training is currently scheduled to be held the week of June 9. See below for more details.
Major Duties and Responsibilities:
- Complete the following supplemental trainings and orientation prior to beginning field work activities: Youth Program Quality Assessment (YPQA) Basics Online training; External Assessor Reliability Training (remote two-day training); and External Assessor Orientation (in-person half-day orientation).
- After successfully completing the above-referenced trainings and orientation, conduct external observations of apprenticeship programs as assigned; approximately 5 each week (15-20 total observations).
- Schedule and conduct Youth Program Quality Assessments (YPQA) based on a site visit observation list that is provided by After School Matters.
- Enter accurate observation data and observation scores into Cityspan by established deadlines.
- Complete observation feedback forms.
Compensation: External Assessors are independent contractors.
External Assessors selected by After School Matters will receive:
- $40 for attending an External Assessor Orientation;
- IF YPQA Certification is not up to date:
- $120 for renewing YPQA External Assessor Reliability Training (EART) endorsement by 6/23/25. You are only eligible to renew your endorsement if you have already successfully completed EART and it has not expired.
- $120 for completing virtual YPQA Basics training by 6/23/25. You only need to complete this training one time— it does not expire or need to be renewed.
- $210 for completing the full virtual EART by 6/23/25. You need to complete this training if you have never done so in the past or your prior EART endorsement has expired.
- An External Assessor is required to have an up-to-date YPQA EART endorsement (e.g., received a passing score of 80% or higher) and attend the External Assessor Orientation in order to begin field work activities, conduct program assessments for After School Matters, and be compensated for such assessments.
- If the External Assessor completes the External Assessor Reliability Training and receives a passing score, as determined by After School Matters, the External Assessor will receive:
- $115 per program assessment;
- $10 per in-person program assessment to offset travel costs.
- External assessors will submit biweekly invoices for payment.
Qualifications, Knowledge, and Skills:
- Data entry skills and ability to work with data systems
- Detail-oriented, able to meet deadlines, and excellent oral and written communication skills
- Highly reliable self-starter
- Reliable transportation required
- Bachelor’s degree required
- Two or more years of experience with educational, enrichment, or after school programming for youth is required
- Experience in using Cityspan preferred
Organizational Summary: After School Matters is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that annually offers after-school and summer programs to nearly 19,000 Chicago high school teens to explore and develop their talents while gaining critical skills that will set them up for success in college and beyond.
Thirty years later, now known as After School Matters, our program has engaged more than 350,000 Chicago teens and is the nation’s largest and most successful provider of after-school and summer programs for high school teens. No other organization offers programs to high school students at the scale and quality that we do.
We offer paid apprenticeships led by professionals in the fields of arts, communications and leadership, sports, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Our nationally respected youth development model has been replicated in cities across the country and earned us the City Livability Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Programs take place at community locations throughout the city, including three ASM buildings: downtown at Gallery 37 Center for the Arts, the Michael and Karyn Lutz Center in Belmont Cragin, and the Pullman community at Gately Park. Currently, After School Matters' annual operating budget is approximately $35M and employs approximately 500 staff across the organization. For more information, visit www.afterschoolmatters.org.
EEO: After School Matters is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, military discharge status, age, marital status, parental status, or source of income.