The Gateways to Opportunity School-Age and Youth Development (SAYD) Credential Level 1 Training is part of Gateways to Opportunity, Illinois Professional Development System.  In addition, the SAYD Credential Level 1 is a stepping stone to the SAYD Credential Level 2.  For more information regarding SAYD Credentials 2-5 and all Gateways Credentials, please call 866-697-8278 or visit the website at www.ilgateways.com.

Thank you to all current and former contributors to this training.  The School-Age and Youth Development (SAYD) Credential Level 1 was created in 2010 to assist in demonstrating a statewide commitment to quality care.  The invaluable contributions in the creation and updates to this credential training have enabled the SAYD Credential Level 1 to remain an integral piece in the Gateways to Opportunity Professional Development System.

This training is Registry-approved and counts towards DCFS licensed program training hours for school-age and youth care.

Participants will receive a brief introduction to child and youth development from ages 5–21. They will be introduced to the stages of development, along with the physical, cognitive, language, and social/emotional characteristics of development that will be used throughout the entire training series.

This course is Registry-approved and counts towards DCFS licensed program training hours (3 contact hours) for school-age and youth care.  

Contact Hours: 3 hours     Gateways Content Areas: HGD(2 hours), PPD(1 hour)     CDA Content Areas: 6(1 hours), 8(2 hours)


Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.

This session will explore the general characteristics and what to look for when work with children ages 5–12.  It will also discuss what to do and how to address children or youth who may have special needs.  Participants will also discuss protective factors and how to offer a safety net for children and youth who may be struggling.  The session will also introduce five goals that will help guide your approach when working with children and youth.

This Registry-approved training is brought to you by Gateways to Opportunity.  

Contact Hours: 3 hours     Gateways Content Areas: HGD(3 hours)     CDA Content Areas: 8(3 hours)


Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.


This session will discuss developmental characteristics of early adolescents and recognize that those in this stage may appear more as a school-age child in some areas, and an adolescent in others. Other topics will include risk taking, looking into the teenage brain, moral development, and “productive engagement”.

This Registry-approved training is brought to you by Gateways to Opportunity.  

Contact Hours: 3 hours     Gateways Content Areas: HGD(3 hours)     CDA Content Areas: 8(3 hours)


Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.


This session will focus on supporting the needs of the late adolescents as they transition into adulthood. Topics will include peer leadership, life skill development, supporting their growing independence, and developmentally appropriate practices for young adults ages 15–21.

This Registry-approved training is brought to you by Gateways to Opportunity.  

Contact Hours: 3 hours     Gateways Content Areas: HGD(3 hours)     CDA Content Areas: 8(3 hours)


Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.


The goal of this session is to raise awareness and discuss this important stage of development, offer information, and point to resources for participants to use. One area that will be highlighted is discipline, as the concepts and approach can prove useful with all ages. 

This Registry-approved training is brought to you by Gateways to Opportunity.

Contact Hours : 2 hours       Gateways Content Area: HGD (2 hours)     CDA Content Area: 8 (2 hours)


Preschool children are developing quickly in all areas. This session will discuss how providers can support their development by helping them interact within their worlds on many levels: through their senses, through play, and through movement. Their experiences create a framework for learning that will carry them through later stages of development and into adulthood. 

This Registry-approved training is brought to you by Gateways to Opportunity.

Contact Hours : 2 hours       Gateways Content Area: HGD (2 hours)     CDA Content Area: 8 (2 hours)


Participants will review current licensing guidelines, health issues, and practices that ensure the well-being of school-age children and youth.  Module 4a will also explain how overall good health support child and youth development, and identify ways to support children and youth in making healthy choices.

This course is Registry-approved and counts towards DCFS licensed program training hours (3 contact hours) for school-age and youth care.  

Contact Hours: 3 hours     Gateways Content Areas: HGD (3 hours)     CDA Content Areas: 8 (3 hours)


Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.


Welcome to the School-age and Youth Development Credential Level 1 Training - Module 4a: "Safety." Using the National Afterschool Association (NAA) Standards, this session is designed to look at a provider’s role and responsibilities when it comes to safety policies and procedures in working with school-age and youth.

This Registry-approved training is brought to you by Gateways to Opportunity.  

Contact Hours: 3 hours     Gateways Content Areas: HSW (1.5 hours), IRE (1.5 hours)     CDA Content Areas: 1 (1.5 hours), 2 (1.5 hours)


Esta capacitación está disponible en español aquí.



Environment and curriculum is central in working with school-age and youth. They set the stage for everything we do. This module will look at how to make environments comfortable for different ages, and how to plan in a way that is meaningful and interesting for a variety of ages. National Afterschool Association (NAA) Standards on environment and curriculum will be discussed. 

This Registry-approved training is brought to you by Gateways to Opportunity.

Contact Hours: 2 hours       Gateways Content Areas: CPD (1 hour); IRE (1 hours)       CDA Content Areas: 1 (1 hour); 2 (1 hour)

Programming is directly connected to environment and curriculum when involved with school-age and youth development. Programming is the bridge to the people – the schedule, actual activities, and facilitation of those activities. This session will visit the concepts of variety, being mission-driven, and child and youth centered from the perspective of programming. National Afterschool Association (NAA) Standards related to programming will be addressed. 

This Registry-approved training is brought to you by Gateways to Opportunity.

Contact Hours : 2 hours       Gateways Content Areas: CPD (2 hours)       CDA Content Areas: 2 (1 hour); 5 (1 hour)


This session will explore the differences and connections between observation and assessment in working with school-age and youth. Using the National Afterschool Association (NAA) Standards, participants will look at types and purposes of observations and assessments and will examine how their own experiences and backgrounds can affect them.
Contact Hours: 2 hours       Gateways Content Areas: OA (2 hours)       CDA Content Areas: 7 (2 hours)

Using the National Afterschool Association (NAA) Standards, this session will address the ins-and-outs of relationship building with children and youth. Topics will include trust building and mutual respect, and what it means to be a role model. The ideas of mentorship and creating professional boundaries will also be explored.

Contact Hours: 2 hours       Gateways Content Areas: IRE (1 hour), PPD (1 hour)     CDA Content Areas: 3 (1 hour), 6 (1 hour)

This session includes looking at how to help children and youth develop friendships and friendship skills. Discussion will include how to manage conflict as it plays a pivotal role in the development of relationship skills. Topics will also include bullying and harassment. National Afterschool Association (NAA) Standards on human relationships will be addressed.

Contact Hours: 2 hours       Gateways Content Areas: IRE (2 hours)     CDA Content Areas: 3 (2 hours)

Using the National Afterschool Association (NAA) Standards, this module will look at the differences between “community” and a “sense of community, including ideas for creating and strengthening a sense of community. Participants will explore the ideas of the surrounding community as a resource and how to support children and youth engagement within it.

Contact Hours: 2 hours       Gateways Content Areas: FCR (2 hours)     CDA Content Areas: 3 (1 hours), 5 (1 hour)

Families are central to the lives of children and youth. It is essential that all school-age and youth programs be “family friendly” and inviting so that families feel welcomed and valued. Using the National Afterschool Association (NAA) Standards, this session will explore ways to partner with families to enhance the experience of children and youth. 

Contact Hours: 2 hours       Gateways Content Areas: CPD (1hour); FCR (1  hour)     CDA Content Areas: 4 (1 hour), 5 (1 hour)

This module will focus on how the personal and professional development of school-age and youth providers profoundly impacts the children, youth, families and colleges they work with. National Afterschool Association (NAA) Standards in human relationships and administration will be discussed. 

Contact Hours: 2 hours       Gateways Content Areas: PPD (2 hours)    CDA Content Areas: 6 (2 hours)