Staff Learning

Welcome to the USY Staff Training Hub – your go-to resource for equipping yourself with the skills, knowledge, and inspiration needed to lead impactful experiences for our teens. Here, you’ll find a range of trainings designed to enhance your role, from interactive workshops on youth engagement and safety protocols to leadership development and programming ideas. Dive in, and prepare to make a lasting difference in the lives of our USY participants!

Upcoming trainings

Informed Voices: Equipping Teens to Respond to Antisemitism and Anti-Israel Challenges
 
Monday, May 5 at 1 pm ET (10 am PT)

USY is excited to partner with Tribe Talks to share concepts and best practices for talking about anti-Israel and Antisemitism that our teens encounter in high school and college. Tribe Talks will share insights on the rhetoric that our teens are hearing, where it comes from, and how to stand up against it, as well as share tools that teens can use to report incidents and get support from their schools. They will also touch on how to talk about these issues with teens and support them when an anti-Israel or antisemitic incident happens to them or at their school.

Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) Certification

Two virtual session options: Thursday, February 27 or Friday, April 25

One in-person session in NYC: Sunday, March 2

Cosponsored by USY, BeWell, and Jewish Education Project

Now, more than ever, Jewish teens are in need of trusted adults in their lives who are actively engaged in their well-being. This moment in time is particularly difficult because existential challenges brought on by the war in Israel are piling on top of the day-to-day complicated lives of Jewish teens…creating a cumulative effect. If you are a Jewish youth professional who works with adolescents (12-18+ years old), this training is for you.

Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) enables youth professionals to recognize signs of distress and guide a young person toward appropriate treatments and other supportive health care. Participants will learn how to distinguish between typical adolescent development and symptoms of mental health challenges most common to young people; anxiety, depression, eating or substance use disorders, and the impact of social media and bullying. YMHFA emphasizes the importance of early intervention, and teaches individuals how to help an adolescent who is in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. They will walk away with strategies for self-care and a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Participants who complete this course will earn a certificate that is valid for 3 years.

**USY is covering the $25 registration fee for all USY Youth Professionals.  Use code USY100 for a free registration.**

Option 1: (Virtual) Thursday, February 27, 11 am – 4 pm ET 

Option 2: (In-person NYC) Sunday, March 2, 3 pm – 8:30 pm ET 

Option 3: (Virtual) Friday, April 25, 11 am – 4 pm ET