TCF Bank
Youth Program
Quality Awards

Introduction
Who is eligible?
How will the awards be judged?
Who will judge the awards?
When is all this going to happen?

Application package

Introduction

TCF Bank is making a significant investment in youth programs across Chicago. To do this they are partnering with both Chicago Area Project and the Chicago Department of Children and Youth Services to launch the TCF Youth Program Quality Awards.

Each year, for three years, TCF Bank will award a total of $75,000 to up to five separate youth development agencies, as recognition of their work to improve the quality of their youth programming. The Quality Awards will work in conjunction with the new Chicago Youth Program Standards.

The Chicago Youth Program Standards are designed to build capacity of youth serving agencies and improve the quality and outcomes of youth work in Chicago. They are a program development tool to help frontline staff, agency managers, youth participants, and families identify positive techniques to ensure quality programming and positive youth development.

1. Applicants must be community-based not-for-profit agencies delivering youth development programs to Chicago youth between the ages of 6-18 years old, with a preference for those working with the upper age range of 12-18 years old.
2. Applicants must be funded through the Chicago Department of Children and Youth Services CDBG After School funds and familiar with the Chicago Youth Program Standards.

1. Evidence of the use of the Chicago Youth Program Standards to evaluate program effectiveness;
2. Evidence of breadth and depth of stakeholder involvement in the assessment and evaluation of program quality;
3. Strength of the SMART Goals for program quality improvement; and,
4. Feasibility of the quality improvement plan designed around the findings of the program evaluation.