Alternative Pathway to Licensing

The Wisconsin Out of School Time Alliance is very pleased to provide school age programs with specific professional development opportunities that prepare staff with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively work with school age children and youth. These courses are approved by the Department of Children and Families to meet educational requirement for school age program leads and group leaders.

The Alternative Pathway has licensing approval to meet entry level requirements for the position of program lead (lead) which combines the Introduction to the School Age Care Profession with Guiding Children’s Behavior in School Age Programs and School Age Curricular Framework. Additionally the Introduction to the School Age Care Profession is recognized to qualify staff for the position of group leader (assistant). These courses are discounted with a free WOSTA membership.

Steps for Discounted Course Registration:

  1. Create a free WOSTA membership through our website. Select Become a Member in Quick Links at the top right of the page. That will take you to a form to complete to create your membership. Once the membership form is submitted, the course discount codes can be found on the Member Home page also located in Quick Links– meaning you will need to login to the website to access them.
  2. Go to our course registration page (button below) and enter the discount code when checking out.
Register for Courses

Courses 

Introduction to the School-Age Care Profession

Introduction to the School-Age Care Profession is available on demand through University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. This on-demand class means that you can register at any time and begin your work immediately.

This foundational course introduces the core principles of working with school-age children in group or family childcare settings. Participants explore the value of Out-of-School Time (OST) programs, key philosophies, and the goals of high-quality care. The course also covers relevant regulations and provider responsibilities.

Format: Self-paced, non-credit training
Length: 40 hours
Registry: Tier 3 approved training; Fulfills initial Wisconsin DCF Chapter 251 requirement for group leader (assistant); part of the school-age program leader (lead) Alternative Pathway 

Guiding Children’s Behavior in School Age Programs

This course focuses on understanding personal behavior guidance styles and how they influence our interactions with children. It emphasizes relationship-building and introduces practical strategies for managing challenging behaviors and supporting youth in the development of self-regulation skills.

Format: Hybrid, non-credit training with virtual instructor-led, interactive sessions (7.5 hours) and self-paced independent work (7.5 hours)
Length: 15 hours
Registry: Tier 3 approved training; Part of the school-age program leader (lead) Alternative Pathway
YoungStar: Supports High Quality Practice #6 Social Emotional and Inclusion of Children with Special Needs Training criteria

School Age Curricular Framework

In this course participants learn to design and implement intentionally designed programming tailored to Out-of-School Time (OST) programs. The course covers developmental principles, lesson planning, outcome setting, and the role of the environment in learning.

Format: Hybrid, non-credit training with virtual instructor-led, interactive sessions (7.5 hours) and self-paced independent work (7.5 hours)
Length: 15 hours
Registry: Tier 3 approved training; Part of the school-age program leader (lead) Alternative Pathway
YoungStar: Aligns with YoungStar Learning Environments and Curriculum Element