5 Things to Know About the Y-USA’s Peer-Supported Technical Assistance Model

Implementing a new program or set of practices can be challenging. When the YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) decided to roll out its Character Development Learning Institute (CDLI), the organization offered its support to local YMCAs (or Ys) in planning, implementing, and monitoring the quality of adult practices in five key areas. One strategy that Y-USA used to help scale the CDLI across more than 200 local YMCAs was to match Ys that were new to the initiative with those that had already experienced CDLI implementation—i.e., the “hub-and-hive model.” Y-USA identified a small set of experienced Ys (or “hubs”) and provided them with training and technical assistance to equip them to support a handful of new Ys (or the “hive”). The national organization believed this peer-supported TA model would allow Ys to benefit from their peers’ practical experiences and lessons learned. They also hoped the hubs would be familiar with many of the challenges local Ys could potentially face, and with resources they could leverage to overcome those challenges.