On May 8, 2009, Camp Fire USA Minnesota Council's VP of Community Programs, Ge Xiong, was part of a four-person panel that presented at the American Youth Policy Forum's "Improving the Quality of Extended Learning Opportunities" in Washington D.C. to an audience of nearly 100 congressional staff and nonprofit leaders.
 
The invitation to present at this forum came at the culmination of Camp Fire USA Minnesota Council's participation in a two-year national study that measured the effectiveness of the Youth Program Quality Intervention's (YPQI) assessment tool. Four states participated in the study, including Minnesota, where Camp Fire and 55 other youth serving organizations were selected to join the study. Ge shared Camp Fire's exemplary success with implementing this tool in a way that ensures continually high quality programming. 
 
Overall, the forum educated the D.C. policy community on best practices for ensuring high-quality within "Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELOs)." The other presenters included Dr. Charles Smith, the principal investigator for the YPQI, Lee Pearson, the lead data collection analyst for the YPQI, and Lorraine Thoreson, Education Consultant with the Michigan Department of Education.
 
The YPQI's assessment tool measures the most critical element within youth programs - staff and youth interaction at the point of service. The tool contains quality rating scales that focus on safety, support, peer interaction, and youth engagement and voice. "While we've always monitored and evaluated the quality of Camp Fire programs, this tool has helped Camp Fire focus these efforts," explains Ge. "It has given us a clear and powerful way to coach our club leaders on how to create quality interactions with youth." Since implementing this tool, we have successfully ensured that 100% of Camp Fire clubs meet the YPQI's standards for quality.
  
Within Minnesota, the movement toward measuring program quality is especially strong. The University of Minnesota along with Youth Community Connections recently convened a workshop for youth development professionals across the state entitled, "Youth Program Quality Research" that highlighted the YPQI research. In addition, they have brought together a Program Quality Task Force to develop a framework for program quality. "Camp Fire USA Minnesota Council is proud to play a pivotal role within this community that is leading the way for high-quality youth development work," says Marnie K. Wells, CEO of Camp Fire USA Minnesota Council.