Breakfast Club Blog

The BOOST Breakfast Club Blog is a curated space where bloggers from around the world contribute content on a continual basis about a variety of topics relevant to in and out-of-school time. The BOOST Breakfast Club blog is at the heart of an ongoing dialogue where expanded learning and education professionals share their personal thoughts and stories from the in and out-of-school time field. They also tell us what they ate for breakfast!

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company. Enjoy the brain food.

The BOOST Breakfast Club Blog is Brain Food for In and Out-of-School Time Leaders!

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Don’t Look at the Chipped Paint on the Walls…

Even I have to admit, it’s easy it is to be distracted professionally by things that are relatively unimportant to our organization’s overall goals. How do we as executive and organizational leaders refocus our minds on what gives us joy in our work lives while also driving us towards our mission? This seems to be especially important as we deal with the lingering impact of the pandemic and start the process of emerging out of the collective fog that has permeated many classrooms, organizations,...Read More

Going Inside: Lessons from Lockdown

This post originally appeared on LinkedIn on April 12, 2020. The past several weeks have unfolded like few of us could have imagined. While the COVID-19 pandemic is a collective global experience and stark reminder of our inextricable ties across humanity, I have also noticed us splintering into our own sources of stress and circumstance. The ways in which we come together and pull apart as a society is heightened now, leaving us much to learn and carry forth into the other side of this crisis. ...Read More

Mindset: An After-School Legacy from Kobe Bryant

Kobe “Bean” Bryant was one of the youngest players to enter the National Basketball Association (NBA), at 18 years of age. He played 20 years for one of the greatest sports franchises in the history of professional sports, the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a five-time NBA World Champion, two-time Men’s Basketball Gold Medalist, twice the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals. He was voted the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2008. He became one of Nike’s greatest ambassadors, next only to...Read More

Taking Time over the Holidays to Reset

This blog was originally posted in 2018, the content is so relevant we wanted to repost. Self-care over the holidays is a magical way to enter the New Year!  _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Many of us have the opportunity to take some time away from work over the end of the year holiday season. While this time usually results in time away from work, it is often over-scheduled and jammed with holiday parties, family g...Read More

Afterschool = Great Opportunity

As I pack my bags to head off to another location to go train, I reflect on how I arrived in the afterschool field. It has been more than 10 years now and I have loved every minute of it. Even though I focus more on adult learning, as I train afterschool providers, I still have several opportunities to conduct site visits and interact with youth. I am amazed every day at the dedication of afterschool professionals, and wanted to share a few reflections of my own at this time. What is compelling ...Read More

When The Earthquake Hits…Navigating Personal Trauma

As professionals in the field of education and youth development, we are often faced monthly, weekly, and even daily, with helping support and manage other people’s trauma. We hear the horrible stories, watch in live-action the day to day responses and behaviors of kids who have been traumatized, and often spend our days and nights urging others to seek out guidance and help for managing these almost unimaginable experiences. But, what happens when the tables turn and that trauma is our own? Thr...Read More

The Super Hero That IS Within

Editor’s Note: This blog was first published on Monday, April 8, 2019, with permission to use from The Leadership Program and Erika Petrelli, CEO. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The kids and I saw the movie Shazam. We all loved it, and afterward, they immediately grabbed their sketchbooks with the intention of creating their own superheroes. After some initial prototyping, Dylan came up with the character of “Sir In...Read More

Turning Crickets Into Stories: Objects and Metaphors For Effective Processing and Reflection

Ahhhh! It is springtime in New England, which means summer is just around the corner.  I live in a city and even though my summer days and nights are filled with the sounds of the city, I often will tune out those noises and tune in to the sounds of nature in my backyard; the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves on the trees, birds chirping, the cicadas whirring, and the rhythmic sound of the crickets, who play reggae in my town neighborhood.  While I love to get lost in the sounds of t...Read More

Grace and Space

Grace and Space. That’s what I’ve been saying to myself and others lately. We need to offer it to ourselves and to each other. Grace and space. The words just popped in my head, but once they got there they clutched on tight and won’t let go. 2018 has been a hell of a year, for me personally and I think for us in general. So, I think those are my words for 2019. I’ve never been a resolutions girl because I feel they just set me up for failure at the very start of a new beginning (which may be ju...Read More

Planning for a “New Year” With Our Kiddos #Repost

Editors note: This blog was first published in January 2018. We believe the content of this blog is as relevant today for 2019, as it was for 2018. Let’s keep asking these questions… ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ January 1 is really our second “New Year” with our kiddos. Happy New Year, take two! As educators, we really have two new years. First, we start the year in August or September when our kiddos r...Read More

How Do You Provide Youth Voice and Choice? 

When program providers in the Expanded Learning Field are asked if they incorporate youth voice and choice, the answer is often a quick “yes” or “of course.”  This blog is about digging a little deeper into what incorporating youth voice and choice can look like, beyond some of the traditional practices. I am a firm believer that our field of work is all about providing services and learning environments where young people feel both physically and emotionally safe. And in turn, youth are more li...Read More

4 Things I Learned From Bonnie Reiss That After School Leaders Should Reflect On

We are honored to share a reflection from Breakfast Club blogger @diegoarancibia about lessons learned from a pioneer and innovator, Bonnie Reiss. Bonnie was the mind behind the inception of Arnold’s All Stars, now known as the After-School All-Stars. Bonnie Reiss, a top advisor to former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, was a lifelong liberal Democrat who found common ground with the Republican governor on education and environmental issues. Here are four tips from Bonnie for anyone to use for...Read More