5 Ways to Use BOOST Cafe for Professional Development

BOOST Collaborative

3 years ago

We thought it was a good time to re-share about BOOST Cafe and how you can use it to BOOST your professional development!

Since its launch, we have added some incredible new resources!

- Check out the FREE online learning opportunities
- Need resources to reconnect with yourself, look no further than the Virtual Calming Room
- Find FREE e-BOOST downloads to use with your staff, youth, and communities
- Make someone’s day and send them a BOOST E-Card
- Want to explore BOOST Cafe further, then fill out the BOOST Cafe Scavenger Hunt
- And SO much more!

We just know you will love BOOST Cafe and all the additions we have made as much as we do! Suggestions for BOOST Cafe? Questions? Email us!

The below post was originally published on April 28, 2017.

BOOST Collaborative, the creator of the BOOST Conference, is proud to announce the launch of BOOST Cafe. The Beta version was launched in early 2017 and offers a plethora of tools and professional development resources for your program.

So, what the heck is it and what’s in it for you and the out-of-school time world?!

…….We’re so glad you asked.

BOOST Cafe is a comprehensive online community for those in out-of-school time. Phase 1 features:

An interactive forum to share promising practices
Up-to-date funding opportunities
A comprehensive list of tools and resources for your program such as our Resource Center listings, our comprehensive list of field-related acronyms in BOOSTopedia, and featured product/service providers in our Vendor Marketplace and Speakers Corner
Inspiration with weekly BOOST Breakfast Club blogs from pros in the field
A Career Corner to find & post job opportunities in the field. Looking for a job? Post a resume! Looking for that perfect candidate? Post a job listing!

Stay tuned for Phase 2: find out what the BOOST team is brewing here.

Here’s the catch……there is none! BOOST Cafe is 100% free to users and here are 5 ways it can help you develop professionally:

Network through your Profile. Create a profile (be sure to fill out the “More About Me” section) and make a goal to reach out to a few people each week. Meet leaders who are doing amazing things in the field! Add them as a friend and introduce yourself by messaging them directly.
Ask a question or drop some knowledge in the Forum: we have 6 forum categories and a number of threads have already been created by users. Each time you share on the forum, you are building a community and seeking or providing mentorship. We invite everyone to share or ask (we even have a storytellers category to share your stories!)
Read our Weekly Blogs: our BOOST Breakfast Club bloggers are some of the most sought-after, informed minds of our field. Read what they have to write and comment your thoughts! Interested in becoming a blogger? Contact our Executive Chef for more information here.
Create a Group: Create a public or private group for your staff! This group works just like the forum but you can control the topics, recruit your staff to join, and discuss site-related topics.
Get Involved! Post a #PlanetBOOST photo on Instagram: in honor of #LightsonAfterschool each October, a nationwide event celebrating afterschool programs by the Afterschool Alliance, BOOST chooses one #PlanetBOOST change-maker in our field to win FREE Standard BOOST Conference registration. These photos rotate on the main BOOST Cafe page and give you a platform to tell your story….from anywhere in the world!