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!

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Author: breakfastclubguest

Part 1 – Beyond School: After-School Programs Bring the World to Young People

Asia Society and BOOST Collaborative are partnering to create a series of blogs on global learning in out-of-school time.  Across the country, afterschool programs are looking at global learning as an approach to engage youth, enhance quality, and advocate for the value of learning beyond school. Alexis Menten, Executive Director, Program Development, Asia Society, shares more on this growing move...

From Ferguson to Our Classrooms: Why Social Justice Education Matters

The paradox of education is precisely this – that as one begins to become conscious, one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated. The purpose of education, finally, is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decisions… But no society is really anxious to have that kind of person around. What societies really, ideally, want is a ...

Supporting Afterschool Programs on Your School Campus

In 2008, forty-six percent of public elementary school reported that a fee-based stand-alone program was physically located on campus. -(National Center for Education Statistics, February 2009). Whether or not that figure holds true in 2014 is not yet known, but count yourself – and your students – lucky if you have a program available to your students on your campus. A continually growing body of...

Time Well Spent in Expanded Learning

Put your hand in. Right now, as you’re reading this blog post, take one of your hands and hold it out, palm down, in front of you. It’ll only take a second. No, seriously. We’re going to make a virtual circle of hands here. Let’s do this. Is it in? Good. Keep reading. Now on three, let’s all imagine a really loud “Go team!” and you can lift your hand up. R...

10 Tips for Making Feedback Part of Your DNA

I was in a meeting recently and was offered a suggestion: To invite my staff to play back what they heard during discussions in order to reduce the chance for misunderstandings. I appreciated this feedback because it was practical and addressed an area of growth for me. It was especially meaningful since the feedback was from someone whom I supervise. I know that it’s not always easy to offe...

Ecuador to Philadelphia: A Snapshot of a Global Artology Program

Asia Society and BOOST Collaborative are partnering to create a series of blogs on global learning in out-of-school time. This month features Jamaine Smith from BuildaBridge International. In Argelia, Ecuador, the eyes of eight children lit up as children from Philadelphia appeared on the screen of the small tablet they were going to use to complete their video call. They were elated as a symphony...

Improving as a Leader = Improving as a Person

To be a truly good LEADER, one must espouse the following sorts of traits and behaviors:  Listen well Speak judiciously Approach others with humility Laugh often (especially at yourself) Treat others with empathy Remain calm and thoughtful in the midst of stress Be mindful of personal health so as to remain valuable to others To be a truly good PERSON, one must espouse the following sorts of trait...

Expanding Horizons: Global Learning in Out-of-School Time

Asia Society and BOOST Collaborative are partnering to create a series of blogs on global learning in out-of-school time.  This month features Heather Loewecke from Asia Society.   The impact of globalization is clear. The diversification of our neighborhoods and workplaces, technological advancements, transnational issues, and political conflicts are transforming the ways we must work and interac...

New paper: What are the impacts of afterschool STEM?

Today, many afterschool and summer programs include science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) as a standard part of their comprehensive programming. Afterschool providers recognize the importance of improved STEM education for their students and that hands-on, inquiry-driven STEM is in line with afterschool’s overall approach to education.  Practitioners are able to directly see the impact ...

BOOST CEO Tia Quinn on Making a Difference

As I walk into the office of BOOST Collaborative I see artwork, inspirational t-shirts, magazines, and vision boards. I have been interning here for about three weeks now, and I have learned so much about the professional world. Rachel leads me into an open office room, which is freezing cold from the air conditioning. The office has no walls, just windows, creating a cool open space. My mentor Ti...

Global Competency, Wha?

My daughter asked me if the 2014 Olympics were being held in Southern China. She spent most her childhood summers in Southern California, or SoCal, so I should not have been shocked when she thought Sochi was in southern China instead of Russia. Except that she is a 20 year old college student. What a small world we have…and how little of it our students seem to know. As a school teacher and...

A Call to Martians Everywhere

Before I begin… I feel compelled to share with all of you a secret; a secret of the greatest personal significance; one that has undoubtedly shaped my identity and continues to influence my behaviors as I navigate this, which we call human life. I … am half Martian. Yes. It is true. For those of you that do not know me, you’re probably deeply confused, and for those of you that d...