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
Snack It Up: Give Your Snacks an Upgrade for Less
What does snack time look like in your program? Are kids eating snacks like fruits, vegetables, and water, or are there bags of chips, cookies, and juice boxes? Maybe you want to offer healthier snacks, but don’t think your program has the time or money? Your local grocery store can be a great community partner to help make healthy snacks more affordable. In a recent announcement, First Lady Mic...
Feel Like a Child: How to Take Time for Ourselves
I walk into a room and all I see is a large curtain. All I hear are muffled giggles emitting from behind the curtain. A head pops out and as I stand back, I realize this large curtain is actually a tablecloth covering a GIANT dining room table. I crawl under the curtain and immediately feel like a child. Children are lounging on soft pillows and running around laughing. On the walls are images pro...
The Unintended Impact of Minimum Wage Increases on After-School Programs
Minimum Wage Law I will assume that most of you reading this post, like me, applauded Governor Brown’s September, 2013, decision to sign into law a bill that will raise California’s minimum wage from $8 to $9 beginning on July 1, 2014, and then to $10 beginning on January 1, 2016. And I will also assume that most of you figured the primary beneficiaries of this decision would be minimu...
Us vs. Them Mentality & Classroom Management
I recently attended a training session on classroom management. Among the attendees were leaders in the field of after school education. The trainer, a former classroom teacher of 10 years, now a program director, was highly engaging, organized, and unquestionably experienced when it came to working with challenging students. She eloquently shared information on her program, classroom management p...
Who Leads Your Afterschool Program?
In my roles over the past decade, I’ve met quite a few afterschool and summer program leaders. Some of them strongly portray traits found in successful leaders. These adults set the tone for their sites, providing order and structure, flexibility, sternness, and a passion for children and making a difference in their lives. They communicate high expectations, but are nurturing in helping sta...
Makers in the Making: The Hour of Code
Last year, the Hour of Code global project launched to spread the field of Computer Science to students everywhere. Classrooms across the globe participated in what was one of the most widespread, Ed-tech engagements, ever. As of this entry, over 24 million students participated in the Hour of Code and collectively, they entered almost 1 billion lines of programming. As out-of-school specialists, ...
The Death of Youth Track & Field
Oklahoma senior Running Back Brennan Clay accepted an invitation to play in the East-West Shrine Game. Clay rushed for 913 yards and six touchdowns this past season for an average of 5.8 yards per carry. The senior’s production came in bursts, as he dropped 200 yards in a win over Kansas State and another 170 in a victory over West Virginia. -Fri, Dec 20, 2013 03:19:00 PM, East-West Shrine G...
Messy Art & The Power of Sensory Play
There’s nothing like MESSY ART to kick off a powerful new year. Most kids love to get messy and “let go” of their inhibition with colorful paints and clays. But let’s admit it, most kids can’t too messy at home. So it’s our job and our OPPORTUNITY to give them plenty of messy art experiences in afterschool enrichment. Where else will they experience the pleasure...
Beyond the Classroom: Where the Magic Can Happen
About six months ago I moved from Minneapolis to New York City. I moved to take a two-year position at Inwood Academy for Leadership, a small charter school that serves a population made up almost entirely of Dominican kids from the Inwood and Washington Heights neighborhoods of Manhattan, many of whom are living in poverty, struggle with English, and come to us grade levels behind. It’s a r...
Checking-In with Your Students: Using the Arts to Open the Door to Communication
Imagine with me, that 13-year-old Steven walks through the door of your out of school time program. His thick eyebrows are furrowed over low eyes. His lips twisted into a sullen scowl. You excitedly greet him at the door with an extended hand. “Good Afternoon, Steven!!” He mumbles an unenthusiastic “Hi”, limply shakes your extended hand, and walks away with hunched over sho...
Supporting Families: Let’s Imagine Toys and Experiences that Reimagine Futures
A holiday toy catalog arrived with Sunday’s paper. I eagerly checked out the offerings for this season. I have three nieces, ages 3-9, and am looking for holiday gifts that will inspire them—toys that are educational and lots of fun. I was disappointed but not surprised by how gender stereotyped the toys are. Do all girls like pink, princesses, and fairies, and dolls to accessorize? You migh...
Young People in Afterschool Programs Leading Efforts to Improve School Attendance
We often teach our young people to listen to their elders because they are the voices of experience and wisdom. But many times, the best way to get through to a young person is through another young person. With this in mind, it is especially encouraging to be able to recognize two Baltimore-based youth organizations – Wide Angle Youth Media and the Baltimore Urban Debate League – that are engag...