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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Creating a Culture of Vulnerability and Fostering Creativity in Education

For the most part, education is designed to meet academic demands, which does not always support the development of emotional intelligence of our children. When we as educators and parents put too much emphasis on academic abilities, we may create a culture of shame. Frequent comments about children’s academic performance and measuring their worth in grades often leads to shaming and making them feel that they are not good enough. So how do we motivate our children to learn without creating a cu...Read More

Seven Super Tools to Prevent Misbehavior

Super Spaces When you walk into a gymnasium, you behave differently than when you walk into a library. The environment sends cues to the brain about how you should feel and behave. Provide an environment that encourages desirable behavior. The space should say “Play with me!” in a way that clearly defines HOW to play. The way you arrange your space and what you put in your space tells children what types of behavior are expected in that space. Control the environment, not the child. ...Read More

Walking the Walk

“A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.” – Oprah Winfrey “Leadership is communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly that they come to see it in themselves.” –Stephen Covey, The 8th habit The two quotes above speak so powerfully to the importance of having a mentor alongside you in your life’s journey. I’ve been fortunate to have had a few mentors beside me in my journey and as I consider our work in after sch...Read More

From the Field: We Asked Educators What They’d Tell Themselves at 15

As we celebrated the 15th anniversary of the BOOST Conference this year, we are still reeling from our inspiring and impactful event. We welcomed over 3,000 attendees to our conference in sunny Palm Springs and offered 200+ workshops, 4 Pre-Conference Academies, Master Classes, Town Hall and Panel Sessions, a Film Festival, 125+ exhibitors, networking events, and so much more. What I’d tell my younger self at 15 years old We asked educators to share what advice they would give to themselve...Read More

My Why: Serving From Behind the Scenes

Most people in the expanded learning field would be able to answer the question, “Do you know your why?” without much trouble. But I’ll be really honest with you. I didn’t find my “why” until I had worked in this field for a while. I got my first job in an after-school program by answering a classified ad in January of 1992. Why did I apply? Mostly because I had just obtained my college degree and I was ready to try something that didn’t involve serving ...Read More

4 Steps to Make Student-Centered Learning Come Alive!

The purpose and potential of Expanded Learning Programs have changed radically in the last 20 years. The process began with the passage of California’s first comprehensive afterschool legislation, which Carla Sanger of LA’s BEST and I initiated in 1997. This paved the way for hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for elementary and middle school programs and resulted in a growing body of knowledge about what it takes to make a real difference in students’ lives. As part of this process, man...Read More

Back-to-School: Pencils and Possibilities

I love pencils. Freshly sharpened, classic #2 pencils. I love the smell of a freshly-sharpened pencil. I love the way a sharp pencil feels on a thick, new notebook. I love the way you can erase away anything you don’t like with a pencil. I love the way pencils will smudge my fingers. I love the eraser dust that fills the page. Fresh pencils also bring with them all of the feelings of back-to-school. Here in Indiana, the dawn of a new school year is already upon us:  School buses are shining in t...Read More

The Importance of Being Intentional

Sue, an energetic afterschool staff member, rushes into the school premises precisely at 2:30 p.m. She had just come from a school located across town, where she had been working as a substitute teacher all day. With a brief but friendly “hello” to the school’s administrative assistant, Sue quickly signs in for the day and wastes no time as she heads straight to the cafeteria. In a whirlwind of efficiency, Sue gathers the snacks, arranges the attendance sheets neatly on the caf...Read More

Get to Know TEAMBOOST Member Chloe Dorworth – BOOST Sweet 15

BOOST is turning 15! As we approach our 15-year anniversary, we are reminded of how much we value and appreciate our TEAMBOOST partners and want to share their stories – their journeys through the in and out-of-school time field, their goals and aspirations, a few fun things about them, and some of the amazing things they are doing in their communities. . We will be spotlighting our BOOST Bloggers, Ambassadors, Leadership Team members, and Partners weekly through the end of the year to tha...Read More

3 Ways to Infuse Global Learning into Summer Programs

Asia Society and BOOST Collaborative are partnering to create a series of blogs on global learning in out-of-school time. This blog entry was originally published on EdWeek’s Global Learning Blog. This entry is written by Monica Logan, vice president of program and systems quality at the National Summer Learning Association. Summer will soon be upon us. According to a report supported by The Wallace Foundation, an estimated 25 percent of our nation’s youth participate in summer learn...Read More

The BOOST Conference: By The Field, For The Field

This year the BOOST Conference was beyond measurable and loaded with learning opportunities, networking receptions, film festivals, Town Halls, Pop-Up Dinners, Inspiration Stations, and so much more. Our small but mighty team of dedicated volunteers, the BOOST Leadership Team (BLT), worked for a year to welcome all the BOOSTers to sunny Palm Springs! In this blog, we want to provide you with a quick glimpse of the magic that goes into building this wonderful and inspiring conference. WANT IN? CL...Read More

Countdown to BOOST! 5 Ways to Get Ready for the BOOST Conference

Every year, professionals in the field of expanded learning come together to share ideas and best practices, get inspired, and connect with others who share a similar passion. This magical experience is BOOST! It is one of a kind. I wish I could bottle up the energy. Regardless if you’ve never attended, or attend each year, here are a few strategies you might consider to optimize your BOOST experience.   1. Be Informed Review the workshop sessions and Inspiration Stations beforehand a...Read More