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 BOOST Breakfast Club Blog is Brain Food for In and Out-of-School Time Leaders!
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Mic Drop! Celebrating Creative Youth Development
One of my favorite parts of youth development and out-of-school time programs is when we provide spaces for students to CREATE. If anything, this past year and a half has unearthed the importance of providing healing spaces and room for self-expression. As youth development professionals, we can’t turn away from the fact that our students (and us!) have individually and collectively faced grief, turmoil, anger, confusion, depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Take that in for a minute. It’s heavy...Read More
8 Gun Violence Prevention Organizations You Need To Know
AP Photo/John Minchillo This week BOOST Collaborative will be joined by The Alliance for Gun Responsibility for the FREE online training, Beyond Parkland: An Equitable Lens to Youth and Gun Violence. We will dive deep into the types of gun violence related to America’s youth, emphasizing communities most vulnerable, what solutions exist to combat this public health crisis, and how young people can emerge as gun violence prevention leaders. Gun violence has become an epidemic in the United States...Read More
Libraries Rock!
Let me preface this by saying I do NOT work for a library. I did however have a Work-Study job at Tufts University in the microfiche and periodicals area – yes, yes, I am dating myself – severely dating myself! That said, I loved that job – it was so fun, it brought together all of my favorite interests – learning new things and then organizing said things. Did you know that there is a magazine for everything?? I mean EVERYTHING – Emu Today – that’s EMUsing &#...Read More
5 Ways to Use BOOST Cafe for Professional Development
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 ou...Read More
Should Everyone Get a Trophy?
When I was a kid, the winning team took home the trophy, and the MVP got the medal. That was that. When my kids were growing up, everyone got a trophy. There was no MVP because they all succeeded and did their best. I see the value of both, especially when you’re talking about young children. There should never be losers when you work in the nonprofit sector, especially with kids, because all kids win when everyone gets the trophy. Here’s why. This past summer, our organization formed a strate...Read More
The Platinum Rule
I wrote a blog once about the Golden Rule, and how imperative it is as a manager to respect the Golden Rule: to treat your staff members and colleagues the way you would want to be treated. Later, after talking about it at a workshop, a gentleman came up to me and said that while he liked the Golden Rule, he much preferred the “Platinum Rule”—treat others the way they want to be treated. Ohhhhh, I remember thinking… that’s so much better. Treat others not the way I would ...Read More
Hope Circle: An Opportunity for Creative Movement
Dancing engages nearly all of the brain at once. Just participating in dance is good for the brain, but dance can also be used to intentionally target really important development areas for children. Children can come to see what they are capable of by experiencing the influence they have when they engage in creating dance. One of my favorite creative movement experiences to guide children through, and adults for that matter, is the “Hope Circle” experience. I first participated in a...Read More
Finding the S.P.A.R.K. Beyond Trauma
Did you know that BOOST has been offering trainings, workshops, and learning communities online over the past year? Many of our past sessions are available for rewatch on our YouTube page, with new videos added regularly. We currently have over 100 free educational videos for you to enjoy! On July 30, 2020, Ashley Hunt of The SPARK Initiative shared resources that you can use with the student and community populations you serve. The SPARK Initiative is a non-profit organization with a mission to...Read More
We’ve All Got a Spark. Let’s Light a Fire!
We have the power to light a fire in every child with whom we work. It only takes one person to change a child’s life. Think back on your educational influences and you will likely find someone who lit a fire in you that still burns today. Across the country I’ve asked leaders, “What childhood science experiences do you remember?” People share about baking soda volcanoes, science fairs, field trips, and dissections that lit a spark in them. I never hear about textbooks. D...Read More
Self-Care Summer: Ideas from 15 Friends in 6 States
If you are diving into this article, your summer program or camp is probably in full swing. Let’s be honest though, along with the fun and flexibility of summer comes stressful situations and strong emotions. Taking time for yourself – a “Me Moment” – is an important strategy to appreciate periods of calm and regulate challenging feelings when they arise. This is even more critical if you are an educator or caregiver supporting others on a regular basis. To bring this idea to life, I...Read More
Why It’s Valuable to Integrate Parents and Social Emotional Learning
You are raising your kids, you receive a letter/email from the school that your child is about to embark on a personal exploration journey based on self-awareness, decision making, building positive relationships, and empathy. And it’s called social and emotional learning. And you think, “Is that what education is now-a-days?” Guess what? It sure is, and if it isn’t, it should be! Okay, okay, some parents/families might think, “this is just what we need!” After all, it’s ...Read More
Summer Meals: Policy Update and Best Practices for Summer 2021
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a critical resource for filling the nutrition gap that exists for many low-income children who rely on free or reduced-price meals during the school year. The need to expand the reach of the Summer Nutrition Programs is more important than ever as communities continue to respond to COVID-19’s impacts on food security, education, and the economy. To support continued meal access during COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has extended key n...Read More