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!
Interested in becoming a blogger? Email [email protected]
Click here to Register for a free account or click here to Login to your existing account.
New Adventures In Youth Gardening
If you’ve ever watched a child taste and enjoy a vegetable that she grew herself — the same vegetable that she won’t eat at home that’s from the grocery store — you know some of the power of youth gardening. Children and teens benefit from gardening in many ways, from eating more fruits and vegetables and increased nutrition knowledge to improved leadership and collaboration skills. Out-of-school time gardening programs can be connected to school gardens or take place in community ga...Read More
Learning to Give Time, Talent, and Treasure (Webinar #1)
In 2018, the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of Indiana (YPII) and Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy partnered to host a free 4-part webinar series designed to support next-gen leadership and giving. Sessions featured national experts and Lilly Family School of Philanthropy faculty and students sharing research, resources, and examples of classroom-based grantmaking programs. The first webinar, “Learning to Give Time, Talent, and Treasure,” addressed how young people bring pas...Read More
Mindfulness Practices For Afterschool Program Staff, Students And Parents
Why take the time to pause and introduce mindfulness as a practice that enriches the lives of our students, parents, and program staff? How might mindfulness also benefit us as educators? Soon after the presidential election in November 2016, many Latino and Muslim students and families in our partnering Los Angeles schools were experiencing a lot of anxiety and fear. In addition to obtaining information about community resources, the students, parents, and staff in our afterschool programs were...Read More
Fostering a Growth Mindset
I remember extending my right hand up in the air and waving it feverishly. I thought today “I had enough” after being ignored by my fourth-grade teacher too many times, today was the day I was going to speak up. Each day, I eagerly raised my hand to answer a question only to be overlooked. (Know that this is my fourth-grade perception of things.) I would watch her peer out into the classroom and scan all the buzzing hands, including mine, hoping she’d pick me. Ugh! Again, I thought, “she only pi...Read More
Finding The Right Visual For Explaining Data
When I’m not writing blog posts for BOOST, I help mission-driven organizations use data to get better at what they do. I collaborate with really terrific organizations that are making a big difference in the lives of their communities, and their teams are dedicated to continuous improvement. And yet, sometimes when we say, “let’s look at your data!” our clients react like we’d just suggested a self-administered root canal. Too few members of mission-driven organizations have had good experiences...Read More
Knowing My Why Is The Root Of My Success
In 2008, I got the courage to start my own professional development company. I have been designing my purpose for this company for the last 11 years. “Dignity of Children believes that all children are born with inherent dignity. They have a right to be loved, nurtured, and valued. Children and youth deserve to be kept safe. They are entitled to a proper education. Children thrive when adults understand their developmental needs, recognize their strengths, and foster their resilience. To evoke t...Read More
Energy And Partnerships…What’s The Connection?
There’s something you need to know about me, I love all things energy-related!!! I love eating food (especially broccoli) because it gives me energy to live, dance, and laugh. I love talking about electricity because it heats my showers, cooks my food, and keeps my house at a comfortable temperature year round. And I love thinking about how energy connects us all and without it, our lives would be a lot less eventful. My entire job is to talk about energy – where our energy/electricity com...Read More
Leaders Who Inspire Us: Dr. Erin Browder
Editor’s Note: Happy New Year! What a great time to honor Leaders Who Inspire Us! Keep an eye out for more inspirational people in our field who are change makers. If you want to recommend someone, please send a note to [email protected]. Today’s featured leader is Dr. Erin Browder, a Leadership and Organizational Development Consultant. She specializes in building safe and supportive workplaces, leadership development, organizational culture, and capacity building. She has p...Read More
A Time Of Transition And Growth
I’ve had the pleasure of being involved with youth development and out-of-school learning time since 1998. For the past eight years, I’ve been the Program Director of the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of Indiana (YPII). In that time, I’ve watched as YPII built a strong local, national, and even international reputation as a thought-leader and become a significant resource for training on youth philanthropy, young people sharing their time, talents, and treasures. Through numerous collaborations...Read More
Traveling, Speaking And Collaborating For Future Education Equity: A Report From The Road
This blog is being republished with permission from TGR Foundation. It was originally posted on November 1st, 2018. —————————————————————————————————————————————————– October presented me with multi...Read More