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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12 Tips to Integrate Academic Enrichment In Afterschool
I have been working with after school programs across the country since 1998. And there are some things that I have learned that make doing academic enrichment activities more successful with kids after school. To meet the goals of this, we need after school not more school and kids should be engaged and having fun. Here are some helpful tips: Meet with your school(s) to find out what areas to focus on, where kids need more time, and how you can work together to align with what they are focusing...Read More
Garden-Based Learning
Imagine a table full of a diverse range of vegetables and herbs, including chilies, okra, lemongrass, Swiss chard, gourds, figs, and persimmon. Gardens are places where students can experience all of their senses and be connected to the global world through the natural resources of earth. Gardens, and the people in the community near your garden, are an incredible asset to schools and afterschool programs. Your garden doesn’t have to be perfect or huge – just simply a place where growing a...Read More
Wanted: Long Term STEM Relationship
Wanted Energetic, fun, thoughtful, well-connected, well-organized, accessible, kid-loving afterschool program with great listening and communication skills seeks committed relationship with a STEM partner who is enthusiastic, reflective, inspirational, smart and knowledgeable and believes in the potential of kids and wants to grow in a relationship together. Sound like you? Working with a “STEM-rich” institution who is also interested in engaging kids, such as a museum, university, o...Read More
7 Ways to Maximize Your BOOST Experience
Below is a list of 7 ways to make the most out of your next BOOST Conference! 1) Be PRESENT. Don’t compare last year to this year. You will be chasing a ghost or even worse, you will try to “recreate” last year’s experience. Every year is distinct and every year there are new ‘openings.’ Which is one of the secrets of BOOST and something that can be appreciated, only if you are PRESENT (mind, body and soul). 2) The ENTIRE CONFERENCE is a workshop. If you expe...Read More
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 Michelle Obama highlighted the important role that out-of-school-time organizations can play in fightin...Read More
Simple Ideas for Making Your Out-of-School Program Healthier
Out-of-school time providers have the unique opportunity to create environments where healthy eating and physical activity are encouraged. It doesn’t matter if you’re a before school program, an afterschool program, a summer program, a scouting organization, or a sports team you play a meaningful role in empowering youth to eat better and move more. As you think about your goals for 2014, below are resources and tools you can try throughout the year to promote healthy eating and phys...Read More
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 remarkable school that does remarkable work for these kids. My kids too. You see, both of my sons go ...Read More
Bullying and Suicide: What’s the Real Story?
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last several years, you are well aware of the issue of bullying in schools. It seems there isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t catch a news story, receive a flyer for training, or get a call from a school about this growing problem. We all know media is not always the best at portraying the most accurate picture of a problem and can often times even lead to a false sense of urgency. However, recently there has been talk about bu...Read More
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 might think so from the selection offered. While there were lots of construction toys for boys, the offe...Read More
From the Other Side of the Counter
A few weeks ago, Jan and I had a meeting with our son’s preschool teacher to review Oliver’s Kindergarten Readiness Assessment. I didn’t even know there was such a thing. When I was a kid, being “Kindergarten-ready” meant you were five. Today, apparently, it’s all about whether or not you can properly grip a pencil. I thought that was something you were supposed to learn in Kindergarten! Here, we think we’re raising this prodigy because he uses phrases l...Read More
Kids Bond to People, Not Programs
One of the things I am most grateful for is how my job allows me the opportunity to meet and work with some of the most amazing people. I am inspired daily by those who have given their time and talents to after school programs across the country. And since it is apparent, they are not in this business for the vast amount of money they can earn, there is something else that compels them. They love kids! Yes, I used the “L” word. In a recent training in Arizona, one of the participant...Read More
Parenting Strategies to Conquer the CyberBullying Puzzle
Many articles being written lately are suggesting that parents are the missing piece in solving the cyberbullying puzzle. What they are suggesting is that communication between parents and their children is often too many times missing. Parents need to truly get involved in “cyber” discussions with their children. We need to take the initiative to dialogue on “cyber” issues that our children are engaging in. The following questions and strategies will help parents initiat...Read More