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.
My Moments at BOOST that Left Me Wanting More
We recently asked our BOOST Leadership and Blogging Teams to share their favorite memory and why they volunteer to be a team member of the BOOST Conference. Perhaps you will be a volunteer, Ambassador or Breakfast Club Blogger for BOOST in 2018. Enjoy! Definitely the very first time I attended the BOOST Conference. The energy was through the roof and everyone was so eager to work together. I’ve been back every year since. – Daniel W. Hatcher, MPH | Director, Community Partnerships, Allianc...Read More
STEM Ready America Report Shows Off Afterschool STEM Learning
The story of the year in afterschool STEM learning just might have come out this week in Washington, DC. At the National Press Club, people from all corners of the afterschool STEM world gathered to learn about STEM Ready America, a new report on afterschool STEM that effectively defines the national paradigm for activities in the field. Program leaders and policy thinkers, corporate and non-profit executives and funders, STEM educators and researchers from all levels discussed, reviewed, and en...Read More
Moveable Game Jams
This Breakfast Club blog post is a follow-up to Afterschool Game Jams! which I wrote last August 2016. In it, I described what game jams are, including the “Moveable Game Jam” initiative. Much has happened since then, and I am excited to share it all with the BOOST community! What Are Game Jams, Anyway? Game jams typically take place over a weekend, and involve a theme, or specific content area. For example, this spring, NOAA is hosting an Arctic Climate Game Jam, in which participan...Read More
Afterschool Programs: Expanding the Definition of Success
As a father of two girls ages 7 and 10, married to an amazing educator of over 20 years, I have a 360-degree perspective of the teaching and learning experience. As a matter of fact, my 4th grade daughter is my wife’s student. It’s a complete family affair. Most people I share that with have an initial reaction of concern. The most common questions are, “How is that working out for your daughter? Isn’t that weird for her? Does she feel challenged?” All these have me...Read More
How More Play Leads to More Learning (Part 2)
In this 3-part series, we will explore how more play, creative expression, and movement can lead to more cognitive development. The link from body to brain is powerful, so getting kids to move more and study a little less throughout the day may seem counterintuitive, but it may actually lead to better grades and even improve behavior! In part 2 we will explore the mechanisms behind the power of movement to improve the brain. If you missed Part 1, click here. So how is it possible that more time...Read More
Creating a More Connected World Through Local Agriculture: 9 Voices
Imagine if we, above all else, prioritized creating a more connected world. If we blend and integrate our passions, what innovations will we discover? What challenges would we overcome? To celebrate National Nutrition Month, this article explores how local agriculture can help foster social connectedness. To do this, I spoke with youth and adults representing urban and rural communities, non-profits, business and government and education agencies. Each brings a perspective that explores linkages...Read More
How More Play Leads to More Learning (Part 1)
In this 3-part series we will explore how more play, creative expression, and movement can lead to more cognitive development. The link from body to brain is powerful, so getting kids to move more and study a little less throughout the day may seem counterintuitive, but it may actually lead to better grades and even improve behavior! Today in part 1 we’ll showcase some surprising studies and real world examples of how this focus on movement has created dramatic results in learning and beha...Read More
Nurturing Lifelong Philanthropists: Inspiring Youth to Serve
Over the past five years I’ve had the pleasure of talking to many adults that mentor youth through their programs. Audiences come from a variety of youth-serving organizations including school and afterschool programs, foundations supporting youth leadership, and even children’s choirs and museums! Most of these adults have something in common; they learned philanthropic behaviors (giving and serving) by seeing the actions of an adult in their own lives. Many times that person is a p...Read More
Show Me The Money? Not So Fast
There are a multitude of ambitious scholarship programs across the United States that open doors for students to attend the universities of their dreams. From a financial standpoint, some of the best provide renewable opportunities so that worries about ongoing costs are minimized. Others, provide year one funding that greatly enhance the ability to get into a top school. From there students are free to explore both campus and local opportunities for work that will offset costs in years two and ...Read More
How ‘Little Ole’ Baskets’ Can Inspire Your Kids
Welcome to the place where I spend my mornings and afternoons. The place where I share laughs, and tears, and everyday moments with 90 kiddos each day. The place that each day challenges and helps me develop and to be the very best for the students that I get to serve. And this month’s challenge? Engaging students during check in and announcements. Emphasis on engaging. At my specific site, students in our program spend the first 20 minutes in our cafeteria before other spaces are also ope...Read More
BOOST Master Class 2017: Ignite Their Passion with Project Based Learning
Are you an after school program leader looking to better connect students to the community? Have you heard about project-based learning but lack the skills to implement it effectively? Do you want to see every single one of your students engaged in work that both challenges them and ignites their passions? Master PBL in 5 Simple Steps Imagine telling your students that they will be designing and printing 3-dimensional medical devices to assist ophthalmologists with eye exams. Or, if 3D printing ...Read More
20 Resources that Create Cultural Exchanges in the Garden
Community gardens serve as a place-based tool for connection, empowerment, and cultural identity. Today, more gardens are popping up in school yards, in vacant lots, nonprofits, and housing developments. Educators are using gardens as creative and holistic tools for teaching beyond the walls of the classroom. In 2014, I wrote the piece, Using Gardens as Classrooms and shared how educators can use garden-based learning in formal and informal education settings with resources related to academic e...Read More