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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Calming Back-to-School Jitters for LGBTQ Youth
Will I make friends? What if I get lost? Will I like my teachers? What if I do something embarrassing? These are the back to school jitters we’re used to helping youth navigate. We have all kinds of strategies to help young people feel comfortable in their new classroom or after school program — putting their name on a desk or name tag, icebreakers, activities that encourage youth to get to know each other — the list is endless. But consider the young person who is unsure of his or h...Read More
Use Micro-Moments To Set Inclusive Tone
“Welcome.” “I’m so glad you’re here!” “Hey, I like the dog on your shirt.” “It’s great to see you today.” What are your favorite ways to establish an inclusive and welcoming tone from the moment a child or teen walks into your program? It only takes a few seconds, yet making a point to greet each young person as they enter helps them start feeling comfortable from the start. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)’s new SEL 3 Signature Practices Playbook tal...Read More
Building The Capacity Of Front Line Staff
Editor’s Note: Please welcome brand new Breakfast Club Blogger, Brandon Alvarez. Brandon is an experienced Expanded Learning practitioner. He is currently a Program Manager with Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center, overseeing a robust high school ASSETs program. His other duties include participating in professional development leadership teams, local youth advisory boards, and managing the marketing and giving affairs for his agency. As an emerging leader in the field, Brandon asp...Read More
Where Oh Where Is The “Honeymoon Period”? 4 Grounding Tips to Start Off The School Year
Fall is here, and another school year is upon us. This is my fourth year at my particular before and after school site, and I like to think in general I have a good idea of what’s going on. I’ve ironed out our daily routine, I know our kids well enough to have supports built in to overcome our most common challenges, and I’ve given the “welcome back to school” speech so many times that some of my older kiddos could probably quote it back to me. But, each year, regardless of my preparedness, I al...Read More
Sharing The Vision And Shaping The Future: A Message To The Next Generation Of Leaders
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the passage of California’s first comprehensive afterschool legislation. Since then, the investment in California’s most vulnerable children and young people has grown to $630 million a year and redefined what quality expanded learning means and looks like. Those of us who were privileged to lead the way through uncharted terrain worked in complex organizational environments in cities, counties, school districts and nonprofit organizations. We explored new...Read More
10 Reasons Why You Should Thank Your After School Professional!
It is spring break for my own kids, so breakfast consisted of me cooking pancakes to order for two kids and eggs to order for two more. I ate the leftovers…again! Today I want to use this forum to say thank you to all of you Site Coordinators and Program Leaders. We all know the big things you do. Regardless of what organization you are in, what age young people you serve, or where in the country or world you live, we know you keep kids safe during critical after school hours, ensure grant com...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
Algorithms with Empathy
The algorithms, math, hardware, physics, engineering, computer science, and artificial intelligence behind breakthrough discoveries like those spearheaded by Elon Musk and his teams require a person to be emotionally, socially, and physically prepared for the failures and successes of attempting to reimagine and change our world. I watched with great admiration as one of the most successful human beings of our time, possibly in all human history, cried at the thought of his heroes knocking him f...Read More
Youth Development’s Hippocratic Oath
Editor’s Note: this blog is used with permission from the author. It was first published on October 14th, 2016 at https://arancibia.org/rodrigoblog/2016/10/14/youth-developments-hippocratic-oath. In 1964, Louis Lasagna, the academic dean of the School of Medicine at Tufts University, looked at the work of Hippocrates and crafted the modern version of the Hippocratic Oath that is used in many medical schools today. This galvanizing text is used as a declaration for the medical field to ra...Read More
Hands-On DIY Wellness Projects: The Ultimate Life Hack
In the month of January, Alliance for a Healthier Generation is celebrating #NewDaysResolution. Gone are the old New Year’s resolutions that are ultimately broken (and leave us feeling terrible). 2018 is about making a daily commitment to achieve one simple healthy change that leaves us feeling fulfilled and proud. For example, on the first day of January, I used all of my leftover veggies to make this delicious smoothie (ignore the color). On January 2, I used my lunch break to get a 25-m...Read More
Bringing in 2018 with Full-On Gratitude
This blog discusses a topic that I found really useful in 2017, almost life-changing. And now that I am aware of how powerful gratitude is, I use gratitude as a practice for healing and finding calm in my crazy days! Whether it is professional or personal, when I use gratitude as a tool for establishing a healthy mindset, life just gets better. Let’s make the shift in 2018… WHAT: Bringing in the New Year with gratitude can be refreshing, soothing and a hopeful way to start anew! WHY: Findi...Read More
What is advocacy, why does it matter, and how can you make a difference in just 10 minutes from your desk?
Why does advocacy matter? Did you know that 1 out of 3 students in California can’t identify a single caring adult at school? [1] Research shows that access to caring adults is critical for the development and success of youth, and expanded learning programs often provide these relationships that students depend on. [2] Advocating for these programs increases access to caring adults and safe spaces in and out of school that are necessary to support student success. In 2015 and 2016, the Partners...Read More