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 breakfastclub@boostcollaborative.org
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Reimagining Career Exploration and Durable Skills Development for Youth
Ensuring young people are prepared for what comes next is increasingly the purview of community partners and out-of-school time educators who work in tandem with schools to ensure young people have skills for education and career. This session will explore several innovative programs, tools and resources available to professionals outside the school environment who seek to help students explore their passions and interests, learn about real world careers, and develop workplace skills. Read More
The After-School Feud: Survey Says… You’ll Learn & Have Fun!
Get ready for a fast-paced, interactive showdown that’ll test your OST knowledge! The After-School Feud adds a fun twist to real challenges in OST, with answers crowdsourced from attendees. Team up and guess the most popular responses to questions like “What’s the toughest part of managing staff?” or “What’s the best part about working in OST?” Each round is packed with lively discussions, fresh ideas, and loads of fun as we dive into the real-world experiences of after-school pros! Read More
Reimagining SEL in School Sports
Join us for an engaging workshop exploring the mental health crisis and its effect on student’s brains and behavior. This session enables educators to examine concepts of trauma-informed care and develop a deep, applicable understanding of how sport is uniquely suited to help young people heal while building SEL competencies. Attendees will hear from experts on neurobiology research and its symbiotic connection to SEL while nurturing and embracing students for every bit of who they are. Read More
Unlocking Intrinsic Motivation: A Coaching Approach for OST Leaders
Are you ready to transform your team into self-motivated, proactive problem-solvers? Coaching is a powerful approach that fosters growth, autonomy, and engagement. Join us for an exploration of coaching fundamentals tailored to Out-of-School-Time (OST) settings. Discover the purpose of effective coaching, learn practical techniques for various levels, and build a culture where everyone can reach their full potential. Read More
Take on Tough Challenges with Data-Informed Confidence
How do we take a strengths-based approach to evaluation and problem-solving? Join us as we engage in an Appreciative Inquiry interview process, reflecting on successful experiences. We’ll use a modified coding process, identifying key elements that made success possible, and apply these elements to a current challenge. We will also present a few evaluation practices we have found to be effective at Monarch School Project, a 501c3 exclusively serving unhoused children and families. Read More
Music and SEL: The Psychological Effects of Music
“The Psychological Effects of Music” teaches how music affects human behavior and emotions. Participants will learn how to use music as a tool to manage their emotions. A study conducted at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine noted that the average adolescent is exposed to approximately 30,732 references per year. “We have the ANSWER on how to get through to the average at-risk student. This workshop is extremely interactive & transformative. Read More
Lead, Listen to, and Love Your People: 3 Guiding Principles for Great Leadership
Leaders in education are playing their most vital role to-date as they guide and support their teams through these ever-changing times. Join this session to discover what it truly means to lead your people well with practical applications you can implement every day. Learn how to Lead, Listen to and Love Your People to build high-performing teams and create happier workforces. Learn how to be the leader your team needs so that they can focus on their most important job – helping children thrive. Read More
ZERO GRAVITY
ZERO GRAVITY follows a diverse group of middle school students from San Jose, CA, who compete in a nationwide tournament to code satellites aboard the International Space Station. Their mission: compete with teams across the country to write the most strategic code for surveying satellites, known as SPHERES. These satellites will help map out a GPS system to successfully orbit Mars in the future, opening the door to infinite opportunities and exploration on the Red Planet. Each coder-in-the-maki... Read More
SEL Starts with the Staff: Fostering Emotional Wellness Among Out-of- School Time Facilitators and Leaders
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is not just for students; it begins with the adults who lead and guide them. This workshop is tailored for out-of-school facilitators and leaders to help all students, specifically adolescents, to build their SEL skills, strengthen connections within their teams, and model the emotional wellness they wish to cultivate in their programs. Through reflective practices, interactive activities, dialogue, and actionable strategies, participants will explore how prio... Read More
The Connecting Adolescent Brain: Developmental Science Insights to Help Middle and High School Youth Thrive
During adolescence–ages 10 to 25–we are primed to make new connections in our schools and communities, which in turn build connections within our developing brains. In this scientist-led session, we will share practical insights from adolescent development research, including the neuroscience underlying the rapid connections that occur during this age. Together, we’ll consider how out-of-school time experiences can equitably support the developmental needs of our youth in middle and high s... Read More
Project THRIVE: The Necessity of LGBTQ+ Inclusion
The CDC’s 2023 YRBS data spotlighted the crisis facing LGBTQ+ youth today where 41% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered suicide at least once in the past year compared to just 13% of their heterosexual cisgender peers. HRC’s Project THRIVE is a multi-year national campaign of over 30 organizations that pledge to work towards the thriving of LGBTQ+ youth. Join HRC and Project THRIVE partners from NEA and FIRST to hear more about the necessity of LGBTQ+ supportive programs for youth. Read More
Engaging Teens Through School-Based Peer-to-Peer Wellness Programming
HealthCorps’ interactive workshop equips participants with the skills & knowledge to facilitate peer-to-peer learning, empowering middle & high school students to become changemakers. We focus on developing youth-led health-promoting initiatives that emphasize peer-leadership, community involvement & critical thinking. The hands-on workshop guides participants through creating and presenting health promoting & leadership events, tailored to the specific needs of their school envi... Read More