Connection is Key to Student Engagement!
In this collaborative blog series, TEAMBOOST asked leaders in the youth development field how they build student connection in their program environments. Healthy and authentic relationships are important to positive youth outcomes, and TEAMBOOST is proud to spotlight the expertise of our BOOST Leadership Team Members, BOOST Ambassadors, and BOOST Partners in the Student Connection blog series!
Welcome, Becky Shultz (She/her), to center stage! Thank you, Becky, for sharing your experience with current and future generations of youth development professionals. We appreciate you!
A Conversation about Student Connection and Cultivating Strong Relationships with our BOOST Partner and Leadership Team Member, Becky Shultz (She/her)
Becky is the 2022 BOOST OSTI Award Winner and Retired Director of Whittier City School District’s Reach for the Stars program in Whittier, CA, and is a proud member of the BOOST Leadership Team with BOOST Collaborative.
How do you ensure all staff/students are valued and represented in your programs?
All staff are trained in strategies that support diversity and inclusion for our specific communities.
What’s the most memorable or funny moment you’ve had while working with students?
There were so many funny moments with our students, usually when they were creative with their version of the truth.
What was your go-to activity or game when you wanted to engage students and get them excited?
We would use group networking games or outside water play.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received from a student?
Every time a student told me to stop working and come play.
How did you involve your students in the planning process?
We held annual focus groups and weekly leadership groups to help plan and design our programs.
How did you show gratitude and love to your students?
By taking care of their physical and emotional needs every day.
What impact did you hope to leave on the students you worked with?
I hoped they always felt their value as an individual.
What learning opportunities do you personally participate in in order to remain relevant and up-to-date on issues impacting students?
I still sit on the Helpline Youth Counseling Board and the BOOST Leadership Team.
If you don’t work directly with students, what do you do to ensure that decisions made by your organization or by you personally will positively impact them?
When I was working, we made sure that all staff were well trained and supported, students were treated equitably, and administrators followed our vision.
Any advice for those who presently work with students in the field?
Treat each student as an individual.
Today for breakfast I had…
Egg and potato burrito.
From all of us here at TEAMBOOST, thank you, Becky, for your leadership. We are grateful for your positive impact on youth, communities, and the field!
Meredith White
Thank you, Becky, for your continued leadership and mentorship. Recognizing the need to pause (particularly when a child asks you to take a break!) is so meaningful to me. Today, I will strive to take intentional time to play!