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 views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company. Enjoy the brain food.

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

Click here to Register for a free account or click here to Login to your existing account.

Program Design, Development, and Quality / Staff Leadership and Management / Sustainability

4 Steps to Make Student-Centered Learning Come Alive!

Andi Fletcher No Comments

The purpose and potential of Expanded Learning Programs have changed radically in the last 20 years. The process began with the passage of California’s first comprehensive afterschool legislation, which Carla Sanger of LA’s BEST and I initiated in 1997. This paved the way for hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for elementary and middle school programs and resulted in a growing body of knowledge about what it takes to make a real difference in students’ lives. As part of this process, man...Read More

On-Site Staff / Partnerships and Building Relationships / Program Design, Development, and Quality

Modeling Social-Emotional Skills To Support Kids’ Growth

Tamara Fyke No Comments

Over the past year, I have talked with dozens of educators and community leaders about their goals for social-emotional learning (SEL), which I define as identifying what is going on in our heads and in our hearts so we can use our hands to build up, rather than tear down. What I hear most often is the need to build adults’ capacity for SEL. Having worked in education and community programs for two decades, I have seen the pendulum swing from the focus on SEL (previously referred to as character...Read More

Camp Culture Camp Culture
Program Design, Development, and Quality

5 Ways to Engage Teen Volunteers in Creating a Positive Camp Culture

Jenna Bacolor No Comments

Here in Ann Arbor, Michigan, we’re less than two weeks from the last day of school and the launch of 11 weeks of summer day camps. My division of the Ann Arbor Public School district – Community Education and Recreation – is busy preparing for over 100 camps, dozens of staff, and thousands of campers. Through our popular High school Volunteer Program, 160 teens will build skills and provide assistance at our summer camps. For many of our teen camp volunteers, this is a first job-related ex...Read More

oak tree roots-flexible oak tree roots-flexible
On-Site Staff / Program Design, Development, and Quality / Staff Leadership and Management / Storytellers

Strengthening the Oaks

Erin Thomas No Comments

I have three nephews who are the lights of my life. At six, three and one years old, they are going through the beautiful stages of discovering the world, imaginative play and pepperings of endless questions. Their energy, giggles and pretends are all gifts that I cherish each and every day. My one year old nephew is pretty much happy to climb inside his mom’s tomato pots, dirt notwithstanding; my three year old nephew is already expressively pragmatic, wanting to know how things work and ...Read More