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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Hope Circle: An Opportunity for Creative Movement
Dancing engages nearly all of the brain at once. Just participating in dance is good for the brain, but dance can also be used to intentionally target really important development areas for children. Children can come to see what they are capable of by experiencing the influence they have when they engage in creating dance. One of my favorite creative movement experiences to guide children through, and adults for that matter, is the “Hope Circle” experience. I first participated in a...Read More
For when you feel lazy or unmotivated…
3 quotes I use to spark motivation when I feel lazy, unmotivated, or hopeless Lazy isn’t permanent Let’s get something straight: no one feels enthusiastic, motivated, and productive all the time. Even if it seems like it from the outside. I know because I’ve been called a motivated, disciplined, and courageous person since I left a great job to become an entrepreneur. But I’m not like that all the time – not even close. There are plenty of times when, even though I absolutely love my life ...Read More
When we listen to young people, the future is bright
Yesterday was Inauguration Day. And while the beginning of a new administration sits differently with individuals across the political spectrum, this year, in 2021, the change means so much to so many people. For those of us who work in education, out-of-school time, and youth development, seeing our first national youth poet laureate, Amanda Gorman, recite her poem “The Hill We Climb” during the inauguration ceremony was thrilling. A colleague texted me shortly after the performance saying, ...Read More
BOOST Vibes – Messages of Hope, Love & Inspiration
In recognition of the week we would have been together, we’ve asked the BOOST Leadership Team, BOOST Ambassadors, and Breakfast Club Bloggers to share messages of hope & inspiration with the field, to connect our community until we can gather together again. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ For many of us in the movement, the end of the day comes around 6PM, some a bit later, especially the family th...Read More
In this Time of Crisis, Afterschool Gives Me Hope
California, and the nation as a whole, are in the midst of multiple and intersecting crises—the public health crisis of COVID-19, the resulting economic crisis, and a long-standing crisis of injustice and systemic oppression of Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). When I think of the children and communities who are suffering the most as a result of these crises, I get consumed with questions. What will happen to kids this summer? When will they be able to come back to school? How wil...Read More
Shift: From Helplessness to Hope & the Power of Humanity
Amidst the news of a virus that feels eerily apocalyptic, I feel the need for us to take a collective breath. While it is important to stay calm, it is also important to use good judgment in realizing that we each have the power as individuals to slow the spread and be socially responsible for the potential impact. Through a phrase that is quickly being elevated in response to COVID-19, “social distancing” from others will help slow the spread of the virus that could negatively impact those we l...Read More
A Short Story of Optimism and Generosity
I recently had the opportunity to spend time with some students from our after school program on a field trip and they truly impressed me with their generosity. We were walking to our bus in San Francisco’s financial district – where we had just finished our visit to one of our corporate partners. On the way to the bus, I learned that the students in our group had arranged among themselves to all bring a little cash to buy snacks at one of the shops along the way – something I would ...Read More
Today Is The Only Day
Editors Note: This blog is being republished with permission from Erika Petrelli Bayh, Senior Vice President of Leadership Development at The Leadership Program. Thank you Erika for this very important message. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ I’m so sad about the news that came out of Pittsburgh on October 27th and the straight-up hate that instigated it. Especially in this month when we’ve been talking so much abou...Read More
ARE YOU SAFE?
Editor’s Note: Welcome first-time BOOST Blogger @bradfrommissouri! Brad is the state lead for the Missouri AfterSchool Network. Brad’s passion is to use his background and experience to develop and manage programs that enhance the lives of individuals and organizations. We are thrilled to have him join our esteemed blogger tribe! —– Are you safe? It seems like an odd question, doesn’t it? After all, our afterschool programs provide a safe place for students to go when sc...Read More
My Why: Hope Dealers – A Mission for Change
I got hooked on after school programs in 1992 while working as an art teacher in Hartford, CT. The old, rundown brick-faced school sat in the middle of an urban jungle. The hallways were dingy, there was no grass, only a cement parking lot that was used for “recess,” and many of the bathroom stalls were missing doors. It lacked promise to say the least. My immediate thoughts when I started this job were of sadness. Where was the equity in all of this? Despite previously working with ...Read More
My Why: Curly’s Law – A Bearer of Hope
I love the scene in the movie City Slickers where Billy Crystal’s character, Mitch, is riding alone with Curly, played by Jack Palance. Curly gives Mitch some advice about life. Curly: You know what the secret of life is? Mitch: No. What? Curly: [holds up one finger] This. Mitch: Your finger? Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don’t mean s**t. Mitch: That’s great, but what’s the one thing? Curly: That’s what you gotta figure out....Read More