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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Youth Inspiration – A Conversation with Jack Andraka
BOOST Collaborative’s Program Manager Rachel Ruiz had the pleasure of interviewing Jack Andraka, a Maryland high school sophomore who at age 15 invented an inexpensive and sensitive dipstick-like sensor for the rapid and early detection of pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancers. He learned that the lack of a rapid, low-cost early screening method contributed to the poor survival rate among individuals with pancreatic cancer. After thinking further about the problem, he came up with a plan ...Read More
“If You Don’t Love Kids….Get Another Job!”
If you have spent any time with me, you have probably heard me say “If You Don’t Love Kids….Get Another Job!” The thing is kids bond to people, not programs. The number one responsibility of an after school staff member is to build relationships. The number one job of an after school staff member is to love and be loveable. Children have enough adults in their lives who don’t even like being around them, don’t believe in them, and quite frankly don’t wan...Read More
You Are Changing Lives!
Every day I’m reminded of how fortunate I am to work with such amazing people who are doing such incredible work! Whether I’m consulting with program directors, meeting with leadership members, talking with colleagues or visiting sites, my passion is continually re-ignited, my sense of purpose is re-confirmed and my commitment to doing my best to make a difference in the world is strengthened. I’m blessed to be a messenger but it is you who are creating the messages. So, I̵...Read More
The Benefits of Working with At-Risk Youth
Two months ago I finally recognized it happening; I could never forget the needs and the gleam in their eyes. As I began to pull my supply cart back to my car and pull out my keys to open the trunk a young man yelled my name “Mark!” It was at that moment I realized a seed had been planted, watered, and began to sprout. This was a rare occasion. I had been visiting this site for three years now, the youth there were on probation, had been kicked out of traditional school and have even...Read More
Ode to Site Supervisors
I began to reflect on my career and realized that my days as a site coordinator have been the most defining and empowering. I dare say that this experience, as a site coordinator, prepared me for the biggest challenges of not only my career… but my life. So, I have written this ode, in honor of the site coordinator… The one who is a part time employee with a full time attitude. The one who has survived the bullets of lock downs and who also rose to the occasion to help supervise 1400...Read More
Who You Are Speaks Louder than Anything You Can Say
A troubled mother took her daughter to see Mohandas Gandhi, who was world-renowned for his great spiritual discipline. It seems the young girl had become addicted to eating sweets, and her mother wanted Gandhi to speak to her about this harmful habit and convince her to drop it. Upon hearing this request, Gandhi paused in silence and then told the mother, “Bring the girl back to me in three weeks and I will speak to her then.” Just as she was instructed, the mother returned with her ...Read More
Breakthroughs @ BOOST
It wasn’t until the ride back from Palm Springs that I began to absorb my most recent BOOST experience. BOOST, for me, has been the metaphor for the movement of afterschool. BOOST has become a type of gauge of the movement. Whether it’s the number of participants, the quality of workshops, the keynote, I have always been able to use BOOST as a diagnostic for the movement. This was the first year that I went alone with no team, no training to prepare for, or no real “role”...Read More
From Changing Lives To Saving Lives
For the past fifteen years I’ve had the privilege of working in the afterschool field as a program director, consultant, policymaker and advocate. I’ve met countless people who are making a huge difference. Students are doing better in school, becoming more enthusiastic about learning, developing positive social relationships, experiencing new things and mastering new skills. There’s no question that afterschool programs change lives. Now it’s time to save lives. Just a f...Read More