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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How Improv Makes Me Better At My Job
If you are a child of the 90’s, like me, you may remember the British version and first iteration of “Whose Line Is It Anyway” with Clive Anderson. I had a huge crush on Ryan Stiles when I was in 5th and 6th grade. I used to rush home to watch episodes of the show. I loved it! The participants were so quick, they were so witty, and they always made each other look good! Three skills that I now try to use in my everyday life. I have also done research on Improv (even took classes) and one of my f...Read More
The Student and The Teacher
For the past year and half, our team has been working to transform the organizational culture of large educational systems. Though deep and profound as a sentence, we have found that this transformation essentially begins with oneself. Simple to say and write. A lifetime to do and practice. And yet many times we are often asked, “This is great stuff…. But when are we going to get to the real work?” The Personal Mastery needed to lead and transform large educational systems (especially instit...Read More
Reliving The Past (In A Good Way)!
If you’ve ever listened to the Hamilton musical soundtrack, or you had the unique opportunity of seeing the production for yourself, one of their best songs is Yorktown. It describes the battle of Yorktown in 1781; the battle that had the British wave the white flag in surrender! A line in the song reads, “And so the American experiment begins, with my friends all scattered to the winds…” In the Summer of 2016, I was playing that song multiple times a day. Why? As a member of the After-Sch...Read More
Leaders Who Inspire Us: Liz Weir
Editor’s Note: Continuing with our Leaders Who Inspire Us campaign, check out today’s featured leader Liz Weir! Keep an eye out for more inspirational people in our field who are change makers. If you want to recommend someone, please send a note to [email protected]. As Lecturer in Charge (LIC) of all Health, Physical Education, and Sport programs for Education Victoria, Liz provides exceptional leadership and innovative programs for students in Under Graduate (Bachelor...Read More
Leaders Who Inspire Us: Nathan Houston
Editor’s Note: Continuing with our Leaders Who Inspire Us campaign, check out today’s featured leader Nathan Houston! Keep an eye out for more inspirational people in our field who are change makers. If you want to recommend someone, please send a note to [email protected]. Nathan is the founder of #iAmImpact, a non-profit focused on educating and inspiring educators everywhere. He provides keynotes, motivational speeches, and training for various levels of expanded lear...Read More
Kids Are Natural Scientists—Let Them Take the Lead!
Science is based on curiosity and finding evidence. Giving kids opportunities to roll up their sleeves and understand the world around them by looking for evidence is a great way to be a “guide on the side” rather than a formal teacher or science expert. By letting the children lead, watching what they do, and asking questions, you empower them to follow their natural curiosity. By encouraging them to help one other and share ideas and materials, you help them build important social skills. Scie...Read More
Knowing My Why Is The Root Of My Success
In 2008, I got the courage to start my own professional development company. I have been designing my purpose for this company for the last 11 years. “Dignity of Children believes that all children are born with inherent dignity. They have a right to be loved, nurtured, and valued. Children and youth deserve to be kept safe. They are entitled to a proper education. Children thrive when adults understand their developmental needs, recognize their strengths, and foster their resilience. To evoke t...Read More
Leaders Who Inspire Us: Kendrick Dial
Editor’s Note: We hope you enjoy this new campaign, Leaders Who Inspire Us! Today’s featured leader is Kendrick Dial, a Substance Abuse Counselor, mentor for foster, homeless, and runaway youth, conflict resolution consultant/trainer, and facilitator of the Restorative Justice Mediation Program’s victim/offender dialogue conferences. He is also an adjunct at City College EOPS department and teaches a Personal Growth class. He has also cultivated his role as an artist for over 12 yea...Read More
Are You Leading With WHY?
What gets you out of bed in the morning — what you do or why you do it? If you are in the youth development field, I have a feeling that your “why” motivates you the most. You’re driven to make a positive difference in the lives of young people. In his book “Start with Why,” Simon Sinek argues that we are pretty good at saying what we are doing and how we are doing it, but not always good at explaining the why of what we do. His message to the business community: making the why clear can i...Read More