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!

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Let’s Make Wellness Work: Simple Steps to Big Impact

Join us for an energizing session filled with movement, mindfulness, and practical tools to support wellness for youth and staff. Explore Healthier Generation’s free Online Action Center – your go-to hub for ready-to-use resources that align with funding and sustainability goals. Designed for afterschool and education leaders, you’ll leave recharged, inspired, and equipped to lead lasting change in your program or school. Read More

Uncover Your Purpose: Discovering and Defining Your WHY.

Embark on a transformative journey to uncover the core of your motivation! This engaging workshop presentation invites participants to dive deep into their values, passions, and aspirations. Participants can expect to engage in the following: Interactive Exercises Values Assessment Drafting Your WHY Statement Sharing and Feedback Action Plan Development Presenter: Dwayne Wiggins, Jr., Owner/Founder, A Human. Being!, La Mesa, CA Read More

Coaching Through Chaos: Helping Staff Navigate in Uncertain Times

This informative session offers after-school leaders a practical guide to help staff navigate change and uncertainty. Through real talk, tools, and reflection, we will explore five strategies: Adapt, Anticipate, Act with Excellence, Achieve More with Less, and Manage Fear. Whether you lead a small team or a large site, you’ll leave with tools, ideas, and a renewed mindset to support your staff through tough times. Presenters: Ray Trinidad, CEO, !Mpact People/Players; Gabe Ogilvie, Co-Founder, !M... Read More

Cultivating Youth Voice through Entrepreneurship!

Education activist Paulo Freire once said that education should nurture our youth as agents of change—empowering them to transform the world they’ve inherited instead of conforming to it. Our IMCEO program is dedicated to supporting high school students in launching businesses that tackle pressing issues in their communities. Hear directly from our young CEOs as they share how they created impactful businesses that resonate deeply with their communities. Read More

Compassionate Systems: A Path to Educational Renaissance

This interactive workshop introduces expanded learning practitioners to the Compassionate Systems Framework, a powerful approach to fostering well-being, equity, emotional intelligence, and transformative leadership in education. Participants will explore practical strategies to cultivate self-awareness, empathy, and systemic thinking, empowering them to create learning environments where students and staff thrive. Through reflective exercises and collaborative discussions, attendees will gain t... Read More

#AfterschoolWorks – Opportunities and Challenges in the Trump Administration

How does the 2024 election impact afterschool? This Town Hall will discuss opportunities and challenges our field will face under the Trump administration, the nongovernmental committee, and at the state level. It will also focus on messaging: what works and what doesn’t when communicating about afterschool and how to engage local business advocates and allies. Read More

Understanding the Foster Care System and the Shift from Mandated Reporter to Community Supporter

This interactive workshop will provide an overview of the foster care system with an emphasis on how entering and living in foster care affects students. Information will be provided on the recent shift from mandated reporting of suspected abuse and/or neglect to a holistic approach and community support. The majority of reports of neglect are related to poverty. Participants to explore their biases as well as gain an understanding of how we can all better support families and children. Read More

Uncover Your Purpose: Discovering and Defining Your Why!

Embark on a transformative journey to uncover the core of your motivation! This engaging workshop presentation invites participants to dive deep into their values, passions, and aspirations. Through interactive discussions, thought-provoking exercises, and collaborative activities, you will learn how to articulate your personal “WHY”—the driving force that shapes your decisions and fuels your ambitions. It guides participants through a structured exploration of their personal motivat... Read More

Reimagining SEL in School Sports

Join us for an engaging workshop exploring the mental health crisis and its effect on student’s brains and behavior. This session enables educators to examine concepts of trauma-informed care and develop a deep, applicable understanding of how sport is uniquely suited to help young people heal while building SEL competencies. Attendees will hear from experts on neurobiology research and its symbiotic connection to SEL while nurturing and embracing students for every bit of who they are. Read More

School-Based Medical and Mental Health Care Partnerships… Who, What, Where, When, and How?

We will discuss the development of a medical and mental health clinic in a school building from A-Z. The concept begins with a needs assessment in your district and then partnership development to fill your greatest needs. We will share information on a variety of topics including who to reach out to, what questions to ask, funding opportunities, best options for locations, pros and cons of operating within a school hallway and how we coordinate with medical and mental health providers. Read More

Layers of Protection: A Multi-Tiered Approach to Prevent Peer-to-Peer Abuse

Dive into the concept of using a Safety Management system by incorporating layers of protection, ranging from individual actions to institutional policies and how they work together to create a safer environment and prevent peer-to-peer abuse. By the end of this workshop, participants will have a robust understanding of a multi-tiered approach to preventing peer-to-peer abuse and be equipped with actionable strategies to implement in their own contexts. Read More

Take on Tough Challenges with Data-Informed Confidence

How do we take a strengths-based approach to evaluation and problem-solving? Join us as we engage in an Appreciative Inquiry interview process, reflecting on successful experiences. We’ll use a modified coding process, identifying key elements that made success possible, and apply these elements to a current challenge. We will also present a few evaluation practices we have found to be effective at Monarch School Project, a 501c3 exclusively serving unhoused children and families. Read More