Not So Usual Celebrations
July 18th is National Ice Cream Day. What a terrific day! What’s not to like about ice cream? Certainly if you’re allergic to dairy, this doesn’t seem like such a great day, but for most of us, ice cream is truly a treat. Actually, for some, July is Ice Cream Month which would give you…
Read MoreSummer Learning Loss
Summer learning loss has been defined as the loss in academic skills and knowledge over the course of the summer vacation. Although we expect to lose an edge when we don’t practice, summer learning loss is much greater for youth in low-income groups than it is for their middle-class peers. In 1996 a study by…
Read MoreGlobalization of the World
In his book, The World Is Flat A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, Thomas Friedman discusses the notion that we are living in one world that is interdependent. He discusses globalization and how this is changing how business is conducted. He identifies world flatteners including work flow software, supply chaining, open-out- and in-sourcing, and…
Read MoreDeveloping Self Worth and Acceptance
The Search Institute has identified 40 Developmental Assets which are building blocks of healthy development. These assets are divided into two categories: external and internal assets. In the process of identifying these assets, the Institute discovered that when these assets are in place young people develop resiliency, and when resiliency is developed the young person…
Read MoreNot So Usual Celebrations
July 12th is Pecan Pie Day. Here are some Fun Facts about pecans: Pecans are the only major nut tree that originated in North America. Pecan is an Algonquin Indian word meaning “nuts requiring a stone to crack”. Pecans are easier to shell than other nuts. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both enjoyed eating pecans.…
Read MoreInclement Weather
Seems like an unusual time to be talking about inclement weather—especially if we think about this in terms of rain and snow. However, summer can have its own share of weather challenges—heat and humidity. If you are running summer program it is important to stay tuned to the “weather channel” so you know whether it…
Read MoreNot So Usual Celebrations
July 9th is National Sugar Cookie Day. It is not known why July 9th has been designated as National Sugar Cookie Day, but what a sweet way to look at this day. Sugar cookies can be found most everywhere, and whether they are soft (seems like grocery store bakery versions of the sugar cookies usually…
Read MoreSTEM in Afterschool
You may be asking yourself what does STEM mean. The acronym stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. There is an increased interest in STEM in K-12 education in general and after-school in particular. The Afterschool Alliance Issue Brief #26 is focused entirely on STEM in the afterschool arena. The Brief begins: As the 20th…
Read MoreNot So Usual Celebrations
While July 7th is National Strawberry Sundae Day, it just seems like today is a perfect one for featuring the strawberry. So, since there is no Congressional record of the National Day being the 7th, I’ve taken the liberty of sharing it with you on the day after. (Maybe I was affected by I Forgot…
Read MoreMean, Lean or Teen Cuisine
We have all heard and read about the challenge of childhood obesity that this country is facing. It appears that afterschool might be a good place to address two of the underlying causes of this “epidemic”. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Although there are some genetic and hormonal causes of childhood obesity, most of the…
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