Posts Tagged ‘afterschool’
Developing 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…
Read MoreNot So Usual Celebrations
July 7th is Chocolate Day. WOW! What an opportunity to eat chocolate and not feel a bit guilty. Chocolate is one of America’s favorite flavors. Chocolate in candy, cookies, cakes, drinks, ice cream and cereal—Yum! And of course, what’s not to like about an Oreo. You can eat Oreos plain, dipped in milk, crunched up…
Read MoreClubs and Afterschool
Clubs and After-school In the world of after-school there are 3 Rs—relationships, relevance, and rigor, which stand as a litmus test in selecting the activities that we do with youth. If the activity can meet the test posed in these three words, then chances are, it will be a winner with young people. Clubs are…
Read MoreCooking With Kids
Have you tried a cooking club with the youth in your program? If not, you might want to give it a try. The youth are engaged (at every age level) and love having the opportunity to measure and mix, and of course EAT! Here are several different ways you can get started. Harvest of the…
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