– May 10, 2018
Community Education, Child Care, Enrichment Courses, community ed, Program Management, out of school time, professional development, eleyo, building relationships, BOOST, Events
BOOST (Best of Out-Of-School Time Conference) takes place each year in Palm Springs, California. Professionals come from around the world to network and learn the latest trends, research, and tips to effectively manage out-of-school time programs. There is always a lot of information and a lot of fun!
BOOST offers the opportunity for out-of-school time professionals to earn college credit by attending six BOOST Conference Workshops. Attendees were also invited to participate in BOOST Nation: Town Hall Meetings. These informal public meetings discussed topics such as “Shining the Light on SEL: Program to Policy”, “Advocacy in the Trump Administration: Cultivating Challenging Policymakers”, and “Connecting School Board Member Advocacy and OST Programs”. These meetings allowed attendees to come together, hear thought leaders’ ideas on these subjects, and then voice their own. It’s a great way to open discussion on some of the challenges OST professionals are facing.
Along with learning and deep discussions, BOOST also offers lots of fun activities. On Wednesday, May 2nd, there was a Homecoming dance and to honor Prince, everyone wore purple and danced to his hits. On Thursday, May 3rd, there was a street fair and drive-in movie where attendees gathered poolside to dance and sing along with the movie Grease. There was also a scavenger hunt, escape room, and Duck, Duck, BOOST Relay Race (pushing huge rubber duckies across the pool).
Lots of fun and learning happened at BOOST and Eleyo was happy to be part of it. It was great meeting out-of-school time staff over our trail mix bar and at our sessions. If you’re looking for a fun place to learn new ideas and connect with other after school professionals, we highly recommend BOOST!
