Jim Collins wrote the book, Good to Great, in response to requests from business leaders who had read, Built to Last. Good to Great begins with this opening line: “Good is the enemy of great”. Just this line is enough for us to ponder in the world of after-school. When we are working with students who demonstrate risky behaviors, when we are in a situation where instead of being part of the system we feel like we are the “other” or the “outsider”, we can easily become content with good. We are happy that our program receives good reviews, that attendance is good or at least at 85%, that homework support is helping about 70% of the students, and the list can go on and on. If we decide that good is enough, then chances are, we will never move to great intentionally. It might happen in a single moment, but as far as being sustainable and replicable—probably not. Yet our intent is to always do the very best for the young people we work with, so GREAT must be the bottom line. In the book, the line that follow the first, “And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great.” says it all. In the world of after-school we must remain committed to being great.
Collins discusses several topics of interest to those of us in the field of after-school. He talks about the importance of getting “the right people on the bus” and the importance of facing the facts but never losing sight of the end result that you are trying to accomplish. He talks about the importance of developing a culture of discipline and the Hedgehog Concept. The Hedgehog Concept is explained in three overlapping circles. One circle identifies what you are deeply passionate about. A second circle identifies what you can be the best in the world at. The third is about what drives you economic engine. For service organizations or non-profits, this third sphere might be replaced with what drives your resource engine. At the nexus of these circles is greatness.
Read Collin’s book and then reflect on your own program. If you work in a non-profit arena read the monograph which accompanies Good to Great which looks closely at Social Sectors.
Not so usual celebrations…
July 15th is Cow Appreciation Day. This is a very interesting not so usual celebration. At first glance, you may be asking yourself “Why in the world would I want to appreciate a cow?” Well, certainly there are dairy products—cheese, milk, yogurt; and of course meat products such as hamburger, steak and ribs. Restaurants sometimes offer specials on Cow Appreciation Day. One of the most interesting is offered by Chick-fil-A. Of course, they celebrate Cow Appreciation Day on the 9th of July instead of the 15th, but the deal is this: if you come to Chick-fil-A in a cow costume (a full costume which will prove that you are not a chicken) they will give you a free Chick-fil-A meal. You can go onto the Chick-fil-A website and see pictures of winning diners who are dressed like cows. You can even go online and upload a picture of yourself in cow costume in case you don’t really want to go to one of the Chick-fil-A 1,400 stores dressed this way.
Activities for Youth
In honor of black and white cows worldwide, have youth brainstorm all of the things that come in black and white only.
After creating a list, have each group create 3 cards, one with a different black and white item, and a list of clues for each one.
Then have the teams have a riddle contest. One at a time, each team gives a clue and the other teams try to determine what the item is that they are describing.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Globalization 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 how essential it is for Americans to get on board. When we look at 21st Century Workplace skills, (Daniel Pink is one of the leading experts) we find four identified skill clusters that young people will need in this flattened world:
Venn Diagram
“Digital-age literacy, which includes the various competencies expected in a 21st century workplace.
| · Basic literacy | · Scientific literacy |
| · Technological literacy | · Economic literacy |
| · Visual literacy | · Information literacy |
| · Cultural literacy | · Global awareness (an understanding of how nations, individuals, groups, and economies are interconnected and how they relate to each other |
Inventive thinking, which includes the ability to think outside the box
| · Adaptability and managing complexity | · Self-direction |
| · Curiosity | · Creativity |
| · Risk Taking | · Higher-order thinking and sound reasoning |
| · Adaptability and managing complexity | · Self-direction |
Effective communication, which is the ability to clearly communicate with a wide range of audiences
| · Teaming and collaboration | · Interpersonal skills |
| · Personal responsibility | · Social and civic responsibility |
| · Interactive communication | |
High productivity, which will be a requirement of success in the 21st Century
| · Prioritizing, planning, and managing for results | · Effective use of real-world tools |
| · Ability to produce relevant, high-quality products[1] | |
After-school must work with young people to help them develop an understanding of both globalization and 21st Century Workplace skills, and develop the ability to incorporate this understanding and set of skills into a successful future.
Not so usual celebrations…
July 14th is Bastille Day. Bastille Day is a French holiday which commemorates the storming of the Bastille in 1789. The Bastille, a medieval fortress, was a Paris prison in which political and other prisoners were often times unjustly held. Following the storming of the Bastille by the citizens and the Declaration of the Right of Man, the French Revolution had begun. The storming of the Bastille symbolizes the overthrow of the monarchy and the beginning of the French republic. The Bastille was a symbol of the absolute power of the old regime and when the people stormed this prison and freed the prisoners, it was seen as a victory for liberty.
Bastille Day in France is much like Independence Day in the United States. You could expect that similar emotions can be found in both celebrations. It is interesting that July, beginning with Canada Day on the first, followed by the Independence Day in the United States on the 4th, and then Bastille Day on the 14th, is a month so full of national celebrations of triumph and rebirth.
Activities for Youth
Have young people work in small groups to brainstorm all of the facts that they can think of surrounding Independence Day in the United States. If you have access to the Internet, have them gather facts in this way as well.
Then have young people continue in these small groups and discuss and record the facts they have about Bastille Day. Again, if students have Internet access, this will be even more meaningful.
When facts for each have been gathered, have students create a Venn Diagram. In the right side orb, students should list those facts that only pertain to Bastille Day. In the left side orb, students should list those facts that only pertain to the 4th of July. Where the orbs overlap, students should list those facts that these two days have in common.
Venn Diagram [1] 21st Century Workplace: Skills for Success. http://www.learningaccount.net/Course_files/T21C001_050.htm
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
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 is better prepared to “bounce back” when things change rapidly or misfortune occurs. Today, when people are experiencing change everywhere and at a very rapid pace, resiliency is essential.
Four of the internal assets address the importance of Positive Identity and deal with the development of self-worth. Here is how the Search Institute defines these assets:
These developmental assets focus attention on youth as possibilities to be realized rather than people to be fixed. Focusing on youth in this way is embodied in a youth development approach. One of the leading experts on youth development, Karen Pittman, stated in 1999 that youth development is “the ongoing growth process in which all youth are engaged in attempting to (1) meet their basic personal and social needs to be safe, feel cared for, be valued, be useful, and be spiritually grounded, a (2) build skills and competencies that allow them to function and contribute in their daily lives.”
After-school programs are uniquely positioned to take this youth development approach in working with youth and to help them develop essential characteristics of resiliency. Beginning roughly in 4th grade, youth begin to rely more on their peers, the community, and people outside of traditional family supports, for acceptance. Letting youth know that each of them is valued for he/she is, promotes feelings of self-worth. In your after-school program look at everything you do with youth through the lens of youth development.
Not so usual celebrations…
July 13th is Embrace Your “Geekness” Day. Certainly this is an interesting day. The cool part about being a geek is that you are highly intelligent (a brainiac or as is identified on the TV show Bones—a squint). Geeks are also technically oriented and enjoy working on computers and computer systems. Although some people think of the word “geek” in a negative way, one would have to wonder if they are doing this because they are envious of this highly intelligent person with great computer skills. I am sure that each of us has a little “geek” in us, so on this special day, copyrighted for fun and profit by Wellcat Holidays, be joyous and CELEBRATE! There is really nothing wrong with such a compliment!
Activities for Youth
(1) Search Institute 40 Developmental Assets. http://www.search-institute.org/content/40-developmental-assets-adolescents-ages-12-18 (March, 2010)
(2) Center for Youth Development and Policy Research. What is youth development? http://cyd.aed.org/whatis.html (March, 2010)
Four of the internal assets address the importance of Positive Identity and deal with the development of self-worth. Here is how the Search Institute defines these assets:
- Personal Power | Young person feels he or she has control over "things that happen to me.”
- Self-Esteem | Young person reports having a high self-esteem (regard, worth, value).
- Sense of Purpose | Young person reports that "my life has a purpose."
- Positive View of Personal Future | Young person is optimistic about her or his personal future.”
These developmental assets focus attention on youth as possibilities to be realized rather than people to be fixed. Focusing on youth in this way is embodied in a youth development approach. One of the leading experts on youth development, Karen Pittman, stated in 1999 that youth development is “the ongoing growth process in which all youth are engaged in attempting to (1) meet their basic personal and social needs to be safe, feel cared for, be valued, be useful, and be spiritually grounded, a (2) build skills and competencies that allow them to function and contribute in their daily lives.”
After-school programs are uniquely positioned to take this youth development approach in working with youth and to help them develop essential characteristics of resiliency. Beginning roughly in 4th grade, youth begin to rely more on their peers, the community, and people outside of traditional family supports, for acceptance. Letting youth know that each of them is valued for he/she is, promotes feelings of self-worth. In your after-school program look at everything you do with youth through the lens of youth development.
Not so usual celebrations…
July 13th is Embrace Your “Geekness” Day. Certainly this is an interesting day. The cool part about being a geek is that you are highly intelligent (a brainiac or as is identified on the TV show Bones—a squint). Geeks are also technically oriented and enjoy working on computers and computer systems. Although some people think of the word “geek” in a negative way, one would have to wonder if they are doing this because they are envious of this highly intelligent person with great computer skills. I am sure that each of us has a little “geek” in us, so on this special day, copyrighted for fun and profit by Wellcat Holidays, be joyous and CELEBRATE! There is really nothing wrong with such a compliment!
Activities for Youth
- Have young people divide into small groups of 5-6. Ask them to come up with a very “geeky” cheer or accolade. Have each group practice and be prepared to demonstrate for the rest of the class.
- After the group has seen all of the cheers, have them select the one that they most like.
- The winning group then teaches the cheer to the entire group.
- Then have young people think about and share a “geeky” moment in their lives—one when they were particularly smart and/or used technology brilliantly. When they finish sharing the “geeky” moment, the rest of the group then gives them the “geeky” cheer.
(1) Search Institute 40 Developmental Assets. http://www.search-institute.org/content/40-developmental-assets-adolescents-ages-12-18 (March, 2010)
(2) Center for Youth Development and Policy Research. What is youth development? http://cyd.aed.org/whatis.html (March, 2010)
Monday, July 12, 2010
Inclement 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 is a “bad air” day or not.
The challenge of course, is what do you do with a group of young people who need to expend some energy when you are stuck inside. You can certainly give them a break by playing board games, or group activities like Jeopardy, but that does not always burn the kind of energy you’re needing for them to burn. Two activities that you might find worth considering are Cups Up—Cups Down! and Group Juggle.
Cups Up—Cups Down
Not so usual celebrations…
July 12th is Pecan Pie Day.
Here are some Fun Facts about pecans:
The challenge of course, is what do you do with a group of young people who need to expend some energy when you are stuck inside. You can certainly give them a break by playing board games, or group activities like Jeopardy, but that does not always burn the kind of energy you’re needing for them to burn. Two activities that you might find worth considering are Cups Up—Cups Down! and Group Juggle.
Cups Up—Cups Down
- Play indoors in a multipurpose room that has the tables, chairs and/or benches put up. With blue painter’s tape create the boundaries of the playing field. You can simply mark the four corners.
- Divide class into two equal teams.
- Each member of both teams gets 2 cups.
- One team is designated as Cups Up (this means that the cup is standing on its bottom), and the other team is designated at Cups Down (this means that the rim of the cup is on the ground).
- Before play begins, both teams place the cups either up or down inside the playing field.
- The rules are simple:
- Using only one hand, and not moving or stacking cups, the Cups Up team tries to turn all cups up. At the same time, the Cups Down team tries to turn all the cups down. Students may move from location to location but they must walk and cannot push or bump into anyone else.
- The game is played in four quarters. Each quarter lasts approximately 3 minutes. Teams return to the end line and count the number of cups that are up and the cups that are down. If a cup is neither up or down, it does not count at all.
- Play indoors in a multipurpose room that has the tables, chairs and/or benches put up. Have students make a circle.
- One student is designated as the leader.
- On the ground beside the leader are 10-12 soft objects. Stuffed animals or soft baby toys that you can pick up at the Dollar Store are perfect
- The leader picks up one object, selects another child (who is not right next to him/her) by looking at him/her, SAYS the person’s name, and gently tosses that item to him/her.
- Then the person catching the item repeats the process of selection but also can not throw it to the leader until everyone has had a chance to catch and toss.
- This process continues in a PATTERN, until the last person has the item and then tosses it back to the leader saying his/her name.
- A second round should be played exactly the same, and in exactly the same order.
- Once round 2 is played and students understand what is going on, the game progresses.
- The leader starts with object #1, repeats the toss pattern. However, this time when the person he/she has originally tossed to has tossed the first item, the leader then tosses a second item, saying the person’s name, simultaneously with the other players tossing and saying names.
- Play continues until the leader has had all items returned.
Not 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.
- In the 1700s, New Orleans became important in marketing pecans. The French created
- It would take 11,624 pecans, stacked end to end to reach the top of the Empire State Building.
- Albany, Georgia has over 600,000 pecan trees.
- There are over 500 varieties of pecans today.
- Every pecan pie uses 1/2 lb to 3/4 lb of pecans.
- Pecan pie is a sweet custard pie made primarily of corn syrup and pecan nuts. It is popularly served at Christmas and Thanksgiving holiday meals.
- Using 8 ½” x 11” cardstock, have students divide the paper into a minimum of 10 puzzle pieces.
- In each puzzle piece, students write a Fun Fact about pecans.
- On the other side of the paper, students draw a picture of a pecan or pecan pie.
- Students cut the puzzle up and give it to another student to put back together, looking at either the picture side or the fact side of the puzzle.
Friday, July 9, 2010
STEM and After-School
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:
Hold a Science Fair highlighting group projects. Display them on a science board and have the group discuss the project and the project findings. This will not only support science, it will also give your class an opportunity to work as a team and practice public speaking.
Feature math in Math Olympics. Have students divided into teams and have them do math problems (grade appropriate of course) in a relay format. The winning teams will earn medals—bronze, silver, and gold.
Have a club that focuses on building or engineering Simple Machines. Students can design or invent a simple machine that would help people work faster, easier, or more efficiently.
Have access to computers? Have youth use the Technology for developing a website or graphic design.
The Alliance Issue Brief ends with this advice:
Find out about STEM education in your school. See what you can do in the after-school hours to support this work that is being done.
* Afterschool Alliance. Issue Brief #26. http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/issue_briefs/issue_STEM_26.pdf
** Ibid.
Not 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 come in the variety with frosting—totally appropriate to the season) or crunchy (many packaged brands tend to move in this direction), they are delicious!
During your program you might want to share “Sugar Facts” with your students. Here are some Fun Facts about sugar.
• Sugar gives the body energy.
• Your body changes sugars into glucose.
• Carbohydrates are complex sugars such as whole grain products.
• Simple sugars (candy, soda) can give you a sugar high that is quickly gone.
• Words that end in “ose” indicate that this is another word for sugar. (glucose, fructose, sucrose, galactose, and lactose.
• Sugar has a variety of names including corn syrup, dextrose, and granulated sugar.
• Sugars can come from corn, beets, grapes, or sugar cane
• Sugar can occur in foods naturally or be added.
Sugar Cookie Activities
Purchase a box or package of sugar cookies. Have youth decorate them with frosting.
Purchase a package of sugar cookies. Have youth smash them into crumbs. Add a small amount of butter or margarine (just enough to hold the crumbs together) and pat the mixture into a pizza pan. Mix together 1 package of cream cheese, ½ c. sugar, and a touch of vanilla. Spread over the cookie crust. Add fresh fruit on top—strawberries, blueberries, bananas, kiwis, peaches, or other seasonal fruit. Refrigerate for an hour. Cut into slices and enjoy.
If you don’t have access to real cookies, have youth create a sugar cookie drawing with the perfect topping.
As the 20th century fades into history, it takes with it the old industrial economy in which plentiful manufacturing jobs offered millions of people without a college education a ticket to the middle class. The 21st century’s information economy is creating more jobs that require not only a college education but also at least some expertise in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math, collectively known as STEM. In order to stay competitive in the global marketplace and provide our children with the best chance to succeed in life, we must get more students on the STEM path. All across the country, schools and communities are using the hours after school to do just that.*
As an after-school provider, it is important that we embrace the opportunity of providing STEM experiences for our students. We need to be looking for ways to support the good work of the school day. Here are some things that you might consider doing in your program after-school to support STEM education.Hold a Science Fair highlighting group projects. Display them on a science board and have the group discuss the project and the project findings. This will not only support science, it will also give your class an opportunity to work as a team and practice public speaking.
Feature math in Math Olympics. Have students divided into teams and have them do math problems (grade appropriate of course) in a relay format. The winning teams will earn medals—bronze, silver, and gold.
Have a club that focuses on building or engineering Simple Machines. Students can design or invent a simple machine that would help people work faster, easier, or more efficiently.
Have access to computers? Have youth use the Technology for developing a website or graphic design.
The Alliance Issue Brief ends with this advice:
Afterschool programs alone cannot make up all the lost ground. They can and should, however, be part of a more comprehensive approach to giving more young people a chance to discover an interest in STEM, and an aptitude that could lead many -- especially those from underrepresented populations – to choose degrees and careers in the STEM fields.**
Find out about STEM education in your school. See what you can do in the after-school hours to support this work that is being done.
* Afterschool Alliance. Issue Brief #26. http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/issue_briefs/issue_STEM_26.pdf
** Ibid.
Not 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 come in the variety with frosting—totally appropriate to the season) or crunchy (many packaged brands tend to move in this direction), they are delicious!
During your program you might want to share “Sugar Facts” with your students. Here are some Fun Facts about sugar.
• Sugar gives the body energy.
• Your body changes sugars into glucose.
• Carbohydrates are complex sugars such as whole grain products.
• Simple sugars (candy, soda) can give you a sugar high that is quickly gone.
• Words that end in “ose” indicate that this is another word for sugar. (glucose, fructose, sucrose, galactose, and lactose.
• Sugar has a variety of names including corn syrup, dextrose, and granulated sugar.
• Sugars can come from corn, beets, grapes, or sugar cane
• Sugar can occur in foods naturally or be added.
Sugar Cookie Activities
Purchase a box or package of sugar cookies. Have youth decorate them with frosting.
Purchase a package of sugar cookies. Have youth smash them into crumbs. Add a small amount of butter or margarine (just enough to hold the crumbs together) and pat the mixture into a pizza pan. Mix together 1 package of cream cheese, ½ c. sugar, and a touch of vanilla. Spread over the cookie crust. Add fresh fruit on top—strawberries, blueberries, bananas, kiwis, peaches, or other seasonal fruit. Refrigerate for an hour. Cut into slices and enjoy.
If you don’t have access to real cookies, have youth create a sugar cookie drawing with the perfect topping.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Mean, Lean, or Teen Cuisine
We have all heard and read about the challenge of childhood obesity that this country is facing. It appears that after-school 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 time it's caused by kids eating too much and exercising too little.” This is not a surprise to any of us, but what might we do to change this?
Let’s take a look at the first half of the equation—eating. How can after-school support better food choices? What resources are available for after-school programs? If you wonder if education can make a difference, look at the efforts to recycle. Thirty years ago, recycling was something other people did. Today, recycling efforts are everywhere. If you don’t recycle at home and at work, you feel guilty. This is the result of steady and consistent education. The same thing can happen with educating people about the food choices they make. The effects are already building.
Instead of focusing on all of the food choices that youth make, let’s just focus on one—eating 5 fruits or vegetables each day. How can we support this simple change? First, you might want to take a look at the snacks served in your program. How many times each week or month do you find fruit or vegetable in that snack? If not often, who might you talk with and have a discussion with about different snack choices? Remember, that if you are talking with a food services person, they are in the business of feeding youth and they are as interested in nutrition as you are.
Secondly, what programs and resources are available for you to utilize in your program that would allow you to focus on 5 fruits or vegetables a day? One of the best, in my opinion, is Harvest of the Month. Harvest of the Month is supported by the Network for a Healthy California/Champions for Change program. The premise is simple: educate Californians about the fruits and vegetables grown in the state and feature these products, one per month, during the harvest cycle. The objectives of this program focus on access to fruits and vegetables, helping young people develop a preference for fruits and vegetables, increasing knowledge about California-grown fruits and vegetables, and then of course, they encourage increased physical activity. To promote this they have four, easy to access on the web, monthly elements: Educator Newsletters, Family Newsletters (translated already), Menu Slicks, and Press Release Templates.
The Educator Newsletter gives you information about the highlighted fruit or vegetable and a number of things that you can do to help young people learn about the produce. Highlights for kids include the Taste Test, Cooking in Class, and the Fun Facts about the produce. The Family Newsletters will provide information for the families about what you are studying and encourage them to support the effort. This newsletter is available in both English and Spanish. The Menu Slick resembles the place mat that you will find in restaurants, and features activities and information to engage the youth. The website also connects to the California State Standards. To ensure that you do not repeat year after year, you have a choice of A or B tracks so you can alter the fruits and vegetables you are featuring. If you are at a school that features Harvest of the Month, talk with classroom teachers and determine if it would be best to reinforce what they are doing in class, or if you should take the alternate track in the after-school program.
You can find more information about Harvest of the Month at their website: http://www.harvestofthemonth.com or by contacting them at:
California Department of Public Health,
Cancer Prevention and Nutrition Section
P.O. Box 997413, MS 7204
Sacramento, CA 95899-7413
One more thing, for older youth, turn this into a club activity. They will be eager to show up for any club that gives them the opportunity to eat (learning and preparation are often a secondary motivation).
Not 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 day earlier this month!) Strawberry Sundae Day--what a great way to highlight the strawberry and get kids to eat one of those 5 fruits or vegetables needed each day. This will give kids an opportunity to eat one of America’s favorite fruits. During this time of year, strawberries are readily available in stores and you may even have a Strawberry Festival in your program to add to the interest. (Communities have Strawberry Festivals—especially along the coast and in Southern California). To highlight this day, have kids learn a few Strawberry Facts.
“Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside of their skin, about 200 on each berry.
Strawberries are members of the large, diverse rose family (Rosaceae) which also includes blackberries and raspberries.
In some parts of Europe, people once believed elves could control how much milk cows produced and that the elves loved strawberries. Farmers tied baskets of strawberries to their cows' horns as an offering to them.
"The largest strawberry in history weighed 8.17 ounces and was the size of a big apple.”*
Strawberry Sundaes:
Have youth prepare the strawberries—wash, remove the stem, slice or smash. This time of year there is little need to add sugar.
Have kids take a scoop of ice cream (vanilla is recommended but not the only choice) and then ladle on the strawberries—YUM! If you would like to top off the sundae with whipped cream, the kids will love it.
* Wonder Time http://wondertime.go.com/life-at-home/article/pick-season_3.html
Let’s take a look at the first half of the equation—eating. How can after-school support better food choices? What resources are available for after-school programs? If you wonder if education can make a difference, look at the efforts to recycle. Thirty years ago, recycling was something other people did. Today, recycling efforts are everywhere. If you don’t recycle at home and at work, you feel guilty. This is the result of steady and consistent education. The same thing can happen with educating people about the food choices they make. The effects are already building.
Instead of focusing on all of the food choices that youth make, let’s just focus on one—eating 5 fruits or vegetables each day. How can we support this simple change? First, you might want to take a look at the snacks served in your program. How many times each week or month do you find fruit or vegetable in that snack? If not often, who might you talk with and have a discussion with about different snack choices? Remember, that if you are talking with a food services person, they are in the business of feeding youth and they are as interested in nutrition as you are.
Secondly, what programs and resources are available for you to utilize in your program that would allow you to focus on 5 fruits or vegetables a day? One of the best, in my opinion, is Harvest of the Month. Harvest of the Month is supported by the Network for a Healthy California/Champions for Change program. The premise is simple: educate Californians about the fruits and vegetables grown in the state and feature these products, one per month, during the harvest cycle. The objectives of this program focus on access to fruits and vegetables, helping young people develop a preference for fruits and vegetables, increasing knowledge about California-grown fruits and vegetables, and then of course, they encourage increased physical activity. To promote this they have four, easy to access on the web, monthly elements: Educator Newsletters, Family Newsletters (translated already), Menu Slicks, and Press Release Templates.
The Educator Newsletter gives you information about the highlighted fruit or vegetable and a number of things that you can do to help young people learn about the produce. Highlights for kids include the Taste Test, Cooking in Class, and the Fun Facts about the produce. The Family Newsletters will provide information for the families about what you are studying and encourage them to support the effort. This newsletter is available in both English and Spanish. The Menu Slick resembles the place mat that you will find in restaurants, and features activities and information to engage the youth. The website also connects to the California State Standards. To ensure that you do not repeat year after year, you have a choice of A or B tracks so you can alter the fruits and vegetables you are featuring. If you are at a school that features Harvest of the Month, talk with classroom teachers and determine if it would be best to reinforce what they are doing in class, or if you should take the alternate track in the after-school program.
You can find more information about Harvest of the Month at their website: http://www.harvestofthemonth.com or by contacting them at:
California Department of Public Health,
Cancer Prevention and Nutrition Section
P.O. Box 997413, MS 7204
Sacramento, CA 95899-7413
One more thing, for older youth, turn this into a club activity. They will be eager to show up for any club that gives them the opportunity to eat (learning and preparation are often a secondary motivation).
Not 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 day earlier this month!) Strawberry Sundae Day--what a great way to highlight the strawberry and get kids to eat one of those 5 fruits or vegetables needed each day. This will give kids an opportunity to eat one of America’s favorite fruits. During this time of year, strawberries are readily available in stores and you may even have a Strawberry Festival in your program to add to the interest. (Communities have Strawberry Festivals—especially along the coast and in Southern California). To highlight this day, have kids learn a few Strawberry Facts.
“Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside of their skin, about 200 on each berry.
Strawberries are members of the large, diverse rose family (Rosaceae) which also includes blackberries and raspberries.
In some parts of Europe, people once believed elves could control how much milk cows produced and that the elves loved strawberries. Farmers tied baskets of strawberries to their cows' horns as an offering to them.
"The largest strawberry in history weighed 8.17 ounces and was the size of a big apple.”*
Strawberry Sundaes:
Have youth prepare the strawberries—wash, remove the stem, slice or smash. This time of year there is little need to add sugar.
Have kids take a scoop of ice cream (vanilla is recommended but not the only choice) and then ladle on the strawberries—YUM! If you would like to top off the sundae with whipped cream, the kids will love it.
* Wonder Time http://wondertime.go.com/life-at-home/article/pick-season_3.html
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Clubs and After-school [July 7, 2010]
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 one of the most effective ways to do this. There are several key elements in the nature of a club that make it a perfect fit for after-school.
In order to have successful clubs, the first thing you must do is get input from the students and from the staff. From students, find out what they are interested in learning about and/or doing. From the staff, determine what they already are skilled at doing and where the interest lies for them as well. For example, you may have a group of youth who are very interested in cooking (or at least eating). If you have a staff member who has been taking culinary cuisine classes in college, you may have a match made in heaven. If you take the time to get input in the beginning you will have a better opportunity to build this input into involvement, buy-in and finally ownership—the ultimate tell of a strong club.
The second important thing about clubs is that they offer young people choice. Choice is incredibly important for young people. So often, young people are either put in the position of making a forced choice—select a or b it’s the only option, or make no choice at all about how they spend “free” time. If you offer 4-6 different types of clubs, as a youth I am truly having an opportunity to choose. Once I’ve made a choice I am much more likely to be supportive of the choice I’ve made.
Third, clubs provide a terrific opportunity for young people to explore interests. How in the world can a young person know if he is an actor if he never acts; a scientist if she has not had the opportunity to participate in a science fair; an artist if he has never been given the opportunity to explore the talent. Clubs give young people an opportunity to explore an interest, and then because they only last 4-6 weeks, if a student decided he is not interested in the club any more, he also knows that in a matter of a few days he will be able to make another choice.
Fourth, clubs provide an opportunity for young people to work together with others who have the same interests. Learning to work together as a team is an important skill—but working as a team with others who have similar skills sets, who have, perhaps, thought more deeply about the topic than you have, can only serve to support growth and development. It is a great deal like playing a sport. If you want to get better at tennis, then you need to play tennis with opponents that are slightly better than you are so you can improve.
Clubs provide the perfect opportunity for implementing project based learning that take young people through a series of lessons and activities and culminate in a final event or showcase.
If you do not have clubs in your after-school program, give them a try. You may discover that clubs are just what you need to strengthen your program.
Not 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 into a pie crust, chunked into an ice cream treat, and of course, fried. If you have never tried a fried Oreo, you don’t know what you’re missing! You can find many great recipes on line.
Then there are peanut M and Ms. These tasty treats wrap protein rich peanuts in delicious chocolate with a candy shell. If you want them to be healthy, change the name from M and Ms to peanut wraps. However, not sure that you knew this (I certainly didn’t) chocolate is officially a vegetable as it comes from the cacao tree in the Amazon. I think that this may mean that you and I could swap 5 candy bars (provided they are chocolate) for 5 fruits and vegetables each day. Not a bad trade at all.
Chocolate Trading Cards
To share information about chocolate with students, have them create Chocolate Trading Cards. Have the students do some research about chocolate, where it comes from, the many ways it is used, and a collection of other fun facts. Have students work in “research teams”. After each team has collected information on chocolate, have each small group share the information with the class, recording the facts on the board or chart paper. Then have each student create a Trading Card using 3”x5” index cards. On one side the student draws a picture of chocolate and on the back, the student lists the fun facts that intrigue him most. Once the individual cards are made, have the groups brainstorm questions that can be answered from the cards they created. Play a game of Jeopardy with students. You might want to use the items from the group memory chart to create the answers for the game. Of course, if you were to offer “chocolate prizes” it would make the day complete.
In order to have successful clubs, the first thing you must do is get input from the students and from the staff. From students, find out what they are interested in learning about and/or doing. From the staff, determine what they already are skilled at doing and where the interest lies for them as well. For example, you may have a group of youth who are very interested in cooking (or at least eating). If you have a staff member who has been taking culinary cuisine classes in college, you may have a match made in heaven. If you take the time to get input in the beginning you will have a better opportunity to build this input into involvement, buy-in and finally ownership—the ultimate tell of a strong club.
The second important thing about clubs is that they offer young people choice. Choice is incredibly important for young people. So often, young people are either put in the position of making a forced choice—select a or b it’s the only option, or make no choice at all about how they spend “free” time. If you offer 4-6 different types of clubs, as a youth I am truly having an opportunity to choose. Once I’ve made a choice I am much more likely to be supportive of the choice I’ve made.
Third, clubs provide a terrific opportunity for young people to explore interests. How in the world can a young person know if he is an actor if he never acts; a scientist if she has not had the opportunity to participate in a science fair; an artist if he has never been given the opportunity to explore the talent. Clubs give young people an opportunity to explore an interest, and then because they only last 4-6 weeks, if a student decided he is not interested in the club any more, he also knows that in a matter of a few days he will be able to make another choice.
Fourth, clubs provide an opportunity for young people to work together with others who have the same interests. Learning to work together as a team is an important skill—but working as a team with others who have similar skills sets, who have, perhaps, thought more deeply about the topic than you have, can only serve to support growth and development. It is a great deal like playing a sport. If you want to get better at tennis, then you need to play tennis with opponents that are slightly better than you are so you can improve.
Clubs provide the perfect opportunity for implementing project based learning that take young people through a series of lessons and activities and culminate in a final event or showcase.
If you do not have clubs in your after-school program, give them a try. You may discover that clubs are just what you need to strengthen your program.
Not 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 into a pie crust, chunked into an ice cream treat, and of course, fried. If you have never tried a fried Oreo, you don’t know what you’re missing! You can find many great recipes on line.
Then there are peanut M and Ms. These tasty treats wrap protein rich peanuts in delicious chocolate with a candy shell. If you want them to be healthy, change the name from M and Ms to peanut wraps. However, not sure that you knew this (I certainly didn’t) chocolate is officially a vegetable as it comes from the cacao tree in the Amazon. I think that this may mean that you and I could swap 5 candy bars (provided they are chocolate) for 5 fruits and vegetables each day. Not a bad trade at all.
Chocolate Trading Cards
To share information about chocolate with students, have them create Chocolate Trading Cards. Have the students do some research about chocolate, where it comes from, the many ways it is used, and a collection of other fun facts. Have students work in “research teams”. After each team has collected information on chocolate, have each small group share the information with the class, recording the facts on the board or chart paper. Then have each student create a Trading Card using 3”x5” index cards. On one side the student draws a picture of chocolate and on the back, the student lists the fun facts that intrigue him most. Once the individual cards are made, have the groups brainstorm questions that can be answered from the cards they created. Play a game of Jeopardy with students. You might want to use the items from the group memory chart to create the answers for the game. Of course, if you were to offer “chocolate prizes” it would make the day complete.
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