Let's Taki About BOOST

speaker-0: Welcome to the After School Snack Podcast, South Dakota's go-to show for all things out of school time. Join us as we dive deep into the Third Space Learning Collaborative, exploring the vibrant after school ecosystem across our state. Each episode, we'll talk with key players, participants and leaders shaping the future of after school programs right here in the land of the pasqueflower, coyote and chislek. From tackling challenges to celebrating wins, we're focused on growing and strengthening South Dakota's afterschool ecosystem. And with every episode clocking in around 17 minutes, perfect for that average commute, you can snack on insights without missing a beat.

speaker-1: All right, well, hello, welcome. We're live, live from not in our normal studio of South Dakota, the prairie land. We are actually at the Boost Conference in Palm Springs, California. we, yeah, let's give it a little up, yeah. That's the point of having a live studio.

speaker-0: I feel like we made it. I mean like I said, I feel like we finally made it. We're here. It's been a wild year and just to think that we were sitting in the audience one year ago and that we got this opportunity to speak with the people that are working with kids every day. It's amazing.

speaker-1: We have an amazing guest today. Our first guest, we are going to have multiple guests, but our first guest is a dear friend. We know each other through the networks. I work for the South Dakota Afterschool Network. ⁓ He works for the California Afterschool Network and among other things. But also we, all three, White Riley Peterson folk. Yeah, that's right. Sitting up here. If you don't know what that's about, we can definitely fill you in on what that looks like a little bit later. We could talk about it even maybe a little bit, but introduce yourself.

speaker-0: Yeah, good afternoon. Troy Selvey with the California Afterschool Network, manager for the Equity and Quality team. I'm excited to be here with you gentlemen today. Thank you for having me. Absolutely. Well, I think we're going to jump right in. So in a true fashion, we're going to ask you some rapid fire questions just to get you warmed up. Absolutely. All right. So what's one thing kids need today that we didn't when we were growing up? I think it's the same answer when we were growing

speaker-1: Yeah, let's do it.

speaker-0: Thank we need consistent care, need folks that caring adults I think need to be part of the process. I think how we care for youth is probably the things that's changed from what once was before. Because caring adults, when I was growing up, were the folks that were like at home before the streetlights come home. I think caring adults now are folks who know and understand like the needs of this current generation because they are facing so many different kinds of you know barriers bullying is now behind a screen and we were once it was I think in a classroom you could identify a bully and teachers could do that so Long answer short, you know, long answer short. think we need continued caring adults. I love that. I love the fact that you're just talking about caring adults because it doesn't always have to be teachers. It doesn't always have to be parents. And I think in after school, we get that, that really unique gray area to be just caring adults who kids see. And I think we get to see kids in a really genuine way because they're practicing skill sets. They're practicing things that we don't normally get to. Teachers and parents don't always get to see. So I think in after school, we get this really great opportunity to like help. mold that next generation.

speaker-1: Yeah, we get to say screw the rules. Like that's the best part of after school. All right, one word to describe the state, the current state of after school or out of school time. I don't want to.

speaker-0: Oh, I'm going to say bountiful. I'm going to say bountiful. And the reason I choose that word is because I think even amongst all of the things that are going on in our climate, people are still finding ways to show up. People are still, you you look at this conference, you look across the country, there are people who are still showing up, trying to show up for kids the best way that they know how. I did in my eyes, it's bountiful because as you speak about the white and fellowship and things of that nature. know that there are more online items across the state or across the country than there ever have been when people are receiving funding for out of school time and things like that. So I think that there is, it's bountiful.

speaker-1: I like that.

speaker-0: Alright, final rapid fire question. Coffee before program or after program? ⁓ I am definitely a coffee before program. ⁓ And after? And after, yeah, probably because my days start early in the morning and go well. into the night, like beyond just being a person who considers themselves a servant leader and a youth practitioner, I consider myself a basketball coach and a coach in sports. So I think it depends on the day, right? Some days it's starting right early in the morning with coffee. Sometimes it's the coffee right in middle of the day to make sure I can get through practice. Or sometimes it's the coffee at night when I'm watching tape and watching film. So ⁓ all the time. I like it. Yeah.

speaker-1: Okay.

speaker-0: Alright, so this is the point where we're going to invite you to talk about it with us. If everybody wants to crack open their bag of Takis. So normally what we do is we have the kids pick what they think will be the hottest, what they think will be the most mild. We're going to just kind of let you enjoy it this way today.

speaker-1: You can pick which one you want, All right, so we do have multiple kinds there's blue heat there's nitro there's fuego and what's the other one? ⁓ Crunchy

speaker-0: think there's a crunchy fajita. So I did have some out in the crowd. If you want something different, come grab one.

speaker-1: So here's how we do it. I'm gonna ask you the question, then we're gonna crunch like an ASMR situation. That'll also give you a little bit of time to like naw on it ⁓ and do that. Yes, come some. ⁓ Yes, it's right there. It's there saying take ⁓

speaker-2: I want the red 40.

speaker-0: See, I picked green.

speaker-1: Yeah, blue 42, right? All right, here's the deep question. Well, not the deepest, but here's a question. We're going to talk about policy. So what is the biggest disconnect between policy conversations and real programs? That's, one, two.

speaker-0: crunch.

speaker-1: Oh my god. When kids do this, it's like candy. This is what my face looks like every time.

speaker-0: Thank

speaker-1: Yeah, there's definitely water in the back if you need that.

speaker-0: So, let's see, I think the disconnect, and this was part of my learning, I didn't expect coming here to talk about this, but this was probably my biggest learning as going through the Whitefriar Peterson Fellowship is that.

speaker-1: Thank

speaker-0: everyone as part of the policy conversation. Right? And I think from the youth to the person it is, the person that's writing the bill, and everybody plays a role in that. ⁓ My biggest learning was that, was it's like, I went in, like, I don't know policy, I'm not really kind of the person that's gonna write a bill or anything like that, but what I did learn along the way is we speak the language. Right, we're sometimes the translator between what the families and the communities are actually saying and wanting and speaking for to the person who's writing the bill and really kind of directing that policy. so I found... ⁓ Personally, like it's to try to find that sweet spot of being able to kind of be the connector almost to the stories, right? To the the moments maybe referencing the needs ⁓ I tried my best to make sure that I'm representing those who are most marginalized and thinking about them and how and who if they're not at the table. So I think that there is that, learning for me was really centered around like, you are policy wherever you sit. Like politics, I remember as a kid, like as a playing basketball and the conversations around like politics is a part of everything that we do.

speaker-1: Yeah, I think about ⁓ because we spend a lot of time in DC. A lot of other state networks do probably a lot of folks here ⁓ either spend time in your capital or wherever you spend that energy. But policy in my head is no different. It's just there's two ways that lawmakers want to know information. Right. They don't have time. So they want to know information in two ways. They want to know data which you can spit out at any point just by looking at the numbers of your program. They also want to know your stories. They want to know both of those pieces because they want a personal connection. Now you're going to have some that are heavy on this side and some that are heavy on that side, but you got to share both and that is how that's the connection I think. The real deep deep connection of how you can connect programs to actual policy. Also anytime I take a youth to DC, I always get them in the room. They always come. It's always a fun part.

speaker-0: Yeah, think there is definitely the opportunity for them to be able to continue to share what's going on for them. Because I think youth today are facing so many different kinds of challenges. And it's just having some conversations with a parent over the weekend, recognizing that if you were born 99, 2000, like you've spent the last 26 years hearing Doom and Gloom and continuing to see like, this is your problem to fix. Whereas I'm an 80s kid, like I came in an era where I feel like there was nothing but innovation and change. You try things, you do things, like I think there is a shift. And so like anytime you can get a kid in the room to actually tell folks what's actually happening for them, I'm all for that too, so I agree with you. And I think that storytelling piece, ⁓ we have a couple gentlemen out in the crowd right now that he just came up and said, hey, who are you two? We're from here. And he started his storytelling. that's, I mean, they're sitting right there right now. So it was really cool. And I thought, this is exactly what this is all about. It's just about going up, stepping out of your little comfort zone. I'm just saying, hey, I'm doing the same job as you.

speaker-1: Yeah.

speaker-0: what's going on in your state. And I just thought I just found it to be like so indicative of what we're doing. And it doesn't matter where you're at, just tell your story and people will be connected. And then we can start finding the other connections, the bigger connections and maybe getting every state to have a budget line. Yeah.

speaker-1: Should we pass the talkies and ask another question? Yeah. You guys can pass talkies if you want. I mean, that's up to you. Maybe you don't like to share because of germs, and that's fair. No one's judging you. All right. Yeah.

speaker-0: My head's sweating. I literally am like...

speaker-2: you

speaker-0: I'm gonna ask the next one. What's something you've changed your mind about in youth work?

speaker-1: You're doing bad. ⁓ I can live with these.

speaker-0: That definitely has a little bit more kick to it.

speaker-1: Okay.

speaker-2: Thank

speaker-0: Hmm. Something that I have changed my mind about as a youth worker. It's so hard to say one thing because I think about like where I started to where I am now. The two things that probably come out and stand out to me are these and I know you said one but I'll give you two. First is that I think it goes along with what I was saying earlier. Kids need to be involved. I think early on. I thought of myself as a youth working with youth and so I've always connected with them. think as I got older and I had life experience as we all do, we then think, hey, this is the way, this is the path. And understanding sometimes the path may be variant and different. So I think there was a shift there. I think the other thing that ⁓ comes to mind when they were 1A and 1B is that parents know what they're doing. No, ⁓ there is an assumption that you're gonna know youth work and... You've got kids. Like, I was a youth worker before I became a parent, right? And so the assumption is that parents have all the tools. And I recognize in this stage of life as a parent and as a person who's done this for some time, they don't have the tools. They have what they know and they do what they were shown before them and not everybody's family upbringing made them equipped.

speaker-1: Yeah.

speaker-0: Right. So I think that there is this misnomer that just because a person is a parent that they have all the answers like when we know that there's no handbook to parenting. Right. And there's no real I mean there are guidelines and a lot of resources to help us to be good youth developers and youth practitioners. But I don't think that that information exchange often makes it ⁓ to the parents of the families who are working with our youth or supporting our youth on the other side.

speaker-1: I never thought of being a youth worker or youth professional before being a parent But yeah like that yeah tremendously has changed how I parent

speaker-0: How many people in the crowd are youth workers prior to being a parent?

speaker-1: Yeah. Anybody the opposite? Anybody parent first and then a youth worker? Okay. Okay.

speaker-0: Interesting. I think that there and I bring that like up because I think, you know, well before I got into the position of being at the California School Network, you know, my journey was one in which sports play basketball specifically where like kind of the. and they think about all the time. So many years that I was coaching kids and I was coming across parents, you come across all different kinds of parents in Watson life, right? You've got the traditional two-parent home, know, everybody shows up, right? And then to the single-parent home, shout out to my single mom, single dad's out there. Like I know it's rough, it's real. And I mentioned the dads too, because now in this generation and day and age, it's not uncommon for the dad to be the person that is taking care of the parent, I think maybe, and that's a shift. itself, but I think about an or you have many different variations of how parenting can kind of show up. But I think that how do you make sure parents, regardless of where they are, have the information, getting them to trust in the process, I think was one of the learning lessons I learned more as a coach, ⁓ utilizing my youth practitioner lens because I was well-lit. school before I became a coach and so taking those things and getting folks to understand that I am here to support your most treasured possession. Yeah, for sure. right, we have one final question for you. What is your favorite after school snack? Man, give me some celery, peanut butter, and raisins.

speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah Hands on

speaker-0: That is my go-to. ⁓

speaker-1: What's your least favorite? Like what do you hate? When you're like, ⁓ ugh, we're having that today.

speaker-0: So ⁓ I'm probably like, I've had my fair share of fruit cups. I'm good on a fruit cup. I'm good on a fruit cup. like the stickiness that comes with cleaning all of that stuff.

speaker-1: be the one. Well that's a wrap for this session. We're ending right at about 17 minutes and Desi is going to talk a little bit about what 17 minutes is.

speaker-0: Yeah, so in South Dakota, we did a little research and we found out that the average commute in South Dakota is about 17 minutes. So we thought this is the perfect way to maybe get people to listen to this podcast, listen to it on the way to work or maybe even listen to it on the way home and realize we're on the same boat, especially on those days that maybe aren't as good as others. So that's really where it came from. So you nailed it. were right at that, close to that portion. What we're going to do while we kind of transition is we're going to move into another section that we call popcorn. And this is where we're going to invite audience members to come up. We're going to do a real brief version of what we just did with Troy. It's just going to be a quick rapid fire. We might ask something a little deeper. But we want you to tell your story so we can all be a little more connected. Thank you.

speaker-1: Thanks for that. who's going to be the first one.

speaker-0: So I'm going to just ask this question. And be honest, I'm not going to ask you to come up because you do this, has anybody, raise your hand if you've thought about leaving the profession this year. Has anybody? Or in the last two years. about leaving the after school profession. Anybody think about leaving it during COVID? Is anybody working in it during COVID? I mean, that was probably my hardest years was during COVID. Okay. Do we have a brave soul who wants to come up and do the popcorn session? Come on up. All right. Love it.

speaker-1: definitely thought about leaving Dirk. Nice.

speaker-0: He can do some walk down music.

speaker-1: I wish I had some, yes. We should have built some good ones. Okay, you have a water in front of you. Thank you so much. You're welcome to choose any other type of taki.

speaker-2: No worries, no worries. Next time. needed it. Thank you.

speaker-0: So first we just have to ask who are you and where are from?

speaker-2: I am Juliana. I work with Kip Sokal and I started working with After School three years ago.

speaker-0: Okay, and Kip Soka, where's that at?

speaker-2: Kibso Cal is the company. It's a charter school. It's a charter company and I work for Kip Vida, which is one of their sites and I lead their after-school program. That's in California, South Central Los Angeles.

speaker-0: And that's in California.

speaker-1: All right, should we start with okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, Yeah

speaker-2: Go deep, go deep. Ooh, one rule that should be broken. I think the rule that... your students need to listen, like exactly to what you're saying. Yes, we need to listen, but at the end of the day, students are gonna be students. They've been in school for how long and then they're coming to us after, they're not gonna wanna listen. So making sure that we're teaching our students ways to where they're able to still follow expectations, but even if they're not listening to the letter of the word, they're doing what you're asking for.

speaker-1: No, that's true. Listening is not single track, right?

speaker-0: And it's not complete obedience.

speaker-2: Exactly. I push for students to actually want to engage in what I'm doing because they want to do it, not because I'm asking them to do it. At the end of the day, it's my job to cater my activities to what they want to do. Exactly.

speaker-0: and invite them to be part it.

speaker-1: Okay. To try to move through, I'm going to go to a deeper question. Okay. If that's okay. So feel free to eat a taki after I do this. a taki. Wait. Here's the question. What is something you wish your younger self knew before you got into this field?

speaker-2: I had a very important person in my life. I had a very important person in my life tell me the worst thing you can hear is no. And then after that, move on. And then that's the worst thing you can hear. And then after understanding that from her, because at this point in my career, I was 16. I was an intern for an event planning company.

speaker-1: She just jumped right in. She was like... That's it.

speaker-2: and I had connected with this person because my mom had worked as a housekeeper for this person and so she had an event planning company. I really pushed myself to want to learn anything. I wanted to have a job so I was like whatever it is sign me up and thankfully that pushed me into after school event planning somehow really connected with after school and thankfully I was able to learn a lot of the tools that she taught me and bring it into my current role. And now that I'm in this interim program manager role, the event planning is so seamless, so easy for me because I had already learned it.

speaker-0: I've never thought of that before. How important is that to be in a, I mean you are an event planner with After School. And especially if you're running multiple sites. That is something that I we need take back to our state and implement.

speaker-1: Kids are already learning it, day one. Career expiration.

speaker-0: Alright, I have one final question for you. Yes. Well then we'll have one final question. How has this work changed you as a person?

speaker-2: When I first started, I was 23. I had just transitioned from working in a legal office. I had worked as an immigration legal receptionist and was being pushed to like a legal receptionist manager role. But I also didn't feel fulfilled. When I started working in after school, I saw the big need that is needed because our students in South Central don't have access to the arts. ⁓ And so I was able to get that access through a church group a lot of public schools are not able to get the same access because of budget funding stuff like that and so when I first I was gonna say audition to the role but it's not even

speaker-1: Oh, sometimes it does.

speaker-2: Right, it feels like that. But when I first did my interview, I came in my fur coat, I had my high boots on, I was ready to come in as a music teacher. ⁓ And then through that, I was able to really fall in love with... being the safe space for students. I really needed that safe space growing up and I can tell you the teachers, Miss Martinez, Miss. ⁓ ⁓ Mrs. Spinoza. She was our after school person, ⁓ I had gone to a a ⁓ Catholic elementary school, so you had to pay to stay. So I remember it was rare, rare occasions, but when I did, she made my after school memorable. And since then, my goal in my program is to make sure that all students are feeling safe and comfortable and that they actually want to be there because at least for our school they have to apply to be there so I push for them to like stay because legally we have to have them stay. The funds we need them to stay but pushing for them to actually want to stay for every survey for them to answer hey I love my after-school teacher I feel safe with my after-school teacher I want to be with my after-school teacher all the time because at the end of the day they spend more time with us than they do with their own parents.

speaker-0: I think that's the unwritten rule of an after-school program. When you go into it, parents come to pick up the kids and the kids beg to stay and they don't want to go. I think that's where you can say, okay, this program, something's right here.

speaker-2: Exactly and so that's the the feeling that I've been trying to push and since I've come into this role since January I've been trying to make sure that every event students leave with I really love after school. Please mommy make sure you put your parent square notifications on so that you can sign me up.

speaker-0: All right.

speaker-1: Yeah, awesome. Let's give her a round of applause. Thank you for coming. Take all the tacos you want. Thank Oh, take your water. Thank you so much.

speaker-2: And my water.

speaker-0: Well we've got some, yeah we've got some, let me just ask a question out to the crowd here. Who in this room is doing something others should steal?

speaker-1: Yeah.

speaker-0: Are you doing anything so innovative that you think other people should steal it? Just shout it out.

speaker-2: I have an entrepreneurship program that I started. to start a business. goes from ideation to financials to marketing to eventually having a pitch competition at the end with judges. And so what's innovative and distinction... Okay. in West End program and the SACTE program here. So people should have steeled, but...

speaker-0: That's amazing.

speaker-2: Right behind.

speaker-0: It's well, I think you should come down here and tell us more. Would you be interested? Come on down, all right?

speaker-1: Yeah. We definitely should have had the prices right. That would have been so smart.

speaker-2: Thank you.

speaker-1: Yeah, we're good at tricking you. Yeah. I will say this. This is amazing and I give kudos to you because we are horrible about saying the great things we do. Yes. Right? We do not celebrate enough because we feel self-conscious about like we know it's good. Yeah. I don't think we feel bad about that. It's just about saying how good we are sometimes and yes, we can't be cocky but we can also be cocky because we're killing it. Yeah. All right. Sorry. Please introduce yourself.

speaker-2: My name is Gareja Patel and I'm the founder and CEO of Junior Pitch Deck and talking about celebrating yourself. So one of the few, so I started this program back in 2021 but actually started implementing it in 2022. It's an after school program where I do it in person but with KIPP it's actually a full curriculum that I started and went into EdTech last year actually. So was a process that I'm working on and building up. But one of the first few, classes that I have is talking about yourself. It's an uncomfortable conversation and this is middle schoolers and the reason I even started approaching middle schoolers with this program was because it's the most impressionable time and it's a time where they're still trying to figure who they are but it's a time also where they're trying to find identity and also connection with other people and so I wanted to bring this program where they can find that identity but within themselves and not have to look for others to give them you know give them affirmation of who they are and validate of who they are either. the first few classes that we have is what makes you awesome? I actually ask that. And sometimes the kids, some of them have some really bold, confident children in my class, and I love it. And some are like, well, nothing. And I love that because I actually can talk about it more. I dive deep into it with them. I ask them what they do. What are some of their hobbies? What are some of the things that excite them? Because those are God-given talents that we have. And if you go into the real world, when you're really working, whether you're working working nine five or you're an entrepreneur, you have to do what you're doing really well and then delegate the stuff that you don't do well at all. And that's okay. And so it's really cool because in that class that's what we talk about. How are you awesome? And then I make them say, I am awesome because, and it's a whole thing, but they love it.

speaker-0: That's it.

speaker-1: I mean how many I'll say this I've been in some leadership programs. We've all probably done some stuff like that I did one and They we had to write like about ourselves and they gave you like everyone's gonna do an introduction But you're gonna do a cultural introduction. So we do not want to hear about where you went to school We do not want to hear about what jobs you've had We want to know what you enjoy We want to know how you make an impact in the world and we want to know what matters to you most and I loved that like I'll never stop doing that And even when I write intros on like websites or something like that, it's always like I don't want to talk about the other stuff. I just want to talk about the cool stuff.

speaker-2: Yeah, yeah. And if you even talk to people, they want to talk about themselves. Yeah. It's funny, right? So if you just sit and it's one of the books of how to win, there's a book, I forgot, it's by Maxwell, think, and it's like how to win something, how to win friends or something like that. And ⁓ in that book, just really is you talk to other people and you listen. You listen and you ask them questions and let them talk about themselves because now you're giving them ability to be vulnerable, but also opening up themselves to you and then you ask them probing questions about them where they start connecting with you as well and allows them to become the main character. So I agree with you.

speaker-1: That's good.

speaker-0: I was going to follow up and say, how do you know when a student is starting to trust you and you just like rolled right in? Rolled in. Yeah. I think they just start talking and you have to be an active listener.

speaker-1: Yeah.

speaker-2: I am, and so truly I'm not an educator ⁓ by degree, I'm actually a lawyer. And ⁓ when I first started my law practice, I was a prosecutor in Harris County, Houston. And at that time, there was a docket that we used to have which was for young kids. And it was really sad also because there a lot of young kids coming in. And sometimes they were coming in for a lot of things, and I'm like, why is the school not handling this? Why is the court handling this right now? And through that program, fast forward, many, many years ago when I had kids and all this stuff and then I started this program, I realized that kids just want to be heard. And even my children want to be heard. They want me to be able to hear their side of the story before I make a judgment on anything. And so through, as a parent and then also these children, when I sit and listen to them, I start my class out every time it's a meeting and I'm like, where are we today? On a one to five, where are you? One being, let's restart this day. being I've had the best day ever. They love that time. They love that time with me. They love talking about all of that. mean, kids used to do that, what, in first grade, second grade, kindergarten? But once they come to middle school, nobody wants to talk about how their day is going. And so I give them that platform and that space, and they love that. And through that, I can also gauge where their head space is. And it's really lovely. And then I tell them, because they're in teams, and so then I tell their team members, I'm like, if your team member's not feeling great, that's OK. They don't have to. But you can step in, fill in the space that you need to fill in, and you can work together and collaborate. And so it's really like lot of learning experiences they're getting, lot of soft skills that they're getting. But ⁓ to answer your question, it's just them wanting to have that conversation. They remind me if I forget also. And then they'll be like, ⁓ we can't wait for the class next week. Or they see me in the hallways. I'm like, hey, how are you doing? They'll give me a hug. Or if I'm not going to be there this week, and they're like, why aren't you going to be there this week? feel like those things are my

speaker-0: They start reminding you of time that you can Yeah, I think that's a great point. When they're reminding you of the time that you guys share and you sometimes don't think it's the big time, but it's those little things. It's that little bit of sit down time. It's that little bit of just listening and sometimes just nodding your head at them.

speaker-1: time.

speaker-2: Yeah, and really not giving any feedback sometimes, right? They just want to be heard. And if they want feedback, then they'll ask me for it. And then there are times when some red flags go up, and so they'll be like, later on, be like, hey, you to chat a little bit? And then they might want to, and if not, it's OK.

speaker-1: Well, you just described though is ⁓ a best practice for handling tough situations with youth. And I say that for like in in after school programs, you're dealing with some sort of fight or like argument or like someone stole something from someone, right? Like you're dealing with all these these wild things. And every time we've been taught to say, why did you do that? Why did you why did you you always put the blame on the child first? Right. And the response is going to be what to blame someone else? No. wants to be caught doing anything. ⁓ But just listening and saying like what were you trying to get out of that? What did you want to happen when you were doing this? And having that conversation with them to hear their story just changes everything. does.

speaker-2: It does and it also gives a lot of agency with them over their actions when they're talking about what happened and I think that's somewhat of a game changer too because as they're talking sometimes they'll realize that well I could have that.

speaker-1: that matter.

speaker-0: Love it. Well, thank you. Thank you so much for being on the spot.

speaker-2: Yeah, thank you.

speaker-1: Okay, you, because you're so fun, you get to pick one of the prizes and then our other friend gets to come pick one of the prizes. Pick one bag, it's a secret. don't know, there's, one of them is kind of a, wah. Yeah. I know you even get prizes, it's so much fun. And I promise the Takis are not in the bag. I do, I do. Yeah, just a big bag of Takis, that'd be the worst.

speaker-0: We forgot. I'll grab my backpack. That's naughty. So while they're choosing, I'm going to ask the crowd.

speaker-1: You take it, it's yours. Okay? Yeah.

speaker-0: What's one big challenge that people don't know that's happening in an after school? So what's one challenge people don't see about working in the after school world? Anybody brave enough to answer that one? Sure, you're kind of left with the remnants of safety. Do your best. Cross your fingers. Unfortunately. Right, flight saver. All right, do we have a brave soul who wants to come up and popcorn with us?

speaker-2: Carry around a light saber.

speaker-1: Yeah, we've probably got enough time for like five minutes. If anyone wants to come.

speaker-0: Let me get my guys here from Arizona. Because these guys are so great. mean, they literally showed up. Perfect. Get up here. Love it. This literally came from us checking in, sitting at a table next to them. They just were talking with us. So it's that whole purpose.

speaker-1: ⁓ my. Awesome, easy start. Let's just start with an introduction. For sure. My name is Leo. I'm from Chandler, Arizona. And I've been working with kids since I was 12. I'm 26 now, so about to be 27 on Saturday. yeah. Thursday, Friday night, I guess.

speaker-0: So you kind of grew, ⁓ so I do know your backstory just a tiny bit, but you grew up in the program you're working in,

speaker-1: Yeah, yeah, so I grew up, I think, when I was 10, moved back to Arizona from Texas and kind of just essentially homeless, living out of a car with my mom. And so we applied to live in public housing in the city of Chandler and lo and behold, we were offered an opportunity to live in one of the sites, which was nice. And that's where kind of everything just started rolling and they provide after-school care through the rec centers. They provided ⁓ free memberships to the Boys and Girls Club. So I had a variety of options to go to within the city of Chandler for after-school care. And I kind of just took all of it and I just went to every single after-school program to see what was offered. And essentially it brought me back to here. Working with kids, giving back to the community and just making sure that they had someone there for them.

speaker-0: Somebody write a book on this guy. That's like, that is like the true after school story. That's. Let me ask you this. If you could add one position to your team tomorrow, what would it be?

speaker-1: Yeah, definitely. ⁓ One position it I don't even know if it's adding a position. I think it's just giving more time to our part-timers because our part-timers although it is a part-time gig it's not a part-time gig it's full-time effort and those people just want to commit and give it their all and If it's not if it wasn't because of the part-time position they could give it their all sure and so yeah I think it's just extending that for them.

speaker-0: Yeah. Absolutely.

speaker-1: There's some questions here, but I think I just want to ask you a question that's not on my list. ⁓ Talk about how, or talk about the staff member when you think of after school or some program that you, I want you to just talk about that person. Like you probably, we all have that person, that teacher we had in school or that leader that we had in our after school program. We all have that one person that we definitely remember that made an impact for us. I want to hear that story. So this guy. I've seen him at multiple after school programs and he just somehow always reappeared. And so it kind of started where we work currently. He was one of the rec leaders and his name is James. That guy is amazing. He's also a Cowboys fan, which I'm a Cowboys fan too. But yeah, turns out it's a close family friend of my family, which didn't know that was a thing, but he... He always pushed everyone to do the best they can. ⁓ Even the guys that just get under your skin sometimes and know how to push those right buttons, he somehow was able to connect with every single kid and always just make sure that they were doing the right thing even though no one was watching. yeah. Yeah, go ahead. a form? No, I tell you.

speaker-0: What's a small thing that you do that you know makes big differences to kids?

speaker-1: I just try to be a family member to the kids ⁓ because everyone just needs family and I think that's what really brings kids back is knowing that you're not there just to get paid, you're there to be a part of their life. I think just making sure that I'm a family welcoming, open-armed person for them is something I really do my best to try and exert onto them. Yeah. And I think that speaks a lot because Lord knows I don't like my family all the time, but I do like them. They make an impact. ⁓ I do like them at times, and then I don't like them. Okay, we are going to ask you the final question, and we're gonna ask the rest of the audience this question, so be ready. What is your favorite after school snack? My favorite after school snack?

speaker-0: Hmm...

speaker-1: can never go wrong with a bag of Cheez-Its. Good answer, good answer. With a little bit of hot sauce though. Oh yeah, adding a little to it. All right, I'm gonna, we're gonna start the bag and everyone's gonna name their favorite after-school snack.

speaker-0: There we go.

speaker-1: Toast with strawberry jam. Everyone over here. Cheese and crackers. Any kind of cheese or just cheese? ⁓ Yeah, nice.

speaker-0: Thank

speaker-1: Cheetos.

speaker-0: thin crunchy ones or the big fluffy ones? That was the right answer.

speaker-1: Crunchy. Anything with cheese? There is.

speaker-0: There's a theme here.

speaker-1: Oh. Man, I'm coming there. Yeah. I'm gonna go to you.

speaker-0: Right?

speaker-1: ChexMix. She's it's. Chocolate checks my buddies It's like a secret over there. ⁓ Okay, block of cheese. Yeah.

speaker-0: you

speaker-1: Okay.

speaker-0: Do you like the dirt chip or no dirt chip? Dirt chips, yes.

speaker-1: Apples and peanut butter. ⁓ Cinematose Crunch. Yeah. That's a good answer. When we've asked this before, I've said like cheese it's. But right now I'm really digging dots pretzels. Yeah. ⁓ Yeah. Like it's probably not healthy. What about your.

speaker-0: What about you Billy, what's your favorite episode? I would say for me it's I'm big on like the little chops the little like jerkies they're called chops I Don't know they're just like the right size

speaker-1: ⁓ yeah. Love it. Okay. All right. Well, that's it. Thank you. Thank you all.

speaker-0: Well hey, thank you.

speaker-1: And that's a wrap on today's episode of the After School Snack Podcast. We hope you enjoyed the conversation, got a little food for thought, and maybe even found something to chew on until next time. If you love what you heard, be sure to like, share, and subscribe. It really helps us to keep the snack table full. Until next time, keep your minds open, your hearts full, and your snacks within reach.

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