YOU AS THE STUDENT OR PARENT FINDING THE PROGRAMS TO JOIN AND INSPIRE YOUR CHILD TO JOIN WITH IT RESPECTIVERY.

AFTER FINISH YOUR EDUCATION LEVEL OR AFTER SCHOOL SEASON DO YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO?
OR WAITING FOR THE RESULTS DECLARATION SEASON?
LOOK THE IMPORTANCE OF AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS TO THE CHILDREN AND YOUTH.

Why are afterschool programs good for school-age children and youth?

Families across the country are beginning to recognize the tremendous benefits a quality afterschool program can provide. Because they offer an array of activities not always available during the traditional school day, these programs give students many opportunities for growth and learning they might not find elsewhere. For example, at a time when many schools have had to cut or reduce spending on art and music programs, afterschool programs can offer kids the opportunity to paint, draw, perform in a dramatic production, play music, participate in a dance performance, visit museums, etc. Or students can go into further depth with research that they may have begun in class time, which is often limited. While most in the afterschool field would agree that supporting academic skills is an important goal for afterschool programs, they stress the importance of integrating academic supports into a larger program that also promotes the social, emotional, and physical development of the children they serve. In her regular column, Sandra Feldman, President of the American Federation of Teachers, recently wrote a "holiday wish list" in which she asked for "more learning time for children who need it. There is accumulating research that afterschool programs, summer school, and extended days and years enable children who are behind to catch up. And added academics are not enough. Poor children need the kind of extras that advantaged children take for granted but that too many poor children don't get: sports and cultural activities -- like singing in choirs, dancing, visiting museums -- and going on organized excursions." [A Holiday Wish List by AFT President Sandra Feldman December 2000 http://www.aft.org/stand/previous/2000/1200.html]
There is growing evidence from around the country that this approach is paying off. Children and youth who attend afterschool programs do better in school, and are safer and less likely to get into trouble in the hours after the end of the school day. Below is a quick look at what the available data on afterschool programs have shown us.
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Afterschool programs can enhance children's academic achievement. Participants in afterschool programs:

show increased interest and ability in reading
develop new skills and interests
show improved school attendance, increased engagement in school, and reduced dropout rate
turn in more and better quality homework and can spend more time on task
are held back or placed in special education classes less frequently
show higher aspirations for the future, including intention to complete high school and go to college. (See the NIOST fact sheet [http://www.niost.org/] and Safe and Smart: [http://www.ed.gov/pubs/afterschool/afterschool.pdf])

Afterschool programs support children's social development and their relationships with adults and peers. Children who participate in afterschool programs behave better in school, have more developed social skills, and show more self-confidence as a result of the caring relationships they develop with staff and other students in the program. Afterschool participants are also in smaller classes and can take advantage of the extra time with teachers. (See the NIOST fact sheet [http://www.niost.org/] and Safe and Smart: [http://www.ed.gov/pubs/afterschool/afterschool.pdf])

Positive Feelings
High school students in afterschool programs exhibit more positive feelings and attitudes toward the pressures of teen life and are more willing to share their talents with the community. ["The Shell Education Survey," August 25, 1999]

As well as supporting positive goals, afterschool programs can also lessen risky behaviors, such as drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, by providing young people with positive and healthy alternatives. The afterschool hours are the time that students are most likely to experiment with drugs, alcohol, and tobacco and engage in other unsafe or dangerous behaviors. When these kids have a place to go that is staffed by caring adults, they are much less likely to engage in this kind of unhealthy behavior. The middle school years are a time when kids are particularly vulnerable to peer pressure. By simply giving these kids an alternative, afterschool programs can help steer them in healthier directions.

Afterschool programs may keep young people from committing crimes and from juvenile delinquency, and may prevent them from being the victim of violent crime. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the hours immediately after school dismissal are when young people are the most likely to commit or be victimized by serious criminal acts. [FBI, National Incident-Based Reporting System] In fact, the juvenile crime rate triples between 3:00 and 6:00 pm. Afterschool programs can offer a safe and enjoyable place for young people who might otherwise find themselves in dangerous and unsupervised situations.

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