Young people’s involvement in after-school programs has been illustrated to contribute significantly to their achievement in school , and to reduce crime and risky behaviors.
According to data reported by America after 3 PM (extensive survey on afterschool, spanning 16 years), 24.6 million children participated in after school programs in 2020. 94% of Parents were extremely satisfied to see that their kids are learning life skills as well as actively taking part in physical activities. Even during the pandemic (Covid 19), the demand remains high as parents report greater support through these programs in such tough situations.
The engagement of kids in anti-social activities is one reason, but other than that, there are plenty of other reasons why students should be encouraged to join after-school programs. Let’s dive into them.
Improve Academic Performance:
After school programs can help students improve their academic performance exponentially as students are provided with one-on-one interaction with the mentor unlike in schools where the no. of students is very large and it gets really difficult for the teacher to help students on a one-on-one basis. It can help students clear their doubts more freely, and thus, it will improve their grades and open a plethora of new opportunities for them to lead a successful life. Not only this, these programs improve classroom behaviour, school attendance and reduce the likelihood that student will drop out.
Explore New Career Choices:
These programs reward different classes where kids can discover their Potential and Interest. Who knows if they find their hidden genius through this effective training and will forever be grateful to their parents. Nowadays, children follow the herd mentality and choose their career in the heat of the moment, unaware of where their interest and talent lies. They end up choosing a wrong career and become a victim of mid-career-crisis. So, by engaging kids in different Afterschool programs, they can uncover their field of interest at an early age and pursue their career in the right direction.It has been rightly said that if you work in your field of passion, it raises your potential exponentially and gifts you with immense success.Parental aid for working Parents:
Suppose you and your spouse both work hours daily, and on a particular day you got home and see your son, badly injured as he had a dangerous fight with his friend. Very tough sight for a parent. Isn’t it? To avoid such a situation, how soothing it will be, for a parent to know that his kid is in safe hands and exploring new skills on top of that. So, after school programs can act as a parental aid for working parents as they can provide them with a sense of relief and security that their children are insecure hands.
Social Skills improvement
After school programs help children build their social skills. As a result, they build new connections, explore new skills, new opportunities with different kinds of activities being performed at different afterschool programs. Several out-of-school programs help kids build social skills such as teamwork, public speaking, compassion, confidence building, etc. These skills assist kids in handling demanding situations adroitly and lead a happy and successful life.Adding fun to learning:
These classes have the potential to make learning more like a fun activity for kids and provide them useful information along with being entertaining at the same time. In addition to this, these classes offer super effective scientific approaches where learning can be made fun without making it a burden for kids. Once kids learn this art, they become skillful throughout their lives.
Refrainment from Anti-social Activities:
After school programs present a helping hand for parents, while the kids stay busy. It, thus, prohibits a child from indulging in any anti-social activities like consuming alcohol, drugs, violence, etc once they are engaged in an effective afterschool program. These programs offer the best strategies to reduce crime and risky behaviour in children. In this way, these are several aspects that emphasize the importance of engaging our kids on a good afterschool program.What do you think? Do you consider after-school programs beneficial? Or would you rather say that they are they unnecessary? Please share with us.
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