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AFTERSCHOOL.COM
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How kids spend their after school time can be critically important for both the students and the society they live in. Good after school programs are cost-effective and save money through education as well as prevention. After school prevention issues are aimed at juvenile crime, pregnancy, substance abuse and dropping out, all behaviors that put both student and society at risk. After school programs help keep kids busy during the hours they are most likely to get into trouble. After school programs also provide access to adults who provide the support needed to succeed in life, whether it is after school homework help or just saying no to drugs. Kids in after school programs get better grades, drop out less, and have lower incidences of drug-use, violence and pregnancy.
After school programs are also good at addressing specific community needs like nutrition, where after school programs have been utilized to combat the problem of childhood obesity. As kids begin to develop their fitness and nutrition habits, after school programs provide physical activity and nutrition education that can be the foundation of a healthy lifestyle. There is no denying after school programs provide opportunities to promote and support healthy lifestyles in our youth.
Without after school programs, society pays a greater price for remedial education, absenteeism, grade repetition, drop-outs, crime, drug use and teen pregnancy. When a kid starts to fail in school the costs can last a lifetime. Because after school programs can provide a place for young people to develop skills needed to enter the 21st Century workplace, it is in each community’s best interest to attract more public and private investment in after school programs. Without the aid of after school programs, students can lack basic skills in reading, writing and math. It is estimated that high school drop outs earn a third less income than high school graduates.
Research has shown that after school programs boost student achievement and help get kids started on the path to a productive adult life. Good after school programs also require community support; they need quality staff, adequate budgets and community participation in order to succeed. Local support of community after school programs is an investment in the future of the community.
