After-school programs provide a much-needed safe space for children and adolescents and opportunities for them to engage in positive activities. These programs, however, do much more. Here are some of the benefits of participating in after-school programs.
Help Keep Kids Safe
After-school programs give youth a sense of community and structure. By participating in something beyond the regular school day in a familiar, safe, and supportive environment, youth from elementary through high school levels develop positive relationships with peers and with caring adults. From there, they build teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills.
Improve Academic Performance
Participating in fun and engaging activities through after-school programs can help improve academic performance. These programs reduce the amount of time youths spend unsupervised and provide them with opportunities to learn new skills. These programs can also offer structured learning opportunities for youth who are at risk of falling behind academically.
Improve Behavior
Young people are like sponges—they soak up everything around them. This can be a great thing when it comes to learning new things, but it’s not so great when they’re exposed to negative influences. After-school programs expose kids to positive adult role models who can help students develop self-discipline, a sense of responsibility, and positive behaviors.
Improve Health and Well-Being
Participating in after-school programs can have a positive impact on the physical and emotional health of children and adolescents. These programs can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, promote healthy eating habits, and encourage physical activity.
The benefits of participating in after-school programs are clear. ARISE Foundation helps by providing age-appropriate life skills curriculum materials for educators, social workers, and juvenile justice staff. Our high school life skills curriculum addresses communication, interpersonal, and anger management skills.
ARISE believes that all children have the potential to be successful. Our curriculum is designed to help at-risk youth reach their full potential. ARISE provides training and support to staff, teachers, and youth caretakers to help them implement engaging, high-quality programs that will meet the needs of every student and improve their lives one day at a time.