After-school programs offer success

After-school programs offer children more than just a place to hang out after school is dismissed.

As the children head back to school this year, it's a good time to remember that learning doesn't have to stop when the dismissal bell rings at the end of the school day.

After-school programs offer families a great alternative to allowing children to entertain themselves after they get out of school, when they often just watch television at home or get into trouble due to a lack of supervision. Recent studies suggest that regular attendance in a good after-school program can help improve student success and counter obesity. After-school programs often provide tutoring, help strengthen achievement, and offer students enrichment opportunities they might not receive during the regular school day.

A survey of 1,200 youths between the ages of 13 and 18 was conducted by Newton Research for JA Worldwide in March 2006. The survey reports the following statistics:
¥ Four-in-ten teens (40.5 percent) don't attend after-school programs because they are not interested in what is being offered.
¥ In contrast, about one-in-ten teens say they do not participate because of cost (11.9%) or lack of transportation (11.6%).
¥ Overall, 44.7 percent of the studied teens attend after-school programs other than sports, while 55.3 percent do not.
¥ When asked what factors would increase their interest in after-school activities, the overwhelming majority of teens said they would be interested in after-school programs that offer opportunities for college scholarships (94.3 percent), programs where they can earn college credit (92.1 percent), programs that help them perform better in school (76.8 percent), develop leadership skills (76.4 percent), teach them how to work with money and budgets (75.6 percent) and how to run a business (69.1 percent).