Position proposal

Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular Activities

While going on a jog I see a group of kids just watching other kids play soccer, I ask them “why don’t you go join them?” they respond to me “ I really wish I could be in the schools soccer team but the uniforms are to expensive and my family cant afford it. I tried out and have the grades, but when they told me I made the team they gave me the cost of all my equipment I had to let the opportunity go away”.

Almost every school offers different kinds of extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities don’t just include sports but also music and academic clubs. These activities offer opportunities for students to learn the values of teamwork, individual and group responsibility, physical strength and endurance, competition, diversity, and a sense of culture and community. Extracurricular activities provide a channel for reinforcing the lessons learned in the classroom, offering students the opportunity to apply academic skills in a real-world context, and are thus considered part of a well-rounded education. Extracurricular activities can also be a little expensive.

When students don’t have anything to do they run the risk of doing something dangerous just for fun. Everyone wants their children in a safe place where they make positive decisions. That’s why it’s important for every student to have something to do after school for their own good and future. The reason most children aren’t involved in extracurricular activities is because of the cost. If it weren’t for the cost of extracurricular activities more people would be involved.

. How can schools make extracurricular activities more affordable? Making activities affordable can help increase the number of student involvement. I know they’re is a lot of students who wish to be in a sport, club, or any other activity but cant because its to expensive, I see this happening more in minority families. This problem causes other kids to miss out on activities.

How can we get every student involved in some kind of activity?. A lot of students that come from minority groups want to join some kind of activity but their afraid of getting laughed at by others because they cant afford the awesome equipment everyone around has. It can be embarrassing being the only person in ones team with the ripped up shoes because they cant afford anything better. Being made fun of as a kid can be dangerous because that leads to bullying.

One good way to raise money for those students that come from low income families are  Fundraisers. Fundraisers  are a good way to earn money for extracurricular activities. Some of the main activities schools do to earn money are car washes, sell cookie dough, chocolate, tickets, or do some kind of activity that can help people contribute for example a performance or carnival. The money they earn from the fundraisers  usually goes towards equipment for the whole team. What about the uniforms and other costs that each individual has to purchase? For some students it’s easier because their parents help them out, for other students with low-income families it is harder to find money to cover for those kinds of expenses.

For the parents that cant offered having their children in extracurricular activities can register their children in recreational programs. Recreational programs are cheaper then an actual sport club. The community helps with these programs so children who come from low-income families stay active.  

Schools can also do more to help students increase their physical activity to help them gain some kind of interest by offering free after school activities for example any sort of club, physical activity, or volunteering. These things can help students get into the habit of doing something else besides eating and watching television after school. Some schools also offer after school homework club to help students with their homework and make sure they do their homework for those students who are having trouble turning in assignments. In the After School Programs article by the Education Board says; “The federal government has gotten into the business of supporting after-school programs, especially in low-income communities.” Some of the funding goes towards funding some of the activities going on in the community or neighborhood.

Another method schools could use to help their students who come from low income families is increase their recess, but make sure they are doing some kind of sport in one of their recesses. I know elementary kids have about three recesses; replacing one of those into a thirty-minute sports game could be beneficial. It can help the students that cant be in a sport learn some of the skills that extracurricular activities offer. Having one recess where they just focus on activities wont cost anything and it’s healthy for the student’s health as well.

So many of our tax money goes to a lot of things. Using taxpayer dollars to fund after school programs is a good method to help students with low income families participate in some kind of activity. It’s for a good cause because the students  are our new future. Having this opportunity can help so many students achieve their dream depending on what their dream is. Some students have the dream to become writers, artist, professional athletes, singers, etc.

Students from low-income families receive fewer opportunities for academic enrichment than students from higher income backgrounds. Offering scholarships or enrichment programs for students can help them join an extracurricular activity. Out of school enrichment is defined as a “unique out of school educational experiences that engage and challenge students.” Out of school enrichment programs are good for high potential students from low-income families because these experience can positively influence student’s achievement levels, enrollment in advanced courses and decisions to pursue. In the article “Developing Talents” by Rachelle Miller quote that, “gifted students from low income families may face challenges because of financial constraints at home”, students who come from low income families in which the parents educational level and occupational status are also commensurately low creates a special constraint.”

The government helps families with low-incomes all the time by fee waivers, which covers their lunch and school fees depending on their families’ income. I think doing the same for students that want to play some sport or join and activity would be good thing. If they have good academics and they qualify it could do them good. Recent researchers from the article “Developing Talents” by Purdue University suggests that, participation in extracurricular activities may increase students' sense of engagement or attachment to their school, and thereby decrease the likelihood of school failure and dropping out. This will help America have much more successful people then failure. This would be a good investment for more school engagement.

Students from low-income families should be provided opportunities to develop social support systems, extracurricular resources such as school clubs, summer enrichment programs, mentor, and cultural opportunity. This will help more students have a successful future and helps them gain real world skills. Those kids will benefit them in the future. Everyone can help giving students the opportunity of getting engage by helping in fundraisers, volunteering, or just simply spreading the word on why this is so important. All children should have the opportunity too participate in a activity. 

Refrences :

Halpern, Robert. “After School Programs for Low-Income Children: Promise and

Challenge”. Future of Children (2007). Web. 2 Oct. 2007

Miller, Kachelle. “Developing Talents: Out of School Enrichment Programs”. Journal

of Advanced Academics 21 (2010): 594-627. JAA. Web. Summer 2010

Riley, Richard. “After School Programs”. Education Week (2004). Web. 30 April.

2013