After school programs, or ASP’s, help provide safety and supervision to adolescents while still letting them expand their cognitive, physical, and social skills with fellow classmates and other children in the community. After school programs offer a wide variety of activities to the attendees. Some activities include, but are not limited to, assistance with homework, craft day, cooking/nutrition day, and fitness.
When a child is in an afterschool program they are surrounded by mentors who are there to deter the child from negative activity. “Juvenile crime and victimization peaks in the hours after school, yet 1 in 5 kids are left on their own during these hours.”1Adolescents who are left alone in those couple of hours after school and before mom and dad return home are more prone to wander out and experiment with negative things such as drugs, alcohol, and destructive behavior. “For every dollar invested in afterschool programs, $2.50 is saved in crime-related costs.”1
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| photo credit: americandragononline.com/afterschool |
After school programs are the prime time in the child’s life to start introducing a healthy lifestyle.1 The majority of the children who attend are “at the developmental stage when they are forming the health patterns they will carry into adulthood.”2 The hours of a majority of after school programs are from 3-6pm. That is three hours between school and before dinner time. Most, if not all, ASP’s will have a brief twenty(ish) minute snack time, the mentors can take this time to throw out some fun, nutritional advice to the kids!
90% of children do not get enough vegetables in their diet.1 Childhood obesity is a growing problem in the United States; “92% of adolescents do not meet their daily requirement for physical activity.”1 While in an ASP children will have an abundance of time to play all sorts of games and activities. Children in ASP will be getting the great exercise they need through these fun games and activities and not even know it!
These programs help to provide a fun, healthy, and fit environment for today’s youth. After school programs are an excellent way for parents to feel sure that their child is in good hands after school. These programs provide children with extra help with their studies, learning fun new cooking and crafting skills and get a little fun exercise. Stay tuned for my next blog where I dive more in depth about the amazing benefits of these after school programs!
References
1“Afterschool Alliance." Afterschool Alliance. May-June 2016. Web. 12 Sept. 2016.
2“After School Programs." Youth.gov, n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2016.
I know for a fact that you're right about children misbehaving when left alone. There is a saying that goes, "When the cats are away, the mice will play" meaning that when there is no adult supervision, children are more likely to misbehave. I had no idea that for every dollar invested in after school programs, $2.50 is saved in crime-related costs. After school programs are extremely beneficial for the youth in all aspects of their life. Good job.
ReplyDeleteI think that after school programs are super beneficial rather than having parents use the TV as their baby sitter which I think has caused a rise in childhood obesity. I had no idea that it is 92% of kids don't meet their physical activity requirement. Great work Rachel!
ReplyDeleteIt is always great to see a light shown on programs like these that can encourage physical and cognitive skills early in life. Especially knowing that continuing these good habits can steer children clear of multiple health or behavior problems in the future. Our future society lays in these children's hands, awesome topic.
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