After-school programs are popping up all over the place. In years past, local Boys and Girls Clubs or the YMCA offered most of these programs. Now, more and more schools are opting to offer these programs. The programs that are offered by local schools are often run differently than those offered by the Boys and Girls Club or the YMCA. The key is who is funding the program and what their requirements are.
The main concept behind programs run by the Boys and Girls Club or the YMCA is to keep children off the streets thus keeping them safe. Social skills and enrichment activities are key. They want to offer a safe place for children to hang out and learn new skills. They offer enrichment activities and expose children to things they might not otherwise be exposed to. These things include art, music, dance, and martial arts.
After-school programs that are run by the schools are similar in many ways yet they differ in many ways too. Before teaching, I ran one of these school-run programs. We were funded by the state and had to meet certain criteria in order to keep our funding. While we exposed our children to enrichment activities similar to those offered by the other programs, we also stressed education. We held daily oral language and math classes in an effort to further practice what they were learning in their regular classrooms. In other programs, they help with homework; however, in many school-run programs, the emphasis is geared towards furthering their knowledge by teaching activities that further complement what they are learning in the classroom.
After-school programs can offer a safe and stimulating environment for children. If your child struggles in school or likes to come home and sit in front of the television or their favorite video game, then an after-school program may be just what they need. Check it out! You might be surprised by what you find.
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