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Educational Opportunities Extend Beyond the Classroom
April 8, 2005 Research tells us that just the opposite is true. Decades of research, both statewide and nationally, demonstrate that students who participate in high school activities tend to have higher grade point averages, better attendance records, lower dropout rates, and fewer discipline problems than non-participating students. In addition, national studies consistently report that participation in high school activities builds character, increases self-confidence, relieves tension, and supports classroom learning by generating school pride, a sense of community, and by nurturing a feeling of belonging that makes students want to achieve. Studies also show that, as a result of these connections, students who participate are more likely to stay off drugs, graduate from high school, and attend college. Typically, the cost for athletics and all other extracurricular activities accounts for less than two percent of a school district’s overall budget. This investment provides young people with countless opportunities to develop leadership skills, in addition to encouraging them to pursue and fulfill aspirations they may have established many years earlier. Involvement in extracurricular activities teaches other positive traits as well, such as managing time, recognizing the need for drill and practice in order to achieve success, and interacting constructively with adults. It provides teachers the opportunity to interact with students on a different level as well, creating conversation opportunities as well as common focal points for interactions. A key attribute of highly effective schools is the relationship and/or positive connection that students have with teachers, coaches, and administrators. What is demonstrated even further, however, is the relationship that can be extended between students and members of the community, most particularly with its senior citizens. At Spring Lake Park, our high school students annually hold a "Spring Fling" for area senior citizens and this year’s event is April 27. About 150 area seniors typically attend the free dinner with entertainment sponsored by the Student Council and the Fine Arts Department. Frequently, the entertainment consists of vignettes from the spring musical and from members of the school’s jazz band and choir. Students greet their special guests, seat them, provide valet parking, and serve them dinner. This type of event provides an opportunity for warm and genuine interaction between the senior citizens and these students. A similar positive interaction occurs regularly with members of the Leos, a student service organization affiliated with the Spring Lake Park Lions Club. It, too, provides opportunities for students to use these out-of-classroom experiences to enhance the most fundamental relationships—the intergenerational connections of seniors to adolescents. In this setting, all student volunteers, even students who don’t perform as successfully in the classroom, have the opportunity to make significant and long-lasting connections in the real world. Students gain confidence, enthusiasm, and self-respect, and that translates, once again, to better attendance, better discipline, and higher levels of achievement in the classroom. It’s not uncommon for someone to ask whether extracurricular activities are worth it, particularly after a negative incident has occurred. Certainly activities, at times, can become too competitive. (Just as certainly, a student, a coach, or even a spectator will behave inappropriately.) But even more certainly, as the research proves time and again, the benefits far outweigh any costs or investments necessary to keep these programs intact. In Spring Lake Park, we have an outstanding and successful extracurricular program that benefits students in many ways. We have outstanding and dedicated advisors and coaches to work with our students. Just as importantly, we are deeply grateful for the financial and moral support that our parents and community contribute to our extracurricular programs. In every sense of the word, our extracurricular programs provide win-win opportunities for all that are involved. |
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