Demanding After School Programs

So the last post I gave a small story about my class last year. I think I shall continue the trend. So if not said already, I worked for a non profit organization called City Year in 2008-2009. I worked full time in a fifth grade classroom. Along with this I served as a mentor and after school worker for my students. The last part of what I did will be the focus of the post.

I worked in an after school program run by my team in our school. It was a free program for 3rd-5th graders and ran from 2:45-5:30 pm. It was structured to provide homework help but also to be a social network where students would interact from different grades and learn about issues in their community. I loved the program, and I know the kids did as well.

So why talk about after school programs? Take a look at this graph:


Graph provided from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service

Between 2PM-6PM violent crimes committed by youth under the age of 18 peak.Isn't this around the same time that students are getting out of school? In a society where many households have both parents working, students are left unsupervised and essentially calling the shots for a few hours. Here are some after school facts from SafeYouth.org:

"Other safety issues surface in the after-school hours as well. Students who spend no time in extracurricular activities, such as those offered in after-school programs, are 49 percent more likely to have used drugs and 37 percent more likely to become teen parents than are those students who spend one to four hours per week in extracurricular activities."

Another statistic:

The parents of more than 28 million school-age children work outside the home. As many as 15 million "latchkey children" go to an empty house on any given afternoon. (Source: U.S. Department of Labor; U.S. Census Bureau, Urban Institute estimate, 2000)

And one more statistic to let things sink in:

"Teens who do not participate in after school programs are nearly three times more likely to skip classes or use marijuana or other drugs; they are also more likely to drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes and engage in sexual activity. (YMCA of the USA, March 2001)"

So it would seem logical that all parents would have their kids in an after school program. False. It is true parents want to put their children in after school programs, but usually they are too expensive or there just isn't a program near their home. After school programs are a wonderful thing and can help children succeed while also providing jobs for young adults. Currently I work at the YMCA and I would rather be playing a game of 'Fishy, Fishy Cross My Ocean' with my students than see them at home alone. When educators look at education reform, they need to also look at those vulnerable hours after the school bell rings and find affordable alternatives for students.


Websites:
SafeYouth.org 
After School All-Stars