5 Reasons Why We Love Afterschool
February 13, 2019
NIOST loves afterschool, so we're taking part tomorrow in the We Love Afterschool campaign from Afterschool Alliance. Here are five reasons why we say #IHeartAfterschool:
- Out-of-school-time programs provide youth with the opportunity to try new things, challenge themselves, and make new friends. These experiences help strengthen their social-emotional learning skills. Here’s an example of how out-of-school time programs can help boost critical friendships among youth.
- Out-of-school-time programs can help keep youth healthy. In 2010, the HOST Coalition founded by NIOST, YMCA of the USA, and UMASS Boston developed the National AfterSchool Association's Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Standards.
- Out-of-school-time programs can provide opportunities to participate in the arts. Research suggests a link between the arts and academic achievement. Watch this webinar to learn more.
- Out-of-school-time programs can provide the time and space to use creative approaches for promoting literacy. Here’s one example, showing "How Making Comics in an Afterschool Setting Can Develop Young People’s Creativity, Literacy, and Identity."
- Out-of-school-time programs provide additional opportunities for youth to be physically active. Research suggests a link between physical activity and cognitive function.
