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Extracurricular activities: the afterschool connection.

Article Excerpt
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Academics are the focus of high school and college. But for many students, participation in activities outside the classroom is what they enjoy the most.

Athletics, clubs, and other extracurricular activities have benefits beyond the enjoyment they provide. These pursuits assist students in developing personally, socially, and intellectually. They might even help students to advance their academic and professional goals.

The pages that follow highlight extracurricular activities that are often available at the high school and college levels. The first section of the article describes the general benefits of participating in extracurricular activities. The second section discusses some of these activities, along with the advantages they offer to participants. A final section provides suggestions for finding more information. And a box on page 20 describes some activities that are integrated with academic programs instead of supplementing them.

The benefits of extracurriculars

Much of students' time outside the classroom is already spoken for. So why add extracurricular activities to an already busy schedule? The benefits to participants--including making friends, developing skills, and improving academic and employment prospects--are a strong argument in their favor.

A primary reason that students take part in an activity is personal interest. And an immediate benefit of pursuing interests through extracurriculars is meeting others who share those same interests.

The opportunity to form friendships also gives students a chance to develop social skills. For some students, social interaction in extracurricular activities is their first experience working with others toward a common goal. And teamwork is an important skill that most instructors and employers view favorably.

Teamwork often evolves into leadership in the extracurricular environment, because each club or organization has leadership posts. For example, Michael Falkowitz, formerly an assistant dean of students at the University of Kentucky, has identified about 2,500 opportunities for students to develop leadership...