How Extracurricular Activities Affect Children 's Education

In my point of view, extracurricular activities are what shape a student into what they are or become. SkillsUSA is a career and technical student organization that helps students obtain the leadership, hands on, professional, and employability skills that America is searching for. Although at first, students do not find this extracurricular activity as interesting as a sport, they fail to recognize that this organization is for students and ran by students. As Pope John Paul II said, “The future starts today, not tomorrow.” Today, I know that SkillsUSA is helping me take a step closer to what I want to do in my

Through extracurricular activities, students have opportunities to learn things outside the classroom in a hands-on experience. Being involved in these activities enhances intrinsic motivation

Before I discuss why extracurricular activities should be a high priority in school funding, it is vital to understand what is being done and what could be done to achieve these results. One major way to certify that these organizations

Extra curricular activities as well as enrollment in advanced placement and other college prep courses.

If you asked my teachers about extracurriculars, they would say they take students’ time away from homework. If you asked me, I would say they keep students’ motivated in school and spark their interest. Almost anywhere you go, kids involved in sports are referred to as “student athletes.” Being a student should always come first, but athletics holds importance too. For many of us, sports are our whole lives. For me that is definitely true right now. Athletics have played a huge role in helping me develop through my adolescent life, but I am not sure they need to continue to play as large of a role going into my future.

Imagine what the world would be like if there were not extracurricular activities such as sports, student government, and other organizations.For example one such organization is the Boy Scouts which has produced many American leaders such as Gerald Ford, Donald Rumsfeld, and Robert Gates. That is just one organization that I would count as an extracurricular, just imagine what the world would be like if extracurriculars like sports teams, student government and other organizations did not exist. Sports and extracurriculars are important in the fact that they develop important intangibles, enable students to get jobs, and produce morally straight individuals.

Extra-curricular activities are an integral part of any student's school experience. They are widely regarded as important, if not more important than academics. Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, extra-curricular activities do not need to be sports in particular but can either be community service, or an "academic" club like chess. Soccer is one of the best extra-curricular activities. Soccer can help you get a good job, gain admission into a better college, or network.

Activities during this year will also encourage participation and inclusion of all students. Students will develop skills needed to interact positively with others, and they will focus on exploration and creativity rather than on game play that involves winning or losing.

With school budgets becoming smaller and tighter we as educators need to become more fiscally responsible on how we spend our limited resources. Money is not our only resource we need to worry about, but time, and teacher’s man-hours are also limited commodity and need to be factored in on how we use limited school resources. So the question becomes, is extra curricular activities worth the money, time, and human investment that comes with school sponsored extra curricular activities.

In addition to being unrelated to the academic curriculum of school, extracurriculars are a privilege and not a right. Extracurriculars are of a voluntary nature, as they carry no credit and are conducted before or after school hours. Since extracurriculars are optional, students who elect to participate should be held to high standards of academic performance; those with substandard grades should not be eligible for extracurriculars when they are undeserving of such entitlements. Courses take priority in school, which students attend to receive an education, so individuals with a subpar performance in their classes should not be allowed to participate in extracurricular programs since these privileges are unbefitting

Penn High School has a variety of different extracurricular clubs that serve all interests, which can help students retain their individuality. Lacrosse lovers, anime enthusiasts, and everyone in between all have the opportunity to participate in activities they enjoy, as well as meeting people who share their hobbies. Participation in extracurricular activities can also help students do well in their academics. The National Center for Education Statistics says, "Students who participated [in extracurricular activites] were three times as likely to perform in the top quartile on a composite math and reading assessment compared with nonparticipants" (NCES.ed.gov). This shows that in addition to maintaining their interests and meeting new friends, extracurricular activities can actually help students' intelligence.

Community college students can benefit from being involved in extracurricular activities and develop transferable skills needed to be well rounded for future career opportunities. Transferable skills are skills that you can apply towards any form of employment. Another important skill gained from being involved in extracurricular activities is networking skills. In today 's competitive job market students who are able to make the most out of their college experience will be at an advantage over students who just received good grades. The more students are involved in programs and extracurricular activities the more connections that are made. According to MIT Career Development Specialist Lily Zhang besides getting a job, the benefits of networking include learning about career fields, learning from

Extracurricular activities can help students by helping them learn how to manage their time more efficiently and improve academics. Students learn how to balance their activities and school work appropriately, this helps the student get their homework done on time and limit procrastination (Jackson). With less time to do homework, students work more efficiently, this limits those late night homework sessions, because students will make sure their work is done. When participating in an extracurricular activity, students might find that they have less time to work, so to compensate they plan out when they will complete their homework, showing responsibility, and time management (“Why Extracurricular”). Responsibility and good time management are beneficial because it shows that students know how to manage their time to complete things before they are due. According to Nicole Jackson:

Academics can get us good jobs, great jobs, great businesses, or even a great deal of money maybe. But what extracurricular teach us is the real time scenario of interacting while in a pressure, while still maintaining to demonstrate the highest of the caliber you possess. I have devoted 11 years of my life to Music, Art, Writing, Debating, Model UNs, Business Competitions, and Voluntary Services towards the society and Travelling.

As you can see, the idea of extracurricular activities is winning indeed. Students are always eager to