4. Extracurricular Activities that Encourage Greater Involvement and Connection to School and Community
Extracurricular activities—after-school activities such as clubs, student-interest
groups, newspaper, yearbook, debate or school governance—allow young
people the chance to work toward a common interest. These activities provide
opportunities for students to develop personal and social responsibility. Such
activities are usually run by schools, but can also be provided through nonprofit
and community organizations.
Indicators
- Multiple opportunities for involvement in school or community.
- Support and encouragement for students to take advantage of these opportunities.
Evidence
The relationship between extracurricular activities, especially during
adolescence, and later political and civic engagement is one of the most
striking of all the promising approaches.
- Nearly a dozen studies have been conducted and all demonstrate strong links between certain types of extracurricular activities and civic engagement.
- The structure of the organization seems to matter. Organizations that involve working on a collective outcome (such as yearbook, student government or even a chess club) have much stronger results than those that are related only to enhancing individual interests. Those with a collective focus seem to be better able to develop the civic skills mentioned above.
Click to view Approach 5 >>