After School Programs: Every parent wants their ward to have every possible advantage during their formative years. As a result, it comes as little to no surprise that more than 40% of parents enroll their children to after school education programs. These programs cater to all age groups and are used to cover a huge variety of different areas. You can get all your desire information about bachelor of science degree.
After School Programs– Benefits
With that being said, it is only to have a few questions regarding these programs. Today, we will try our best to answer a few of them, such as –
- Are there any after school online programs?
- What are the different after school program courses?
- What is an after school program’s cost?
With all of this now out of the way, let us get to the meat and potatoes of it. You can also explore list of nationally accredited colleges
Why are After School Programs Important?
To be frank, there is no one answer to this question. After school education programs are preferred for a myriad of different reasons. A few of them are as follows –
- Improve students academic performance
- Improve classroom behavior and reduce dropout rates
- Reduce illicit activities and addiction-related issues
- Improve physical activity and induce better dietary habits
- Provide a safe learning space while parents may be at work or otherwise busy
It is in view of these advantages that a lot of parents opt for after school programs for their wards. There are undoubtedly many more advantages but then, the list will be endless. So for the time being, make do with these. You can also search for cheapest and accredited online colleges
Types of After School Programs
There are a number of programs to put it simply. As a result, they can be divided into 3 board categories. These categories are as follows –
- Academic programs
- Athletic programs
- Media related programs
- Neighborhood and family programs
- Miscellaneous programs
These types of after school programs focus on different aspects of the child’s growth. All in all, these programs aid the holistic growth of the child. We will get into the specifics of the programs in just a while. Till then, if there is any field where you would like your child to focus on, then you can simply pick and choose from above. one can also visit our site cheapest online college per credit hour
After School Program Courses
There are quite a number of after school programs courses available nowadays. However, since we cannot cover all those iterations, we will be covering only those which are officially recognized. With that out of the way, let us take a look at a few of those courses –
- 21st Century Community Learning Centers
- 4-H Afterschool
- 4-H Youth Development Program
- AmeriCorps
- Caring for Every Child’s Mental Health
- Children’s Health Insurance Program
- Department of Defense STARBASE
- Family and Youth Services Bureau
- Gang Resistance and Education Program
- Internet Safety
- Media-Smart Youth
- National Academies Board on Children, Youth, and Families
- Neighbourhood Networks
- Race to the Top
- Senior Corps – Foster Grandparent Program
All of these types of after school programs courses offer a whole host of different advantages to the student. To further help you choose the best course for your ward, here is a quick breakdown of what is taught in these courses –
- 21st Century Community Learning Centres
This is an academic program that is particularly beneficial for students from poor backgrounds or in under performing schools. The school programs is tailored towards helping these students perform better in their academics and meet local and state standards set by the authorities. You may also checkout best and cheap online colleges
On top of this, there are a whole host of enrichment activities which are there to further help the students. Alongside this, there are literacy programs, etc. to help the parents of the students as well!
- 4-H Afterschool
This program is geared toward helping students from suburban and urban areas. There are a few rural areas included as well, however, the outreach program to those places isn’t as fully-fledged.
This program is primarily focused on improving the after school programs as a whole for the students. Essentially, it is a body within the main after school body.
- 4-H Youth Development Program
This is a federally mandated program whose sole purpose is to create and conduct positive youth development programs. The main aim of this program is to improve the knowledge and skills of the students while also improving the quality of life of the communities from which these students come from.
- AmeriCorps
This program was created to help the interested students volunteer with a number of non-profit groups spread throughout the country. With this, the main hope of the course is to develop a community welfare mindset within the students and make them more inclined to help them.
- Caring for Every Child’s Mental Health
This program was created in 1994 to help with the mental health crisis developing amongst students. The main aim of after school programs course is to help increase awareness about the challenges faced by children which can negatively impact their mental health.
- Children’s Health Insurance Program
This program is aimed towards providing after school students with free or low-cost health insurance. This coverage covers all students enrolled in the program until the ages of 19. This program is only aimed at U.S. citizens and eligible immigrants.
- Department of Defence STARBASE
This is an educational course that is sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defence for Reserve Affairs. This course covers wide-ranging topics such as aviation, mathematics, science, technology, engineering, space exploration, etc.
On top of this, after school programs course also provides students with an experience of life at the National Guard, Navy, Marine, Airforce reserve, and Airforce bases all across the country.
- Family and Youth Services Bureau
This course falls within the ambit of the Administration for Children, Youth, and Family, ACF, DHHS. This course aims to provide positive solutions and alternatives to students in order for them to make use of their potential while being safe.
As a result, the whole program is geared towards motivating the youth to choose the best possible course of action. It even works on the community and encourages it to support its young people.
- Gang Resistance and Education Program
This is a law officer instructed, a school-based program. The main goal of this program is to minimize harmful tendencies such as youth delinquency, violence, and gang membership. In order to implement this, after school programs has prevention as its core mechanic.
So, rather than minimizing through strict deterrence, the aim is to prevent it from happening to begin with. This is primarily achieved with a holistic approach that involves but isn’t limited to awareness programs, support systems, etc.
- Internet Safety
This course is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology. After school programs course is geared towards promoting internet safety amongst the students. As a result, it hopes to reduce the number of victims of internet crimes in this age group, which to be honest is a tough task.
- Media-Smart Youth
This is an interactive after school program aimed towards children from the ages of 11 to 13. After school programs course is devised in such a way that it helps the children understand how to navigate the media world around them.
In particular, it is aimed at helping them gravitate towards healthier and better options. To do so, it explains the negative effects of poor nutrition and a lack of physical activity.
- National Academies Board on Children, Youth, and Families
This course is aimed towards improving the lives of children, youth, and families. In order to do so, the course often brings in experts to weigh in with their opinions. The main goal of the program is to bring in change through policies. online school counseling programs
So, with its extra emphasis on behavioral, social, and health sciences, after school programs course and its pupils are able to learn about policy decisions to enact. As a result, any changes implemented are guaranteed results for the whole of the community.
- Neighbourhood Networks
This program was created in 1995 by the HUD. It was created with the aim of incentivizing property owners to create learning centers in HUD-insured and assisted properties. The main goal of this program is to create a self-sufficient household in low-income communities.
In order to do so, the primary approach adopted by after school programs is to provide such households with computer access and creating job training centers within the neighborhood. Apart from this, there is also an emphasis on educational opportunities, healthcare infrastructure, and microenterprise development.
- Race to the Top
This course is aimed at training students for college and other competitive exams. This is achieved by implementing higher standards during mock tests and assessments. This allows for the students to be better prepared and for the teachers to have a better measure of student growth and success rates.
On the instructor end of things, the program aims at providing better feedback to teachers, principals, etc. As a result, they can improve their teaching methods to help facilitate better learning amongst the students. And if that isn’t helpful, then there is always the option of refining the recruitment process in the after school programs.
- Senior Corps – Foster Grandparent Program
This program is aimed at senior citizens who are willing to become foster grandparents for impressionable young adults. In this role, they will act as friends and role models for the youth and provide them with guidelines as to how to navigate the increasingly tough world.
With this, we believe that we have exhaustively covered all the courses in after school programs. For any more assistance, you can look up the government website regarding this. Do make sure that you are looking at it only as for now, only they are the only certified ones
After School Online Programs
A lot of the times, children are held back by time, health, or financial constraints. In order to combat this shortcoming, there are online education programs. In these programs, you can avail top quality after school experience and homeschooling. You may also explore online school for social work
Through these after school online programs, you will have access to almost the same course as the regular after school programs. However, herein you will have a few added advantages –
- A more customized learning experience
- The comfort of your house
- Relatively cheaper
- Slower or faster completion
- Same course and staff qualifications
Now apart from courses that require physical programs, you can have your pick from the available online programs. Here are a few options for you in case you are looking to apply for after school online programs –
- Physics
- Loops
- Variables
- Collaboration
- Visual coding
- Algorithms
- Problem-solving
- Animation
There are quite a few other options as well. But the ones listed above are easily the most popular ones. You can find more customized after school programs courses and learning plans in schools and after school centers near you.
Do keep in mind to get enrolled only in those which are properly accredited. We don’t want you to fall victim to a scam or something similar which results in the loss of time and money if not more.
Cost of After School Programs
Now that we have talked about courses and programs along with online education and more traditional ones, let us try and address the elephant in the room. How much do after school education programs cost?
If we are being honest, then there is a huge range of costs involved. If you are applying for a federally operated one, then there won’t be any cost of the school programs attached for the most part. In case there are, then they will be nominal for the most part.
However, the costs might see a solid bump if you opt for private ones. Here is an estimate of the costs involved per course in case you choose to go down the private route –
- School years 2 and 3 – 120 USD per term, per course for weekday classes
- School years 4 to 6 – 120 USD per term, per course for weekday classes
- Advanced Course students – 120 USD per term, per course for weekday classes
- School years 2 and 3 – 140 USD per term, per course for weekend classes
- School years 4 to 6 – 140 USD per term, per course for weekend classes
- Advanced Course students – 140 USD per term, per course for weekend classes
The advanced classes are usually reserved for students who have attended at least two regulars after school sessions with the center. As a result, the school or the center is able to start with advanced concepts with the student in question. If the child in question has an aptitude for the same, then suitable arrangements can be agreed upon.
One thing to note here is that these cost of after school programs are in estimates only. They are subject to change without prior notice. So, if you are looking to enroll your ward in one of these centers, be sure to check the current fees being charged from their official websites. And in case you are opting for the federally funded ones, look upon the state board’s website for the same. Lets have a look at other details of free online college degree
Now in case you are unable to attend the after school classes physically, you can always enroll yourself in the online ones. The online programs cost around 7 USD per slot or course. This again will vary and is a rough estimate only. These cost of the school programs will also be wildly different from one state to another. So do look into that as well.
As said before, if you are looking to enroll your child into an online program, make sure to check for the costs on the official website of the program. The costs are subject to change without prior notice so stay aware and updated about all of the costs involved in the process.
Things to keep in mind
While after school classes are a great idea on paper, there are a few things to note before you get your ward enrolled in one of them. Here is a quick rundown of them –
- Not all classes are for everyone
We get it that every parent wants their child to have every advantage possible. However, not every child is built for or capable of everything. So rather than trying to fit a square nail in a round peg, make sure that after school programs you are enrolling your child in, fits their capabilities.
Plus, in case your child is struggling with the school course work as it is, then it won’t be advisable to straddle them with yet more work. So, enroll your child only in case you and the child themselves are confident in their capabilities. There is no point in trying to learn more if you can’t handle your regular work.
- Be mindful of the company
Since a lot of the centers are in poverty-stricken communities, then often tend to attract a lot of antisocial elements. So be vigilant while sending your ward there. Young children are often easily swayed and this is what these elements feed upon.
Plus, most children are gullible with next to no understanding of the nuance of a situation. So make it a point to keep tabs on the people your ward is interacting with whilst in their after school programs classes.
- After school classes are not a substitute for parenting
A lot of people put their wards in these after school classes and think that it is enough by itself. Well, we hate to break your bubble, but it isn’t. No amount of extra work will ever compensate for quality time spent with your child.
We understand that a lot of parents opt for these classes in order to provide their children with a safe and secure environment while they are at their jobs. However, true growth will happen only if you as a parent are present for your child. There is a reason why children from happier households are more likely to succeed.
With that out of the way, there are a few more things to be mindful of before enrolling in your ward in any of after school programs classes. There is a whole slew of other issues that you might run into. So be very careful of everything before committing to these classes. Plus, we would like to reiterate that you do not overburden your child at any point in time.
After School Education Programs
Lastly, despite all of these issues and many other shortcomings, after school classes still remain one of the best ways to enrich one’s educational experience. Over the course of these classes, one can work on their academic shortcomings with ease and prepare for upcoming examinations.
All of this effort will always lead to some benefit for anyone willing to put in the hard yards. And in case the child is more inclined towards non-academic activities, then after school education programs is provision for that too. Plus, a lot of the education programs are geared towards finding a suitable career for the child when they grow up. That is without even mentioning the community bonding exercises.
With these community-oriented activities, these classes are geared towards providing the child with a holistic education that imparts valuable life lessons as well. With a huge cocktail of different classes, there is something for everyone willing to take part in them.
For the students, there are after school education programs classes themselves. For the property owners, there is the whole aspect of managing the gig on different properties with the federal authorities. And in case you are a senior citizen, then there are mentor ship roles for you as well.
So all in all, there is something or the other for the whole community to take part in. This community involvement is what was the founding goal behind the whole program, to begin with. As a result, not only do the students grow and excel, but the community does as a whole as well. So that is all that we have to say about all of this. If you are a parent who is looking to enroll their ward into one of these after school programs, then you should do it without a second thought. Just be mindful of the things we have listed above. And in case you need any more help in doing so, feel free to contact us! We are here to help after all! For more information in details, kindly visit our website online schools near me.
