Making After-School Count
This could be a historic moment for after-school programming.
It was 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and instead of watching TV or just hanging out, about two dozen students in a Central Falls, R.I., middle school were deep in thought at a long table in their school lunchroom, playing chess in pairs or against their teacher. "Great move!" the teacher told one youngster. "I think you're ready to play Jamell next." He rarely told students what moves to make, but encouraged the strategic problem-solving that chess requires. Noticing a game that had just ended, the teacher gathered others around the chessboard to discuss the losing move that contributed to the outcome. He asked the group to think of a move that would be better—turning a child's loss into a lesson for everyone.
As the head of a research team that has studied the benefits and challenges of school-based after-school programs launched five years ago by the Wallace- Reader's Digest Funds, I often think back on the intensity of those Rhode Island youths' concentration, the team spirit they were discovering, and their affection and respect for a helping and caring adult. Chess may not be "academic" in the strict sense. But we now have gathered plenty of evidence of the benefits that a wide variety of high-quality after-school programs, like this one, almost certainly have in school, and in life. They help young adults resist negative temptations and develop character, social skills, perseverance, and problem-solving skills that are as valuable, in their way, as help with homework.
After-school programs in fact are catching on. Communities across the country are realizing that how children spend their time after school can make all the difference in determining whether they become capable students today and productive, responsible citizens tomorrow. This year, the federal government is providing nearly $1 billion to states earmarked for after-school programs through the 21st Century...
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