Elizabeth Fleming
Valuable Extra-Curricular Activities
The gavel calls the school board meeting to order. The room fills with the
stench of sweat and the air becomes thick with worry as parents, teachers, and
students sit in the audience and listen to this year’s proposed budget cuts. All
extracurricular activities are at risk. As an active member and avid supporter, my
passion for these clubs starts to fuel my anger, fear, and frustration.
Many members of communities across the nation have been put in this same
position as budget cuts sweep from coast to coast. More than 17 states have cut
their funding for schools by more than 10 percent (“K-12 Education Funding…”). As
many things are being eliminated from our education system, extra curricular
activities seem to be the first things on the chopping block. When something must
be cut, tensions rise and evaluations are done on everything that costs money.
Throughout the country, extra curricular activities are being cut and viewed as
invaluable. This is a great injustice to the students of America.
I am a product of such activities. Throughout high school I was involved with
Key Club, Future Business Leaders of America, Science Olympiad and Model
Congress. In the beginning of my high school years I was a very shy student but as I
became involved with such activities I was social, I grew, and I developed. I
eventually became an officer of all of these clubs my senior year. These activities
provide all students with the opportunity to grow and develop. Key Club focuses on
community service, which teaches hard work, selflessness, and how to give back to
others. Future Business Leaders of America truly does have the ability to develop
students into leaders with the experiences fundraising for the charity of the year,
holding events for the community (such as a Breakfast with Santa), and leadership
through the workshops and competitive events at conferences. Science Olympiad is
a competitive science club, which teaches dedication and study skills while the team
spend countless hours preparing for competition. Model Congress provides a great
opportunity for students to deliberate with other students from across the country,
as well as improve communication and problem solving skills. Overall, studies have
shown that extracurricular activities improve the GPAs of involved students,
increase their SAT scores, and decrease their likelihood of being involved with
illegal drugs (“School Extracurricular Activities…”). When an analysis is done of
these activities, they prove to be very valuable to a student.
These activities also prove to be valuable to the community. Many extra
curricular activities provide an aspect of volunteering. The students take time to
help improve the community through service. Not only does this develop treasured
citizens, but it fills a need for something that was missing or in need of repair in the
community. The experiences in these clubs also help to prepare students for college.
The study skills I learned from Science Olympiad, and the acceptance to new ideas
that I developed through Model Congress help me on a daily basis.
Unfortunately school boards must cut something in order to follow their
budgets. I argue that these activities are too valuable to cut because I believe they
provide the greatest opportunities for students, but instead I believe it is more
realistic to argue why we must formulate alternative funding ideas. Inevitable
money will be cut and most likely it will come from activities that lack support of the
entire community. While the entire town recognizes the work of the football team
on a Friday night, not many recognize the work of these clubs. Although, all these
clubs may need is the recognition from some local private donors who could make
donations to the activities, replacing the budget presently allocated to them by the
school boards. Arizona provides a tax credit for any taxpayer that makes a
contribution to public schools for their extracurricular activities (“Extracurricular
Activity Program”).
The students could be responsible for asking businesses, which would help
them develop their professional communication skills as well as improve their
persuasion abilities. These are really important for a student to develop in high
school because they will continue to use them later in life. It also motivates the
student to play an active role in the extracurricular activity. If they must work to
keep the activity funded, they may revaluate the importance of it’s existence, and
they are likely to dedicate more time to something they had to work hard to keep
afloat. In addition, all students will likely work harder to make their club successful
so the sponsor has a great reason to continue financially supporting the club.
If a business or other private sector would donate the funds necessary to
keep these clubs alive, great bonds with the community could be created.
Businesses are likely to be actively involved and help a club reach successful levels
when they have finances entangled in it. They may also offer to send guest speakers
in to club meetings, motivating the students and helping the business. If the clubs
are sponsored by a business they will surely go to them when they need supplies
and spread publicity. If Lowes sponsors the Science Olympiad team, they are sure to
shop there when they need supplies to build the towers, wooden planes, and robots
required for competition. The club and business interaction forms a network that
connects the school with the community.
Not only can these students give back to these businesses while they are in
school, but once they graduate as well. Whether students become integrated in the
community right after high school or if they go to college and possibly return to
their hometown, they grew and developed with the help of their extracurricular
activity involvement. If students apply for colleges, their opportunities to get in are
greater. Colleges look at community involvement in addition to grades. (“The
Extracurricular Edge”).
Extracurricular activities truly benefit students. They grow and develop
through the experiences and opportunities provided by such clubs. Instead of
cutting these, we should look for alternatives to funding these wonderful clubs and
involve the community more in their activities. This will not only help the activities
continue to thrive to also induce a pay it forward effect in which many of the
students are sure to remember the how they benefited from the kindness of a
business and pay this forward to the community.
Sites:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/07/k-12-education-fundingmo_n_1000396.html
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2009/03/11/school-extracurricularactivities-chopping-block.html
http://www.mpsaz.org/community/eca/
http://professionals.collegeboard.com/guidance/prepare/extracurricular