The world is full of opportunity. Children, although tasked with educational responsibilities, should be encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities available to them, especially within their own community.
Doing so could lead to a wide range of benefits and positive outcomes later in life. Below, we’ll briefly explore these benefits and why encouraging youngsters to be active outside of the home is so important.
Nurturing Community Engagement in Your Child
Today’s kids have a lot on their plate. From excelling in school to managing the temptation of too much screen time and pressures from social media, they need all the encouragement they can get. Parents can help them gain strength and the skills they need to overcome anything life throws their way by encouraging community involvement.
Empowering Young Minds through Community Involvement
Being involved in the community may entail a lot of diverse activities and inspiring experiences. One common route is attending a high-quality after-school program. Participating regularly and excelling in these programs can do a lot of good for a child. Research shows that kids who join these types of extracurricular activities have improved social and emotional competencies, as well as higher self-worth.
Building Strong Foundations: Kids and Community
What’s more, these programs can lead to better concentration efforts at school and in developing “soft skills.” Often called transferable skills or interpersonal skills, this term refers to general characteristics that are carried over to other aspects of life. Commonly recognized soft skills include teamwork, communication, conflict management, resourcefulness, and decision-making. Developing these early on has the potential to be very impactful on academic performance as well as job success down the road.
Exploring Opportunities: After-School Programs
Also, there are after-school programs specifically designed to provide early exposure to the labor market. Aimed more toward teens, there are work-based learning programs, apprenticeships, and mentorships, which are shown to be beneficial in gaining quality employment when their educational career is complete.
Enriching Lives: Kids, Community, and New Horizons
Extracurricular activities can also be found throughout the community. By visiting the local library or a not-for-profit business specializing in community outreach, parents can help their youngsters discover new, exciting opportunities outside of school. When given the chance to pursue these new experiences, it helps kids discover their own interests while boosting self-esteem and lowering the chances of them engaging in risky behaviors.
Helping children grow up to be well-rounded adults is an important part of parenthood. Encouraging community involvement is a great way to set them on the path to success.
Interested in learning more about the importance of community engagement?
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Infographic provided by Downtown Naperville Alliance
