I have some thoughts to share with you on this important topic, and hope you will spend a few minutes perusing some of the ideas and information I’ve put together for you. This is valuable information that I believe you might want to save for the future, and if you don’t read it all now, come back to it later when you have the time or need. I hope this helps you with some ideas for how to help your child find activities that can be fun for them in the short run, and also of lasting benefit in the long run.
Do extra curricular activities matter much for well-rounded, happy kids?
Yes, and often dramatically so! For many kids, extra curricular activities provide an outlet for creativity and can be the core of how a child attains self esteem. Many kids lose interest in school if their core classes bore them, or if they aren’t doing well in some of their classes. What a young person perceives as ‘failure,’ even if very small, can snowball over time to a general sense of alienation from school. Extra curricular activities can often provide the boost of success, the affirmation that ‘yes, you can succeed!’ at a critical time for many kids, helping them to stay interested in school and providing an incentive for them to succeed in their classes. Consider the following:
“The indications are (and research supports) that teens who are involved in extracurricular activities actually do better than their non-involved peers in a number of areas. Instead of test scores falling and sleep being sacrificed because a student is taking on more activities, the opposite is true. Most studies show that students who are involved in extracurricular activities excel above their peers academically. But that’s not all.
“According to a study published in the Winter 2000 issue of Education, the benefits of teen participation in extracurricular activities go well beyond just filling up an already-busy schedule and having another line to add to the college application.
“Benefits include having a sense of team spirit and belonging, personal pride and an understanding of the value of fair play, an increased sense of honesty and trustworthiness, and, importantly, the prevention of drug and substance abuse – among others. The study states ‘Repeated records of high school students across the United States have shown that those students who become heavily involved in extracurricular activities tend to be model students…’ ”
- Zrinka Peters, Education.com
How early can kids begin to explore extra curricular activities?
Obviously, to some extent this depends on your school’s offerings, but in general, kids can benefit from exposure to activities at a fairly in-depth level from the early grades of school. For most kids, 3rd - 5th grade is not too early to begin to take some of the subjects they like from school and try to develop that interest further. Students who like science can participate in school science fairs and attend local conferences and competitions of various sorts. Sally Ride Science offers science fairs and toy challenge competitions in many major cities and geographic areas, for example, and Education Unlimited offers Sally Ride Science Camp for girls entering grades 4 - 9. We also offer public speaking camp and computer camp for kids as young as entering 4th grade. They key is for kids to try a number of activities until they find one that excites them, then to see how far they can go in that activity in the coming years.
How old can young people be and still pick up new activities?
It is NEVER TOO LATE to try new things! Just watch in the coming weeks as Susan Boyle, an unemployed woman in Britain, takes the world by storm with her singing talent to see just how true this is (if you haven’t seen this video on the web yet, do a quick search for ’susan boyle,’ as you are in for a treat).
Many of us are ‘late bloomers,’ and finding a passion by high school is not actually even remotely ‘late blooming’ in my book. By way of background and personal experience, I can share with you that as a high school student growing up in Tacoma, Washington, I generally did well at school, but found little to be passionate about. However, as a 10th grade student at a three-year high school, Bethel High School of Spanaway, Washington, I can vividly recall how I attended my first ’speech and debate tournament’ at a local high school during November of my first year of high school, and suddenly went from ‘too cool for school’ (in my own mind) to passionately engaged - all literally in the span of about 48 hours! I was both amazed and enthralled at how articulate and impossibly brilliant the older competitors were that I observed and competed against at this first ‘debate tournament’ of my life, and when that fateful weekend was done, I was hooked. I spent the next three years engaging in school with a vigor I hadn’t known since elementary school, and spent every weekend that there was an available speech or debate tournament attending that tournament. I went on to win awards like ‘top speaker in the State’ in an activity that at first I didn’t even want to sign up for! That is why it is so important for students to try new things, and be exposed to a variety of opportunities.
I’ve heard it suggested that some extra curricular activities can even be related to improved choice and acceptance in the college admissions process - is that true?
Again, yes, and strongly so! Let me share with you the research of one expert in this area, Minh Luong, a Professor at Yale University that I worked with many years ago. Minh wrote an article about that fact that as kids get older, a great benefit of participating in academic extracurricular activities can be a strengthening of a student’s profile as they prepare to apply to college. In the mid-1990’s the Wall Street Journal was given access to admissions data for several of the top 20 colleges in the United States, and what they found was a powerful confirmation of just how important extra curricular activities can be:
Minh Loung says, “…nearly all high school students make the erroneous assumption that participation in more activities is better than fewer and in an increasingly complex world that demands in-depth knowledge and expertise in a chosen field of study, colleges and universities are now preferring applicants who choose to be the best at single pursuit.”
He goes on to discuss what the Wall Street Journal found when reviewing admissions records of several top 20 colleges and universities:
”The Wall Street Journal report did specifically highlight a ‘consistent trend’ - one that [speech and debate] coaches have known for a long time — that dedicated participation in drama and debate has significantly increased the success rate of college applicants at all schools which track such data. State and national award winners have a 22% to 30% higher acceptance rate at top tier colleges and being captain of the debate team ‘improved an applicant’s chances by more than 60% compared with the rest of the pool,’ according to the report. This is significantly better than other extracurricular activities that tend to recruit from the same pool of students as forensic teams such as school newspaper reporter (+3%), sports team captain (+5%), class president (+5), and band (+3). Even without winning major awards, participation in speech and debate develops valuable skills that colleges are seeking out and that is reflected in the above average acceptance rate (4%). ”
- Minh A Luong, Professor at Yale University, The Rostrum, 2000
What activities can you suggest for helping kids explore new activities?
First, parental nudging is often the critical element. Many kids aren’t that adventurous by nature, and some kids are just a bit on the lazy side at times. This summer, remember that while SOME rest and relaxation are worthwhile pursuits in and of themselves, kids do need to be occupied and challenged over the summer as well. So to all parents out there not already involved in exploring ideas for activities for your kids to try out, its time to get involved!
Particularly when it comes to trying something new, it can be that little parental push that makes the difference. When I was in 6th or 7th grade, my father had a young man who worked in his Air Force unit who performed magic come out to my house and perform a few tricks for me early one summer. I was entertained, and impressed. While we never discussed it, I think my parents thought exactly along the lines we are discussing here - I was spending too much time ‘hanging out’ at the house. I had played baseball and did some wrestling, and had done school journalism, but all of that happened during the school year, and I liked those activities and sports, but didn’t become inspired to devote myself to them. That little effort on their part to introduce me to the world of performance magic was enough for me; without any further effort on their part I researched the local ‘magic clubs,’ and became one of the youngest members of the ‘International Brotherhood of Magicians - Tacoma Chapter.’ I spend several years learning illusions and sleight of hand, and had a lot of fun doing it, even performing at parties in 8th and 9th grade for younger kids, and doing several magic shows at the local McDonald’s. Only when I discovered a deeper passion in high school, speech and debate, did I finally fully move on.
Second, talk through with your kids what kinds of assignments they enjoy in school for clues about what your child might already enjoy doing, and be willing to learn more about and get more involved in. Do they like playing and working on the computer all the time? Well, consider channeling some of that energy they have into learning how computers work, and what computer science is all about. Do they like giving class presentations? If so, then things like public speaking or acting might be for them, even if they haven’t tried it before. If you can’t get them to a camp to learn a new activity, do a little research on local clubs and leagues that meet during the summer, or activity groups that are forming. Some very fun introductory courses can be found through local Parks and Recreation offices, for example, if time or financial resources are very limited. While Toastmaster is mainly for adults and can be fairly basic, some clubs accept young adults, and those meetings can be the start of more serious involvement in competitive speech and debate, Model UN, middle and high school drama and acting, student government, and many other such activities.
Third, consider more formal options if the time and resources are available, such as Education Unlimited summer camps and programs! Remember that if you are short on financial resources, we do have a financial assistance program and will do all we can to help make our summer programs attainable for as many families as possible.
What about common sports activities - don’t they matter?
Of course they do. They build esteem, and teach teamwork and important social skills. And they are FUN and build physical fitness. My point is really just that for most kids, many common sports, at the level that most kids can and do successfully participate, should be valued as general enrichment, but not as a centerpiece of academic or extra curricular development, particularly in relation to college admissions.
“…according to the Wall Street Journal’s recent study of top universities and ten years of applicant, admissions, and scholarship data, …surprising findings were that participation in some of the more common sports in high school athletics, soccer, basketball, volleyball, horseback riding,skating, and baseball, did very little for applicants. Unless these students win state or national awards, there does not appear to be any significant benefit [for college admissions] from participation in these activities.”
- Minh Loung, 2000
Closing thoughts
When I first formed Education Unlimited nearly 20 years ago with three close college buddies, I wanted to share the same inspirational experiences I had in activities like journalism and debate with other students. I wanted to help other young scholars (discovered AND undiscovered) find the activity that would ignite in them the passion to give their all, to truly learn to love learning for the sake of it, and to feel that they had finally found a calling that would justify their full effort and enthusiasm.
Every person is different, and I know full well what inspired me is not necessarily what will inspire others. But helping your child develop a passion for some activity, no matter what it is, can be a key to helping your child learn critical life skills. Here are some of the conclusions of Professor Luong on this subject:
” ‘What counts,’ says Swarthmore College Dean of Admissions Robin Mamlet,’is how committed students are to an activity.’ Extracurricular activities like forensics are playing an increasingly important role in the college admissions as well as the scholarship awarding processes. Why? Grade inflation is rampant in both public and private secondary schools and test preparation programs are distorting the reliability of national standardized tests like the SAT and ACT. According to the Wall Street Journal (Interactive Edition, April 16, 1999), college admissions directors are relying less on grade point averages and standardized test scores, and are relying more on success in academically-related extracurricular activities such as speech and debate as well as drama.
Private and public institutions of higher learning… are selecting applicants who cannot only perform well academically but can also set themselves to an endeavor and succeed in extracurricular activities. After all, college students must select a major that concentrates on a particular field of study; why not select the students who have demonstrated success with that type of focus and dedication? Colleges now acknowledge, based on years of experience, that students who demonstrate success in extracurricular activities which give them real-world skills like critical thinking, oral and written communication, and the ability to organize ideas and present them effectively perform better in college and turn out to be successful alumni… According to Lee Stetson, Dean of Admissions at the University of Pennsylvania, ‘We realized one of the better predictors of success is the ability to dedicate oneself to a task and do it well.’ ”
Education Unlimited offers introductory and advanced summer programs in a number of interesting activities and subjects, ranging from acting; speaking and debating; critical thinking programs; computer camps; Sally Ride Science camps for girls; a pre-college summer program at UC Berkeley at which students can attend regular UC Berkeley summer classes; and actual college admission programs that include SAT prep, essay writing instruction for the college admission essay, and more.
On our website we have detailed descriptions of these various programs, and links for the programs are in the left hand sidebar.
Won’t you consider having your child join us for a summer learning adventure, one which just may spark an academic or arts-related interest in your child that could last for many years to come?
My knowledgeable staff and I would love to consult with you about which programs might be the best fit for you children, and if I’m available, I’d be happy to speak with you personally. Please feel free to contact us at campinfo@educationunlimited.com, or at 510-548-6612.
Tags: College Admissions, Debate, Extra-Curricular Activities, Public Speaking