Posted on January 23, 2005

Children and Youth

The study All Work and No Play? Listening to What Kids and Parents Really Want From Out-of-School Time (60 pages, PDF) finds that most parents prefer out-of-school programs that foster their children’s interests, values, and enrichment; however, more low-income and minority parents value activities that emphasize academic preparation. Overall, 79 percent of middle and high school students participate regularly in programs after school and on weekends, including sports (66 percent); school clubs or extracurricular activities (62 percent); volunteer work (60 percent); religious instruction or a church youth group (54 percent); lessons in music, dance, or art (52 percent); tutoring or test preparation (30 percent); and youth organizations (19 percent). The study was a joint project of Public Agenda and the Wallace Foundation.