America’s kids are in crisis. Consider these alarming facts about the state of our country: the U.S. ranks 22nd in high school completion among 28 countries; three out of 10 kids are obese or overweight; and one in five youth lives in poverty. The consequences of these staggering statistics are felt across our nation.
The issues facing kids today also impact our nation’s economy, costing as much as $209 billion in lost taxes and higher government expenditures over the lifetimes of those who fail to graduate. Nationally, healthcare costs to treat health issues related to childhood obesity are $14.1 billion annually. Additionally, states spend an average of $7.1 million a day locking youth up in juvenile justice facilities.
How do we reverse the most negative trends facing young people today? One way is by recognizing the importance of out-of-school time. The out-of-school environment—after school and summer—plays an essential, yet often overlooked, role in transforming kids’ lives and America’s future.
Every day, 15 million kids nationwide (one out of three) leave school with no place to go, putting them at risk of being unsupervised, unguided and unsafe during these critical afterschool hours. In the summer, an alarming 43 million (three out of four) kids in America lack access to summer learning programs, increasing their risk of learning loss and putting them at a disadvantage before the school year even starts.
At Boys & Girls Clubs, we’re elevating these issues and highlighting the role that out-of-school time – those hours between school and home – can play in the future success of our kids and, ultimately, our community and our country.
What happens during the hours between school and home can have a dramatic impact on a child’s future, especially in the areas of education, health and character development. By providing access to positive, productive programs and caring adult mentors after school and during summer, we can help change the future for our youth, our community and our country.
For example, 99 percent of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis teens expect to complete high school, 93 percent expect to go on to post-secondary education and 79 percent of club teen members indicated they volunteer at least once per year, compared to 69 percent nationally. This is good news, because according to research compiled by Child Trends, volunteering in adolescence is associated with positive outcomes during the teen years and in adulthood. Teens who volunteer are less likely to become pregnant or to use drugs, and are more likely to have positive academic, psychological and occupational well-being.
If the next generation and our nation are to succeed, it is imperative we redefine the opportunity equation for all kids by elevating the critical role that out-of-school time plays in a child’s future success. Through the Great Futures Campaign, the Campaign for America’s kids, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis is asking our community to make out-of-school programs a priority and empower the next generation to achieve a great future.
We are advocating on behalf of kids and convening public, private and nonprofit partners around our goal of ensuring every child and teen has access to a safe, engaging and productive environment during the out-of-school time. Together, we can provide access to life-changing programs after school and during the summer that enable kids to be successful in school and in adulthood, to be healthy and active, and to develop the strong character skills needed become America’s future leaders.
Together, we can transform lives as well as the future of our community and our country. At Boys & Girls Clubs, we believe that when school is out, no child should go unsafe or unguided. When young people have access to a safe place with caring adult mentors and enriching programs after school, great things happen.
Visit www.bgcstl.org to register your child, volunteer or donate to a child’s future.
Flint Fowler is president of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis.