Involvement in student activities has many advantages for students. Quality extracurricular activities promote student achievement, citizenship, and service to the community while developing self-esteem, self-confidence, and social cooperation. An extracurricular program supports student achievement by helping to establish a safe, positive climate of cooperation and competition. Quality extracurricular programs promote experiential learning, healthy decision-making and life skill development while developing responsible student leaders and global citizens.
The major goal for any quality extracurricular program should be to foster inclusion of students from diverse social, economic, and cultural backgrounds. In DoDEA it also provides an opportunity to develop an appreciation and understanding for the Host Nation while participating in many typical “American” activities. The extracurricular program in DODEA supports the military family.
Quality extracurricular programs offer students the opportunity to explore, engage, and elevate their interests and reflect on future career options. When a student explores an activity, they are confronted with the basic concepts and principles of leadership and initiate a process of skill development. Involvement provides students with the opportunity to expand self-confidence, refine their skills, and develop social cooperation. Through introspection, reflection, and guided evaluation a student can realize their leadership style, sense of commitment, and continuous growth on many levels. There are student fees associated with some activities.