1. Introduce a different kind of learning and skill-building
Even if schools were perfect in delivering course materials, saw students completing 100% of their assignments, and had everyone getting A+ grades on their exams, there would still be room for after-school enrichment activities and the many benefits of them.
Why? Because many schools just don’t offer things like coding classes for kids, or Minecraft modding, or entrepreneurship, etc.
Thus, while camps are great destinations for kids to build skills in these areas when school lets out for the summer months, afterschool programs can fill that void during the school year.

2. Allow kids to make valuable discoveries
Even if schools were perfect in delivering course materials, saw students completing 100% of their assignments, and had everyone getting A+ grades on their exams, there would still be room for after-school enrichment activities and the many benefits of them.
Why? Because many schools just don’t offer things like coding classes for kids, or Minecraft modding, or entrepreneurship, etc.
Thus, while camps are great destinations for kids to build skills in these areas when school lets out for the summer months, afterschool programs can fill that void during the school year.
3. Offer social time (and social learning)
Which of course leads us to a huge benefit of any afterschool program—social time and relationship building. Really, depending on your personal experiences, this might be the biggest benefit, right?
By being stuck indoors and unable to do many social activities they’d normally be taking part in if it weren’t for COVID-19, kids have been forced to endure a lot over the last few months.
You might even have students who were, dare I say, excited to go back to school, just so they could connect with and converse with others.
The problem is, their expectations may have been quickly brought back to reality either by physical distancing (if they’re on school campuses), or by not being able to have much interaction during their online courses.
So, afterschool programs can provide the social outlet that many kids are still craving. These experiences are able to offer a deeper social focus because, while learning is still a top priority, they have the flexibility to dedicate more of the allotted time to socializing.
4. Provide mental stimulation
The “summer slide” phenomenon describes the idea that when kids are out of school over the summer - and away from the classroom and associated learning - their proficiency in certain skill areas might take a dip.
Well, now, even though kids are back in school, because of the uncertainty, inconsistency, and different learning experience altogether, there is a thought that they still might get hit with a slide in certain areas.
So, afterschool programs can both help keep kids sharp in these potential education “danger zones,” and can also keep young minds stimulated—that is, keeping brains hungry and creative by introducing new ideas and opportunities.