Advocate For After School Programs

A’sha Hutchins
Comp 106

Advocate For After School Programs

The one topic that I knew I could be a great advocate for is after school programs for kids in the Detroit community. This particular topic is what helps kids from elementary school all the way to high school, or even college, to achieve certain skills and abilities outside of the classroom. The reason why I chose this topic is because I am a student athlete that has always been in after school programs since I was in elementary school. I have participated in clubs, sports, and even tutoring sessions. They have all helped me to get to where I am today and I can personally relate and explain to kids, or even to their parents, the great affects of being in after school programs. Now, Detroit is not the only community that needs or has after school programs for kids. Every state, city, town, and community needs after school programs for their children to have a bright future. Not only will the programs help kids to have a bright future, but they can keep kids out of trouble, away from danger and gang violence. To prove that after school programs are very useful, I decided to make a video that would have me interviewing people to see if they agree with having after school activities and to explain why the programs are useful. Also, it would show kids doing a certain activity that they love and will continue to do. Lastly, the video would show where kids could possibly end up if they stay in after school programs, and me explaining how after school programs have helped me.
The one activity that I knew I could videotape kids (young adults) doing is playing basketball. By my time schedule being very full, I decided to go back to my high school in Detroit and interview some of the athletes and videotape them in action. The name of my high school is Communication and Media Arts, the mascot is Pharaohs, and it is a college prep school. To make the video interesting, I decided to videotape the male students of CMA in basketball practice and to interview the two captains of the CMA Lady Pharaohs. The two young ladies have been playing basketball for several years and plan to make a career out of it. Behind the scenes, the young ladies told me that they had a basketball game the very next day and that they wanted me to tape them competing against another team. The name of the high school they were competing against is called Charles E. Chadsey. Before I went to the game, I figured I would interview one of my teammates from the University of Michigan-Dearborn Lady Wolves basketball team. Next, I would give the viewers a tour of the gym and show the UMD boys basketball team practicing on one court, and the UMD girls’ volleyball team practicing on another court. Then, I was off to the game. After the game, I decided to interview my former Chemistry teacher and the head coach of the CMA Pharaohs boys’ basketball team. Lastly, I chose to interview myself because I think that I am a very good example of how getting into after school programs will help kids achieve skills for the future.
In conclusion, having after school programs all over the Detroit community, and even the whole world, will help kids learn and achieve skills for the near future. Whether a child likes to play sports, likes computer, or likes to be in clubs, they are all useful to child’s learning outside of the classroom. I recommend that parents should put their children in after school programs because if the plan for their child does not work out, they can have another plan to ready when they need it.