We value enrichment and believe that opportunities beyond the classroom increase students ability to discover their “spark” and actualize their potential. Providing students access to a broad range of experiences enables them to acquire social, emotional, cognitive, and physical skills necessary for classroom and career-growth.
Students who participate in extracurricular activities develop pro-social skills like teamwork, goal setting, and communication abilities that contribute to employability and increase the likelihood of social and civic engagement later in life.
However, children in families below the poverty level are shown to be at least three times less likely to engage in sports and other extracurriculars.
The implications on health outcomes are clear, but prosocial activities also correlate with increased education outcomes including high school graduation and college acceptance as well as lower rates of risk-taking behaviors.
The importance of supporting students in pursuing extracurricular activities, particularly those which expose them to new experiences, cannot be overstated.
Summer 2024
OpenDoors has long believed in the power of summer camp, encouraging students to attend at least 2 weeks of camps each summer, with 62% of our students attending more than 3 weeks in 2024!
Research shows students who attend summer camp experience positive academic outcomes, strengthen critical life skills, and develop a sense of community and belonging. In the summer of 2024 our students thrived at day camps and overnight camps, like Green River Preserve, Camp Watia, Camp Rockmont, Firefly Valley Pottery Camp, Asheville Museum of Science, ABYSA Soccer Camp, and many more. First-timers learned to skateboard, sail, code, and swim. They made new friends, slept away from home, and learned resilience and independence.
For our final summer camp in August, OpenDoors runs a Back-To-School Refresher Week for students of all ages to be ready for the school year.
“Always participate, because if you don’t participate, you’re going to be that one person standing out.”
-One of our students after their sleepaway summer camp experience
Summer Enrichment Highlights
