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Beyond the Bell Staff Workbook
The Beyond the Bell Staff Workbook helps afterschool staff learn how to design high-quality
activities and how to modify their current activities to improve student learning and engagement. The four
activity types addressed in the Staff Workbook are homework help and tutoring, academic enrichment,
service learning, and recreation. The Staff Workbook also teaches staff how to design programs and
activities while incorporating youth development principles, intentionality, and choice as well as how to use
reflection to improve their own performance. All aspects of the Staff Workbook come with easy-to-use
tools and exercises that will help staff to think through the many issues involved in designing high-quality
programs and activities.
Workbook Table of Contents
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Sample Text
"Academic enrichment activities often are some of the most engaging and valuable components of an afterschool program. These activities can be successful regardless of where your afterschool program is located (in school, at a YMCA, in a faith-based facility, or other location). Although sometimes considered to be disguised learning, enrichment activities are intended to present academic concepts in ways that differ greatly from the instruction that students get in the classroom. These activities expand on and enhance the learning that occurs during the school day or in a typical homework help or tutoring situation.
"Enrichment activities are often interactive and project focused. They enhance a student's education by bringing new concepts to light or using old concepts in new ways. The activities are fun for the students but also impart knowledge. They allow the students to apply knowledge and skills emphasized in school to real-life experiences. All of these aspects make enrichment activities ideal for afterschool programs, where the activities need to be engaging to recruit and retain students but also need to provide academic content to support the activity in the regular school day.
"Examples of Enrichment Activities
Here are some types of enrichment activities that can provide academic content:
• Art and design projects
• Comic book design
• Gardening
• Cooking
• Journalism
• School store
• Student-run publication
• Science demonstrations and experiments
• Plays (or puppet show for younger children)
• Video production (Recruit college students enrolled in a
video course to help lead this project.)
"Use Tool O: Staff Development Session on Academic Enrichment Activities as a framework for participating in staff development on academic enrichment. Use Tool P: Analysis of Academic Enrichment Activity to reflect on the academic activities in your afterschool program. Tool Q: Academic Enrichment Activity Template offers an opportunity for you to determine if an academic enrichment activity fulfills the characteristics of an effective academic enrichment activity." (p. 32)
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