A recurrent theme in the geosciences is the persistent need for more student demographic diversity, especially in academic programs. A strategy to make the geosciences inclusive and motivating for one marginalized group may not succeed with another, requiring the search for new approaches. The Geoscience Ambassadors, an extracurricular program for…

During the years 2020-2022, COVID-19-related restrictions led to fewer in-person lab offerings in Neuroscience and Biology courses, resulting in negative impacts on students' skills and confidence. In this study, we investigate the impact of a co-curricular undergraduate lab skills program, the Practical Skills Passport (PSP), on student lab…

Learner engagement, loosely defined as the extent of a student's cognitive and emotional investment in both academic and co-curricular activities, is argued to make a positive impact on both the student experience at university and student learning outcomes. Universities often implement co-curricular activities and programs to drive learner…

Authors Casey Reason and Brandon J. Larson advocate for the strategic design and development of impactful activities and athletics to enhance school culture. Their Rally model provides strategies for aligning extracurricular programs with academic goals, fostering leadership, and boosting participation and engagement. The Rally approach improves…

Guided by the Icelandic Prevention Model, a community-led coalition in Franklin County, KY, aimed to subsidize costs for participation in supervised organized leisure time programs among its youth via adaptation of the Reykjavik City Leisure Card program, locally known as the 'YES Card' voucher program. This study examined whether the proportion…

The purpose of this article is to present the Knights of Distinction, a co-curricular program that encourages undergraduate students to plan, connect, and reflect in the pursuit of their academic and professional goals. Knights of Distinction is a program within the Office of Experiential Learning at the University of Central Florida. Its purpose…

This article explores musical parenting in Norwegian schools of music and arts. These schools aim to provide extra-curricular activities in music and other art forms to "all" children and adolescents regardless of their social and economic background, but the schools reveal traits of social and cultural exclusion, serving mainly the…

This study utilized a basic interpretive design to explore the experiences of parents/guardians who enrolled their children in the Build Our Kids for Success Program (BOKS) and autoethnography to explore the experiences of the researcher while implementing the BOKS program. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 individuals representing 13…

U.S. school achievement has been the subject of much discussion. In the case of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), the national underperformance across the country, as well as the underrepresentation of minorities are key issues (Anderson et al., 2023; Handelsman & Smith, 2016; National Research Council, 2015; The…

This study aims to explore the effectiveness of exchange programs between Taiwan and mainland China in terms of shaping participants' support for Taiwan, given that the cross-strait relationship has reached a deadlock. Academic and social involvement, social contact, social identity, patriotism, animosity, and political familiarity were integrated…

Even though there has been a narrowing of the gender gap in STEM, there is still a pronounced gap in the physical sciences, engineering, and computer science. Females who persist in these fields have a strong STEM identity, including developing specific STEM interests. Females can develop STEM identity through long-term, active involvement in…

The 'See the World -- Winchester' programme was funded by the UK Turing scheme in 2021-2022 and aimed to broaden the horizons of historically marginalised students who may not otherwise have had access to extracurricular opportunities such as international travel. The purpose of this article is twofold. Firstly, the authors reflect on the…

Research has pointed to a critical need for primary prevention and intervention strategies. This has only been magnified since the COVID-19 pandemic and with the shortages of school-based mental health providers. Active Minds is a national organization dedicated to "changing the conversation about mental health" (Active Minds, n.d.-b) by…

In modern society technology is widely used and, with the digitization of many services, this is an upward trend. Therefore, computational thinking (CT) is an increasingly important concept; an aspect that is being reflected on educational policies and the extracurricular offer of different countries. This study aims to look at the efficacy of…

State mandates imposed by governors during COVID-19 affected extracurricular activities for children and youth. To continue providing 4-H programming during quarantine, Clemson Extension 4-H Youth Development Agents created the SC 4-H@Home program. Daily activities were developed that could be completed at-home using common household items and…