Out-of-school programs can offer personalized and meaningful learning experiences that deepen students' knowledge and cater to their passions and interests, but it has been a painful reality that many such programs have been available only to students and families with privilege and resources. Karen Hammerness, Anna MacPherson, Preeti Gupta,…

Sports participation in high school has positive effects on students' later civic engagement. But that is true of nearly all forms of extracurricular participation in high school--whether a group is explicitly civic (student government or a service club) or far removed from civic life (an academic club or a music group). Indeed, the civic…

Student participation in school sports has surged over the past half century. The greatest contributor to this increase has been Title IX, which required schools to expand opportunities for girls. Despite the perceived benefits and high levels of support from students and parents, interscholastic athletics constantly come under attack. The fervor…