Professional poker player Micah Raskin volunteers with many outreach programs and community-building organizations in Nassau and Queens County NY to help improve the lives of people in his neighborhood and beyond. To give grade school children a safe and conducive environment to be in after hours. Micah has helped establish an afterschool program that offers a place to relax, perform schoolwork, or have fun for dozens of kids.
Micah Raskin believes most people underestimate the great value afterschool programs can have on the lives of children everywhere. For many kids across the country, when school gets out, there aren’t any options for a safe and comfortable environment as their homes may not always be the most conducive place for growth. Community builders like Micah Raskin aim to create a positive environment for students that can foster healthy traits and habits, as he has demonstrated in a recent afterschool programs in Nassau and Queens County NY.
“After School programs offer a unique support system for grade school students that can instill
emotional development and personal growth,” says Micah Raskin. “There, they can complete
school work in a peaceful environment if they needed or goof around with friends, but they can
also learn crucial skills like computer typing and participate in positive social activities.”
At home, grade school kids may have tight restrictions on what they can do or where they can go, but after school programs give them a place to exercise certain freedoms or accomplish tasks without the potential of getting into trouble. They can develop leadership skills, build new relationships, accomplish homework goals, learn about constructive teamwork, and much more. Certain programs even create activities that give back to their own community, teaching students to appreciate charity and recognize the positive impact it has on society.
“Many kids across New York City live in poverty and their families simply can’t afford many
opportunities for them outside of school,” says Micah Raskin. “Children right here in my own
neighborhood need these afterschool programs to develop social skills and promote better
academics while keeping them out of trouble. After School programs end up being a huge benefit to society overall since it shapes children into responsible citizens.”
In the afterschool programs that Micah Raskin helped create in Nassau and Queens County, professional educators host spaces either in schools or at community centers to be used by students when school lets out. Often until dinner time or later. Here, the educators motivate their students and reinforce positive habits that help them increase their self-esteem and connect with other people or elements of their community. This has a tremendous impact on the students and often deters them from getting involved in violence or unlawful activities.
Micah Raskin has proven that afterschool programs have the power to help students thrive in their academics and give them more to look forward to when school is over. They instill positive traits such as collaboration, healthy communication, and critical thinking and encourage personal growth among all who attend.
