Hobbies Reduce High School Dropout Rate
Today, April 18th, is World Amateur Radio Day. Across the world, radio amateurs celebrate a hobby that is more popular than ever.
Today there are more than 3-million licensed operators worldwide. In the United States, amateur radio is on pace to reach 750,000 by 2017.
Most ham radio operators enter the hobby as a teenager. It is part social network, part scientific outlet, and a lot of fun. Amateur radio is a gateway to careers in physics, engineering, and computer science.
Benefits of Having a Hobby
Hobbies have been studied for many years. Not only is it a way to reduce stress, having hobbies may help you live longer.
The most interesting is the fact about hobbies is they can reduce the rate of high school dropouts.
Researchers followed 392 students beginning in the 7th grade, following up through 12th grade. The drop out rate among at-risk students was lower when they participated in extracurricular activities such as a club, band, or hobby-based program.
First Grade Rocket Scientists
Did you know first grade students built a satellite that orbits the Earth right now?
Yep.
Even got blessed by Pope Francis.
I bet these kids not only stay in school; there may be an engineer or six in the group.
World Amateur Radio Day indeed.
