Participating in activities outside the classroom helps low-income, urban youth excel academically during their transition into middle school, according to a recent study.

Researchers from New York University found that getting involved in extracurricular activities may be protective for low-income youth by providing a setting for development outside the classroom.

While extracurricular activities have been linked to good academic outcomes in elementary and high school students, little research has focused on low-income middle schoolers and whether activities can play an important role developmentally for them.

"If we believe this decline in academics and engagement is happening because middle schools don't fit with what early adolescents need, then perhaps these other spaces can provide opportunities for some of those needs to be met," Kate Schwartz, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in the Psychology and Social Intervention program at NYU Steinhardt, said in a statement.

For the study, researchers collected and analyzed data from more than 600 low-income students from 14 New York City elementary schools, collected as part of the Adolescent Pathways Project. They were surveyed in their final year of elementary school and first two years of middle school. The survey included a range of questions about students' extracurricular activities, including the activity settings -- school, community, religious, or athletic -- and frequency of participation.

The researchers found that a large percentage of urban youth did not participate in extracurricular activities on a regular basis. For those involved in extracurricular activities, their patterns of participation varied from year to year and as they moved between activities, which the researchers attributed to early adolescence being a time for experimenting, trying on identities, and finding a community.

Participating in extracurricular activities in the community, such as volunteering, was highly associated with better academic performance. Athletic participation was also linked to better grades.

"Middle schools can be larger, more anonymous schools where you don't feel like you fit in or belong. If you can find extracurricular activities that help you feel like you're good at something and you feel like trying hard pays off, you might apply that back to your schoolwork," Schwartz said. "It was interesting to see that the most protective setting for activities was one where you're involved in something larger than yourself and helping others or your community."

The findings are detailed in the American Journal of Community Psychology.