Vol. 6, No. 3, 2021, pp. 645-649 DOI: https://doi.org/10.29210/21102jpgi0005 Contents lists available at Journal IICET JPGI (Jurnal Penelitian Guru Indonesia) ISSN: 2541-3163(Print) ISSN: 2541-3317 (Electronic) Journal homepage: https://jurnal.iicet.org/index.php/jpgi 645 The role of extracurricular religion in fostering the religious character of students Wagiyo Wagiyo 1 , Nur Ahyani 2 , Destiniar Destiniar 2 1 Sekolah Menengah Pertama Negeri 8 Talang Ubi, Indonesia 2 Universitas PGRI Palembang, Indonesia Article Info ABSTRACT Article history: Received Jul 9 th , 2021 Revised Aug 12 th , 2021 Accepted Aug 30 th , 2021 This research seeks to establish and explain the role of extracurricular religious activities in promoting the religious character of students. This research, using a descriptive approach, is a qualitative study. The study objective is to carry out extracurricular religious activities in an attempt to instill the religious beliefs of SMP Negeri 8 Talang Ubi students.The method of collecting data from this analysis is through techniques of observation, interview and recording. A technique that suits the data is used in analyzing this information, namely descriptive data.It can be inferred from the results of the study that the preparation of extracurricular religious activity activities, like majelis taklim, reading and writing the Koran and praying in congregation, aims to build good character in students and can instill a sense of faith and piety in students. Keyword: Extracurricular Religious Character © 2021 The Authors. Published by IICET. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-SA license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0 Corresponding Author: Wagiyo, W., Sekolah Menengah Pertama Negeri 8 Talang Ubi, Indonesia Email: wagiyogiyo885@gmail.com Introduction The In reality, education that only gives preference to academic intelligence is not adequate as a provision of life. It is an imperative to provide a wide spectrum of intellectual intelligence, as intellectual intelligence is a means of meeting the demands of the times, especially in terms of developing human resources. However, intellectual knowledge alone is not enough. Since the noble values of the Indonesian country are not only to have great intellectual knowledge, but also to become a noble nation of noble character and culture. As evidenced by the phenomena occurring among teenagers, particularly students who are the successors of the land, current phenomena make Indonesia insufficient to be called a nation of character. This pattern is such as loss of regard for teachers, parents, and those who should be respected, depriving others of their belongings, sacrificing courtesy, battling, cheating during tests, truancy, and free sexual behavior when learning. This is the degradation of the character of the homeland of Indonesia.. Education is one of the major breakthroughs in tackling the ongoing deterioration in character. Education is necessary not only in the field of science, but also in the field of religion. Intellectual and religious intelligence must be matched in order to deliver high-quality students in a balanced manner. The required standard is consistent with the objectives of national education, namely to create the capacity of people who are committed to God the Almighty and who will always strengthen and nurture democratic