Compared to last year, the amount of students and the amount of clubs offered increased drastically. But this isn’t the only change that we see this year regarding clubs; the whole system of club scheduling was updated. Initially, the number of students allowed in any club was set before the Club Fair, which led to some students not getting into their first or even second-choice clubs. While the majority of students were able to enroll in the clubs of their choice, the Administration saw an opportunity to improve the process.
The new system, implemented during the second season of 2023, determines which clubs to run based on student requests submitted by a survey. The survey was available before the Club Fair, so the Administration could see which clubs should stay and expand, and which don’t seem to be popular and should be removed. Ultimately, more students received the clubs they wanted, which increased student engagement and happiness.
While mandatory, clubs are exciting and target student’s hobbies. Some clubs are even student-led. Every week, students may include in their schedule up to 4 clubs, and it is only up to them, whether they want to play on the varsity team, learn new languages, bake, or simply play Jenga!
And while some things are changing for the better, others should stay the way they are. One of them is prioritizing “Quality over Quantity.” The Administration didn’t optimize for the amount of clubs but rather the quality of the clubs offered based on student preference. Popular Clubs were assigned more staff members to ensure the safety and support of each student
Another priority of the Administration is the creation of great opportunities for students to experience leadership positions or volunteering within clubs. Last year’s examples of MUN and UNICEF clubs showed that many students are eager to participate in activities that are more complex than regular clubs. Ms. Kaitlyn, Activities Specialist of EF Academy, sees potential upcoming club for topics such as Red Cross, UNICEF, Pet Shelters, SDGs, etc., “It might be a great opportunity for our students to work on different aspects to help raise awareness and help our community in the future ” she claims.
Our school is only beginning our second year, and there are still aspects of academic or residential life that are yet to be settled. Ms. Kaitlyn notes “We always try to aim for your interests and ideas.” So as a student, if you have an opinion or suggestion, Ms. Hall or Ms. Kaitlyn, the two people in charge of Club Distribution have shown they are willing to listen.
