EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Written by MANAHIL MANAN, GRADE 8th NISA STUDENT | 30 Sep 2021
Participating in school extracurricular activities is a great way to widen your teen’s social circle, expand their interests, and build leadership skills. Studies show that involvement in high school extracurricular activities leads to positive long-term outcomes. Extracurricular activities also provide interaction with peers who have similar interests. A student’s peer group is the most important influence on a student’s academic and personal development. And, their peer group may impact their emotional and cognitive development as well as their behavior.
- Types of Extracurricular Activities
The range of extracurricular activity offerings varies extensively.
- Athletics: This is perhaps the most common extracurricular that comes to mind. Almost all high schools have sports teams with varying sizes, types, and competitiveness. Sports teams compete at different levels within the school system: varsity, junior varsity, and club.
- Academic Clubs: Other academic organizations focus on specific areas of study or performance. Examples include math club, science club, debate team, forensics club. Student Government: Participating in student government is a great way to gain leadership skills and shape school policy and events. Students can be elected to individual offices by their peers or simply volunteer with their student government association. Sometimes called student council, these groups represent students’ interests and coordinate events like dances, spirit weeks, community outreach, and fundraising.
- Multicultural/Cultural Organizations: It is common for school students to take foreign language classes. Generally, each language the school offers has a club for students to practice their language skills. These groups focus on cultural education and will often organize field trips or even travel abroad. Cultural clubs also provide an environment for students with similar backgrounds to meet and socialize. Their activities are a way for students to showcase their culture to the broader school community.
- The Arts: Drama club, marching band, orchestra, dance, chorus, and literary magazines are some of the many arts-related extracurricular activities. These clubs are perfect for students passionate about the arts and who want to spend more time honing their craft. They are also an excellent complement to the arts education in the regular school curriculum.