Teen Clubs — Life Skills and Learning Beyond the Classroom

Parents with pre-teens and teenagers, know that extracurricular activities and clubs look good on college applications, and at the same time, they can offer valuable life skills and learning experiences not available in the classroom. Throughout the North State, our middle schools and high schools offer a rich variety of clubs where teens can explore their interests, bond with their fellow students and learn about the wider world.

David McKay, Principal at Chico’s Bidwell Junior High School, says, “Clubs are a vital part of a student’s school experience because they essentially guarantee that they will have the opportunity to explore and develop their unique passions and interests — whether they made the team or not, whether there’s a specific class offered or not, whether their families have enough money or not.”

David says the biggest reward for him is “having the opportunity to build an increasingly comprehensive youth development culture that seeks to validate, develop, and utilize students’ strengths and talents to make their school a better place.”

Learning about other cultures and making new friends

Along with nurturing passions, clubs such as Bidwell Junior High’s chapter of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) club allow teens to explore other cultures and learn more about their own while bonding with peers outside of a regular classroom. Lucy Vo, a sixth-grade AAPI member, says being a part of the club has helped her “learn about other cultures and make new friends who share interests with me.”

Many clubs that involve community outreach can be a teenager’s first taste of working with a diverse group of people, an experience that leads to positive personal growth. Hailey Ebert, a freshman at Red Bluff High, is an active member of Tehama County’s Standing Tall Against Teens Using Substances (STATUS), a youth coalition focused on tobacco control, Her participation “helps me get out of my comfort zone and I really like helping kids,”she says.

Many clubs focus on teen mental health and wellness

At Bidwell Junior High teens can join number of clubs that focus on mental health and wellness. Club Live, Peer Mediators and the Wellness Ambassador program all provide an outlet for teens to discuss complex topics such as substance abuse, conflict and mental health issues.

The Wellness Ambassador program works in partnership with the Butte County Behavioral Health Prevention Unit and Butte County Office of Education and teaches students to educate others about mental health and support those who are struggling. Jasmine Brown, an eighth-grader at Bidwell, says her role as a wellness ambassador has taught her how to recognize the signs of many mental health disorders and how to support and “regulate mental well-being with people I know, as well as how to proficiently get them help.”

Learning organization, time management and leadership

Participation in clubs also helps teens gain valuable life skills such as organization and time management — skills that will serve them long after leaving school.  Bidwell Junior High seventh-grader Benjamin Donnelley participates in Club Live and the Peer Mediators. He says his involvement in these clubs has taught him vital time management skills:” You can learn so many more life skills to better prepare yourself for the future by learning how to manage your time wisely, not leaving yourself stressed with lots of things you have to do possibly at the last second.”

Clubs also offer teens an opportunity to participate in new roles, including leadership —  an experience not typically available to young people. Bidwell Junior High eight-grader Josie French is the president of the school’s chapter of  the California Junior Scholarship Federation (CJSF) and says she has “learned tons of things about being a leader ,“  including planning activities and running the monthly meetings with her fellow officers.  Jasmine Brown, an eight-grader involved with CJSF and the Wellness Ambassador program, says participating in clubs also lays the groundwork for life after school, because “it puts you in the eyes of people looking for good people to employ.”

Teens interested in joining a club at school should check their school’s website for club options and advisor contact information. Local libraries, community centers and churches are also great resources for information on local clubs for teenagers. Many clubs will let teens “drop-in” for a couple of meetings to make sure the club is a good fit for them before they commit to it. Many schools also encourage students to start clubs if they have a specific interest that isn’t currently being offered.