Launching a club at your school

Looking back on my school days, I can't help but feel grateful to my institution's clubs for largely contributing to my growth as a person. Language clubs, maths clubs, science clubs – you name it, my school probably had it.

I may have had the luxury of choosing from a dozen of these school clubs to be involved with. Unfortunately, an overwhelming number of schools hardly offer any extracurricular clubs, despite how much these clubs can offer. But with a bit of planning and initiative, it is possible to start a club in your school.

Choosing an area of focus

The first step in starting a club is to determine its purpose and focus. This is where a great deal of consideration for your interests, hobbies, and overall impact comes into play.

Some feasible clubs fit for the school level might include book clubs, tech clubs, debate clubs, nature clubs, etc. Having a clear idea of your club's mission will greatly help in this regard. Ensure that your proposed club's area of interest doesn't overlap with any of the other clubs.

Convincing a teacher to be the club's moderator

A moderator panel is a must for starting a club. For that, you must first approach teachers who share an interest in your club's focus or have expertise in the field. For instance, a nature study club might be more suited towards Biology teachers. On the other hand, an art teacher might be more familiar with art clubs.

Appointing an executive committee

With the approval of your moderator, fix an initial executive committee and assign key leadership roles to diligent students, such as the president, vice president, treasurer, etc. The committee should be composed of people who genuinely want to grow and develop the potential club. 

Approaching the school authorities with a proposal

Once you've successfully navigated the above-discussed steps, the final hurdle to seeing your proposed club come to life is to get it approved by your school authorities. In most cases, the school principal will have the final and most important say in whether or not the club should be approved for launch.

Craft a meticulous and well-planned proposal outlining the ins and outs of the club, yearly activity plans, the executive committee structure, etc. Include points to prove how the club will align with the vision and principles of the school while also offering enough to students in terms of extracurricular experience and learning. 

Opening social media pages

In this day and age, social media is perhaps the most powerful tool for promoting your club, attracting new members, and keeping everyone informed about upcoming events and activities. Facebook and Instagram are good places to build an audience before expanding to platforms like TikTok, Twitter, etc.