What are We Doing After School?

Possibilities of Engaging Students in Extracurricular Activities

Rylan Michalchuk & Trevor Rutz

Growing Extracurricular at Carlton

Football Skills Canada

Athletics

Clubs

Our Focus

Challenges:

Why Bother?

• Not many resources to help grow student involvement in extracurricular activities - No step by step guide.
• Common sense says that extracurricular should be cut in tough times of budget constraints.
• Is it worth our time as teachers? 100 hours for one day off - not many other people would work for that pay. $2.82 to $4.83 /hr (STF Salary Grid, 2016)

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We have to try...

• “Adolescents use extracurricular activities to find friends and feel connected to their school.” (Olszewski-Kubilius & Lee, 2004, p. 108)
• “Participation in extracurricular activities has a positive influence on...academic achievement, self-esteem, school dropout rate, peer interactions and social adjustment” (Olszewski-Kubilius & Lee, 2004, p.109)
• “Involvement in extracurricular activities has also been shown to reduce the likelihood of engaging in risky or delinquent behavior and abusing various substances.” (Fredricks & Eccles, 2005, p. 508)
• There are too many benefits to extracurricular to give up on our goal.

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Peer Leadership in Supporting Extracurricular Growth

“To release a passion, a person may need above all else a role model. It may be a parent, a coach, a teacher, or a mentor.” (Maiers, 2016, p. 93)

• Peer student leader

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Peer Leadership - What Does it Look Like?

• Senior students as leaders, invite and recruit students.
• Invited students are socially accepted into a group, building self-esteem.
• Empowering the students / releasing control from the teacher which is a queer feeling, not the norm for teachers to give up control (Kumashiro, 2009).

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How Will Peer Leadership Improve Learning for Students?

• “Participating in extracurricular activities...allows youth to engage in identity exploration and develop relationships with a wide range of peers.” (Fredricks, 2012, p. 296)
• “Students are more likely to participate in activities they have helped to plan.” (Martin, 2013, p. 94) - ownership to the students
• “Emotional support from other talented peers obtained from extracurricular activities [is] crucial to fulfilling [students] gifted potential.”(Olszewski-Kubilius & Lee, 2004, p. 119)

Closing the Gap - Achievement or Passion?

“Closing the passion gap is possible when we remember “the people” in the learning equation. This will be accomplished by understanding what passion is, what passion can do, where it comes from, and how to make it a part of learning --- putting passion into practice.” (Maiers, 2016,p.7)

• Student peer leaders sharing their passions

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Putting Passion into Practice

Connections to Our Stories

• Nuclear Family that supported me in all extracurricular activities I participated in
• During my formative years the schools I attended and communities I lived in were supportive of extracurricular activities
• Football provided an environment that develops skills and attitudes necessary to work with others
• School and community experiences, family and friends played a significant role in my career choice

Connections to Our Stories

• Supportive parents who valued extracurricular activities.
• Went to a high school with a sufficient amount of extracurricular.
• Fortunate to have access to funding for transportation and other costs.
• Observed gender suggested roles in jazz band - males and females played certain instruments.
• Predominantly white, able-bodied, heterosexual students involved in jazz band.

Our Context - Will it Work?

“It is important to adjust for school size because levels of extracurricular participation have been found to be lower at large schools.” (Fredricks, 2012, p. 300)

• We are a large school, students try to stay unnoticed, uninvolved
• We are both well situated as leaders in our respective extracurricular areas to lead and bring the changes needed to implement our plan.

Our Plan

• Student Survey
• Approaching Students to become Peer Leaders
• Solving Funding Issues
• Solving Communication Issues
• Supporting Teachers

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Athletic Team Student Survey

• Interpret Results from the Tell Them From Me survey
• Develop a extracurricular survey for grade 9 students to complete
• Which of the following sports did you participate in last school year?
• Which of the following sports do you plan to participate in this school year?
• If you played school sports last year and you’re NOT planning on playing those same sports this year, please indicate which of the following apply to you: Yes, No or Maybe
• I'm busy with other activities or sports outside of school
• I'm intimidated to try out because of the size of the school
• I'm worried about playing with people I don't know

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Club Student Survey

• A brief survey will help students identify their interests and bring connections to possible extracurricular club activities. Homeroom teachers could meet with students about their survey results and nudge them towards clubs they had not previously considered.
• How do you like to spend your free time outside of school?
• What would you like to become more awesome at?
• Are there any clubs that you would like to know more about?
• What keeps you from being involved in extracurricular club activities?
• Do you like creating, fixing, playing, acting, writing, or problem solving?

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Approaching Student

Peer Leaders

• Identify possible peer leaders who are outgoing, empathetic, energized, positive student role models.
• Set up a peer leadership group for teachers and students - special credits are available through a leadership class.
• Invite peer leaders to present or talk to elementary schools within our school division. Connections to their old elementary schools.
• Continue to provide support to peer leaders. Be aware of the influence of systems of oppression.

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Funding

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Braddock, Hua, & Dawkins 2007 p.204

“The model posits that gender and family socioeconomic status (SES) affect Black students’ involvement in school activities (sport and nonsport), self-efficacy, and high school academic track placements. These factors, in turn, directly, or indirectly, influence educational attainment.”

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(Braddock, Hua & Dawkins 2007, p. 205)

Funding

• Kidsport
• Crusader Card Fundraiser
• Grants
• Taxi rides for students transportation from practices (Davin Hildebrand, personal communication, October 2016)
• Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division Program Enhancement Grant (PEG)
• Parents/Guardians advocating for suitable Government Funding

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Communication

“Technology enables another aspect that all students need highly developed skills in: creative communication.” (Maiers & Moran, 2016, p. 102)

• Social Media - Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram
• Local Media - Promoting clubs and teams through stories of success versus wins and loses
• Homeroom - Characteristics of Successful Learners
• Parent Information Evenings
• Club showcase
• Peer Leaders - approaching students face to face, growing self-esteem

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Supporting Teachers

“The labeling of an activity as gender (in) appropriate (i.e. stereotyping) is observed as early as the lower elementary years” (Kahan, 2008, p. 101)

• Teachers are stretched thin
• Providing resources
• Practice & Lesson Plan Templates
• Tech Tools - Remind App, Email Lists, Ipads, Video

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Supporting Teachers

“Aligning students’ program of study with their extracurricular interests can multiply the opportunities students have to learn and practice related skills and increase their overall competence.” (Carter, Swedeen, Moss, & Pesko, 2010, p. 279)

• Connections between extracurricular and curricular activities - arriving at the same destination.

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Move over Shakespeare - It is once again

time for the acting of Rylan and Trevor

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Measurement of Success

Tell Them From Me Data 2015/2016

Measurement of Carlton Skills Team Success

Carlton Skills Team 2015/2016

• 17 competitors (includes 4 robotics team members)
• Male competitors - 14
• Female competitors - 3
• First Nations - 4
• 7 Women in Trades female students
• 45% of potential competition areas filled by Carlton students.

Provincial Skills Competition Potential

• 31 total competition areas at the high school level
• 18 competition openings on our Skills team
• Growth determined by an increase in these numbers and by increase in observed enthusiasm of our team

Measurement of Carlton Football Success

Carlton Football 2016/2017

• Jr. Team Players - 34 players
• 3 Female players
• 31 Male players
• Sr. Team Players - 33 players
• 0 Female players
• 33 Male players

Carlton Football Jr. & Sr. Teams Potential

• Currently have 100 sets of football equipment, but resources are available for more equipment
• There are no rules that limit on the number of players that are able to play during a game
• Growth determined by an increase in these numbers, increase in observed enthusiasm of our team, and retainment of players over the four year eligibility period

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Questions?

Any Questions?

References

Braddock, J.H., Hua, L., & Dawkins, M.P. (2007). Effects of Participation in High School Sports and Nonsport Extracurricular Activities on Political Engagement among Black Young Adults. Negro Educational Review, 58, (3/4), 201-214.

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Carlton Comprehensive Public High School. (2015). Tell them from me: Report on student outcomes and school climate. Saskatchewan Project Secondary Survey. Retrieved from http://thelearningbar.com

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Carter, E., Swedeen, B., Moss, C., & Pesko, M. (2010). What are you doing after school? Promoting extracurricular involvement for transition-age youth with disabilities. Intervention in School and Clinic, 45(5), 275-283.

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References

Fredricks, J. & Eccles, J. (2005). Developmental benefits of extracurricular involvement: Do peer characteristics mediate the link between activities and youth outcomes? Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 34(6), 507-520.

Fredricks, J. (2012). Extracurricular participation and academic outcomes: Testing the over-scheduling hypothesis. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 41(1), 295-306.

Kahan, D. (2008). Modifying Flag Football for Gender Equitable Engagement in Secondary Schools. Physical Educator, 62, (2), 100-112.

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Maiers, A., & Sandvold, A. (2011). The passion-driven classroom: A framework for teaching & learning. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

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References

Maiers, A. & Moran, M. (2016). Liberating genius: A framework for epic transformation. Lynbrook, NY: Choose2Matter, Inc.

Martin, E. (2013). Fostering culture change in an undergraduate business program: “Nudging” students towards greater involvement in extracurricular activities. American Journal of Business Education, 6(1), 93-101.

Olszewski-Kubilius, P. & Lee, S.Y. (2004). The role of participation in in-school and outside-of-school activities in the talent development of gifted students. The Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, 15(3), 107-123.

Saskatchewan Teachers Federation. (2013). Provincial Collective Bargaining Agreement. Retrieved from https://www.stf.sk.ca/sites/default/files/provincial_collective_bargaining_agreement _2013-17_article_2.pdf

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