From Aerospace Clubs to Sustainable Fashion, ASIJ offers students a wide range of opportunities to explore their interests beyond ASIJ. However, with so many clubs available, students sometimes find themselves having to choose between activities they want to commit to.
ASIJ has 72 official clubs across six categories. Of these, 21 are classified as After-School Activities, 19 as Exploration and Enrichment, 12 as Direct Service clubs, 9 Advocacy Service clubs, 10 Media and Arts clubs, and 1 Leadership organization. This statistic reflects the diversity of student interests, ranging from traditional clubs like Model United Nations to more niche groups such as Automotive Enthusiasts and Sports Medicine.
This year, ASIJ brought in Dane Robinson as the new Director of Co-Curricular Learning. Reaching out to Mr. Robinson to learn more about his plans for the program and what students can expect moving forward, he explained, “My priority is to build a more connected and student-driven co-curricular program … Ultimately, I want to strengthen what we already offer while continuing to explore new opportunities that reflect student interests.”
To work towards this, Mr. Robinson’s first priority is reviewing the existing clubs. He looks for indicators such as participation, attendance, and each club’s effectiveness to determine which might need support. Rather than focusing on increasing the number of clubs, Robinson wants to ensure that existing opportunities are organized and supported.
When asked about changes in student interests, Mr. Robinson explained that it is still too early to identify clear trends. However, he hopes to better understand which activities students enjoy and to use their feedback to further improve the program.
This focus on student participation also extends into how clubs are scheduled. With many activities overlapping in meeting days and times, students sometimes have to choose between clubs they are interested in.
“Students shouldn’t have to constantly choose between opportunities they’re passionate about,” Mr. Robinson said.
While he acknowledged that scheduling will always be challenging with the sheer number of clubs and activities ASIJ offers, Mr. Robinson hopes to improve coordination between clubs, reduce overlapping meetings, and give students more flexibility.
For now, there are no specific changes to the current club system. However, Mr. Robinson’s plans suggest that the focus this year will be less on creating new clubs and more on improving existing clubs and the underlying organizational system.
Ultimately, with so many opportunities at ASIJ, the challenge is not simply about offering more activities but about ensuring that students can meaningfully participate in and learn from the clubs already active.
