Extracurricular activities and electives have long been a way for students to connect with their peers and discover their passions, but for non-traditional students, those activities are even more crucial.
For students who have struggled in traditional schools, it’s not always confined to the classroom. Non-traditional students can also struggle building connections with peers, learning soft skills and building confidence.
“Most of the kids who come to Aim High have struggled to make connections in school, mostly because they’re overwhelmed by the environment — the crowded hallways, the loud bells, 25-30 kids in a classroom,” Aim High School Head of School Mike Earls explains. “Those sensory issues really shut them down from making social connections.”
What electives and extracurriculars are offered at Aim High School?
“We offer a lot of opportunities for kids to be able to connect with their peers in a less stressful environment to make that social connection, which then can lead into the next day during school,” Earls adds.
Aim High School in Farmington Hills offers a vast range of electives and activities for its students. Electives include music, art, gym, woodworking, cooking, robotics, video production and more. The school also offers a competitive yet fun esports team and robotics team.
Aim High also has afterschool clubs including an art club, gym club, Dungeons and Dragons, Magic the Gathering and chess, as well as a monthly Hawk Hangout where the students and teachers hangout together for pizza and games.
“Our electives, clubs and activities teach things that are not typically taught in school. You have to pay close attention, learn to take instruction, learn to be a teammate, learn to be a friend and learn responsibility to and respect for those teammates and friends,” Earls says. “That’s a big part of what we teach here.”
“It’s not just about the academic material,” he adds. “It’s those soft skills that, in an environment like this, our kids feel a lot of commonality here with each other.”
- How do small classrooms and sensory-friendly rooms benefit non-traditional students?
- Why is career readiness planning so important for non-traditional students to succeed post-graduation?
This content is sponsored by Aim High School. Discover more at the school’s website.
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