Extracurricular activity
Encyclopedia
Extracurricular activities are activities performed by student
s that fall outside the realm of the normal curriculum
of school or university education. Extracurricular activities exist at all levels of education, from 4th-6th, junior high/high school
, college
and university
education.
Such activities are generally voluntary as opposed to mandatory, non-paying, social
, philanthropic as opposed to scholastic, and often involve others of the same age. Students often organize and direct these activities under faculty sponsorship, although student-led initiatives, such as independent newspapers, are common.
), debate clubs, and by mid-century, Greek letter fraternities and sororities
. Students also initiated and organized the early athletic programs on American college campuses. Literary societies were on the decline by the turn of the twentieth century, and some educators felt that less desirable extracurricular activities were now distracting students from their curricular responsibilities. Intercollegiate athletics soon became the dominant element in the extracurriculum in most American colleges and high schools.
Such activities as school newspaper
and interschool sports programs have been part of American high schools since the World War I
era. Today’s public high schools offer a comprehensive array of extracurricular activities to complement the curriculum.
Activities that often involve some time commitment outside of the regular school day, such as band and choir, are also considered extracurricular activities.
Companies seeking job applicants may not look solely for those with a high GPA; employers might also look at extracurricular activities to determine if the applicant is the best suited for the job.
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s that fall outside the realm of the normal curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
of school or university education. Extracurricular activities exist at all levels of education, from 4th-6th, junior high/high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
and university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
education.
Such activities are generally voluntary as opposed to mandatory, non-paying, social
Social
The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
, philanthropic as opposed to scholastic, and often involve others of the same age. Students often organize and direct these activities under faculty sponsorship, although student-led initiatives, such as independent newspapers, are common.
Historical background
The extra curriculum made its first appearance in American colleges in the nineteenth century. It complemented the curriculum as much as subverted it. The students found in it a kind of laboratory for practical and vocational interests. The first extracurricular activities were student literary societies (which had roots in the previous century at Harvard and YaleYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
), debate clubs, and by mid-century, Greek letter fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
. Students also initiated and organized the early athletic programs on American college campuses. Literary societies were on the decline by the turn of the twentieth century, and some educators felt that less desirable extracurricular activities were now distracting students from their curricular responsibilities. Intercollegiate athletics soon became the dominant element in the extracurriculum in most American colleges and high schools.
Such activities as school newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
and interschool sports programs have been part of American high schools since the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
era. Today’s public high schools offer a comprehensive array of extracurricular activities to complement the curriculum.
Activities that often involve some time commitment outside of the regular school day, such as band and choir, are also considered extracurricular activities.
Companies seeking job applicants may not look solely for those with a high GPA; employers might also look at extracurricular activities to determine if the applicant is the best suited for the job.
Examples
- Student government
- Model United NationsModel United NationsModel United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
- World Scholar's CupWorld Scholar's CupThe World Scholar's Cup is an international team academic tournament with students participating from over 30 countries. The competition was founded by DemiDec, in particular by Daniel Berdichevsky, DemiDec's president, in 2006. Other directors of the program include Zac Ellington and Bunnie Hadsall...
- Moot courtMoot courtA moot court is an extracurricular activity at many law schools in which participants take part in simulated court proceedings, usually to include drafting briefs and participating in oral argument. The term derives from Anglo Saxon times, when a moot was a gathering of prominent men in a...
- Model Crime InvestigationsModel Crime InvestigationsStarted in 2008, Model Crime Investigations is a student-associated international conference. Model Crime Investigations usually holds in South Korea annually so it is usually known as KMCI. MCI is an extracurricular activity where students gather to learn how a criminal justice and police...
- Topic-specific clubClubA club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
s such as math club, Philanthropy Key ClubKey ClubKey Club International is the oldest and largest service program for high school students. It is a student-led organization whose goal is to teach leadership through serving others. Key Club International is a part of the Kiwanis International family of service-leadership programs... - Competitions such as the National History Day program & Quiz Bowl
- Political science organizations that moot courtMoot courtA moot court is an extracurricular activity at many law schools in which participants take part in simulated court proceedings, usually to include drafting briefs and participating in oral argument. The term derives from Anglo Saxon times, when a moot was a gathering of prominent men in a...
, or the publication of a law reviewLaw reviewA law review is a scholarly journal focusing on legal issues, normally published by an organization of students at a law school or through a bar association... - InternInternInternship is a system of onthejob training for white-collar jobs, similar to an apprenticeship. Interns are usually college or university students, but they can also be high school students or post graduate adults seeking skills for a new career. They may also be as young as middle school or in...
ships and other school sponsored work programs - University societiesUniversity societyIn colleges and universities, societies are organizations founded and ran by students to practice and propagate a certain professional hobby or cause, or to promote professional development....
- DebateDebateDebate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
- DramaDramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
- GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Sports
- School journalismJournalismJournalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
- RoboticsRoboticsRobotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...
- EntrepreneurshipEntrepreneurshipEntrepreneurship is the act of being an entrepreneur, which can be defined as "one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods". This may result in new organizations or may be part of revitalizing mature organizations in response...
External links
- Using extracurricular activity as an indicator of interpersonal skill: prudent evaluation or recruiting malpractice, Human Resource Management, Rubin, R.S., Bommer, W.H. & Baldwin, T.T. (2002).
- Extra Curricular Network Australia (ECNA) promotes Extra curricular programs for tertiary students in Australia.