Although extracurricular activities are valuable for school communities, they present specific contextual challenges including a) scheduling outside of school hours/locations, b) attendees who may not be directly connected to the school community, c) large groups together in unstructured spaces, d) potential opportunities for increased access to prohibited items such as weapons, alcohol ordrugs, and e) likelihood for behaviors that may be difficult to regulate, supervise, or monitor.
When communities gather in large group settings, it is important to define community agreements through a process that involves members of the community. The end product is a clear document that describes the community expectations for being together by a) providing consistent messaging and teaching, b) connecting extracurricular events as an extension of the school environment, c) emphasizing positive prosocial behaviors that are reflective of the values of the school community and d) providing explicit ways to ask for help or report concerns. It is equally important to intentionally foster positive relationships across community members, including those from groups least likely to benefit from existing educational systems.
