by Kayla Vasquez
This year at STA, a lot has changed. We’ve had less time to see our friends, new rules and precautions to follow, and a looming sense of uncertainty every day. Without sports or academics, our options may seem limited, but there are still a variety of clubs and teams still available virtually! Whether you’re interested in social change, world politics, journalism, coding, or more, there’s a club for you.
STA Social Justice Council
Meetings: Weekly/bi-weekly on Google Meet (about one-hour)
Supervisor: Mrs. Rerecich
Contact: Follow @sta.sjc on Instagram for updates!
How to join: Message @sta.sjc on Instagram or email Mrs. Rerecich!
What is the main interest or topic of your club? What exactly do members do in your club?
The Social Justice Council raises awareness on social issues and works together in pursuit of solutions.
What does this club look for in its members? What personality traits, interests, or qualifications should a member of this club have?
We look for members with an interest or passion for social issues and a desire to see justice and peace take firm root in our culture and world. This includes BLM, inequity, mistreatment of human rights, poverty, education, Indigenous issues/Truth and Reconciliation, etc.
What does this club offer and how can it benefit its members?
The Social Justice Council offers its members volunteer hours based on merit and participation.
What other resources (websites, accounts, events, etc.) are recommended for people who are interested in the topic of your club?
We highly recommend visiting the website devp.org (Development and Peace) to learn more about international solidarity and the pursuit of human dignity. Development and Peace also has great resources for activities that raise awareness of the difference between justice and charity.
STA Model United Nations
Meetings: Wednesdays on Microsoft Teams from 2:30-2:45
Supervisor: Mme. Cook
Contact: Follow @stamunclub for updates!
How to Join: Currently not accepting new members
Additional Costs or Resources: None.
What is the main interest or topic of your club? What exactly do members do in your club?
STA’s Model United Nations Club hosts Model United Nations (MUN) conferences for STA students, which are simulations of the United Nations’ (UN) processes where delegates represent different countries in the UN. Delegates represent their country’s viewpoints and try to reach an internationally accepted resolution aligned with their country’s foreign policy during conferences. Each conference is held over multiple weekly sessions regarding different topics of global importance.
In addition to attending these weekly meetings, delegates in STA’s MUN Club also participate in external MUN conferences. Some of the conferences we are planning to attend this year include Yale’s Model United Nations Conference (YMUN) and Queen’s National Model United Nations Conference (QNMUN), both of which are being held virtually this year.
What does this club look for in its members? What personality traits, interests, or qualifications should a member of this club have?
MUN delegates are typically interested in international relations, inquisitive, and are globally-minded. Strong leadership, public speaking, research, and collaborative skills (and prior MUN experience) would be valuable assets to have for MUN but are not necessary.
What does this club offer and how can it benefit its members?
STA’s MUN Club offers a friendly environment conducive to learning and discussion. We hope to facilitate the development of your leadership, public speaking, debating, and critical thinking skills through the collaborative efforts, diplomacy, and productive debates, in which you will participate in throughout our weekly sessions.
STA HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America)
Meetings: Weekly meetings on Microsoft Teams from 2:45-3:45
Supervisor: Ms. Kam
Contact: Follow @stahosa for updates!
How to Join: Currently not accepting new members
Additional Costs or Resources: Fees charged by other institutions that host external conferences (if you would like to attend them), and a HOSA Canada membership.
What is the main interest or topic of your club? What exactly do members do in your club?
Members of STA’s HOSA Chapter attend HOSA conferences, which are provided to prepare future health professionals for their careers. During HOSA conferences, our members participate in various competitive events, in addition to workshops hosted by healthcare professionals.
What does this club look for in its members? What personality traits, interests, or qualifications should a member of this club have?
Members should be driven, and diligent, and interested in healthcare. Previous experience and knowledge with HOSA and healthcare would be useful but are not necessary.
What does this club offer and how can it benefit its members?
Through HOSA, knowledge, experience, and skills pertaining to the field of healthcare can be obtained. The preparation necessary to compete in competitive events can provide valuable knowledge and develop skills pertinent to a career in healthcare. An example of a competitive event would be pathophysiology, which tests participants’ knowledge on the subject. Depending on your event, the development of transferable skills such as critical thinking, public speaking, and analytical skills can also be developed. In addition, informative and interactive workshops about current topics relevant to the healthcare field are also provided during conferences, giving members valuable insight and experience regarding various topics pertinent to a career in healthcare.
What other resources (websites, accounts, events, etc.) are recommended for people who are interested in the topic of your club?
You can visit the HOSA Canada website, https://hosacanada.org, for more details on how HOSA conferences and competitive events work. Additionally, you can follow our Instagram account @stahosa for more updates on our chapter!
STA Girls Who Code
Meetings: Wednesdays on Microsoft Teams from 2:30 to 3:30
Supervisor: Ms. Salvo
Contact: Follow @gwcclubraiders on Instagram for updates!
How to Join: Message @gwcclubraiders on Instagram, or email Ms. Salvo!
Additional Costs or Resources: All that is required is a girl interested in a computer and a smile. 🙂
What is the main interest or topic of your club? What exactly do members do in your club?
Members of STA’s Girls Who Code Club will learn the fundamentals of how to code in languages (like Python). We are currently going lesson by lesson using interactive techniques to help the girls understand the basics of coding which they can use for the future. Participants are notified of coding opportunities, like RBC’s Hack-a-Thon, and will engage in a GWC real-life scenario project.
What does this club look for in its members? What personality traits, interests, or qualifications should a member of this club have?
Members should be interested in the technological field, be willing to learn new things, and have the drive to work collaboratively. Previous experience and knowledge with coding would be useful but is not necessary.
What does this club offer and how can it benefit its members?
Girls Who Code will allow members to gain valuable programming and STEM skills that they can use in the growing technological landscape, no matter the industry. We will be teaching Python, one of the most used programming languages in the world today. From there, students can branch off into web design, computer contest questions, or more advanced programming concepts. The knowledge of these skills will give members a leg up in their future. Students can apply their problem-solving skills learned from computer science and apply it in business, scientific, and social contexts.
What other resources (websites, accounts, events, etc.) are recommended for people who are interested in the topic of your club?
You can visit the official Girls Who Code website, https://girlswhocode.com/, for more information about the global impact of this organization as well as women in STEM statistics! Additionally, you can follow our Instagram account @gwcclubraiders for Hack-a-Thon and business conference opportunities! Otherwise, to get started on some coding, we recommend you check out CodeAcademy and KhanAcademy.
STA Raider Weekly
Meetings: Tuesdays on Google Meet from 2:30-3:00
Supervisor: Ms. Power
Contact: Follow @raider.weekly for updates!
How to Join: DM @raider.weekly or email Ms. Power.
What is the main interest or topic of your club? What exactly do members do in your club?
Raider Weekly is STA’s newspaper team, whose main interest is journalism and writing. Members of our team communicate and spread awareness about any topic of interest (whether they are featured in-school events, biographies about our students, politics, lifestyle, or anything else) to our school community through our articles!
What does this club look for in its members? What personality traits, interests, or qualifications should a member of this club have?
Raider Weekly looks for individuals who are curious, adaptable (to different people or situations), dedicated, and who are leaders to those around them. A passion for writing, a desire to learn, and a positive attitude are all needed for our team!
What does this club offer and how can it benefit its members?
Raider Weekly offers its members experience in journalism, media, and teamwork. Being a member allows you to pursue your passion for writing, to share and gain knowledge about what you’re passionate about, and allows you to network with other students and writers.
What other resources (websites, accounts, events, etc.) are recommended for people who are interested in the topic of your club?
Our members use Google Classroom, our Instagram page, and WordPress (the website we use to publish our articles).
I love the clubs you have going. Special kudos for Ms. Salvo’s Coding Club for girls! Keep being involved and make some awesome new friends and stay engaged, STA!! Miss you all.