Clubs and Activities

List of 59 items.

• 3D Printing Club

  This club provides students interested in art and technology with an outlet to design and produce objects using the school’s 3D software and printer.

• Asian Alliance

  Asian Alliance is an affinity group where everyone who identifies as Asian or Asian-American can speak freely about their varying experiences. The group brings awareness that there is an Asian spectrum, rather than just East Asia. While the main focus is to deal with issues affecting our community and advance our community, the group also finds interactive ways to connect by including opportunities to share our cultures with the rest of the student body along with celebrating our differences within the club itself.

• Astrophysics Club

  Astrophysics club is an opportunity for students and teachers to come together  and talk about various topics in astronomy, cosmology, particle physics and modern physics that are of interest to everyone. We also plan outings and activities such as seeing movies, sharing in outside speakers, as well as building and launching high powered rockets and high altitude balloons.

• Berkowitz Committee

  Students on the Berkowitz Committee work together each year to orchestrate an open process for awarding a $10,000 grant from the Berkowitz family to an organization that serves Chicago’s youth.

• Black Student Union (BSU)

  The Black Student Union provides a space to learn and share life experiences and fellowship with Black students.

• Chess Club

  The Chess Club is for students who would like to learn or improve their skills as strategic chess players. The group does not participate in interscholastic competitions.

• Comedy Club

  The Comedy Club is a space for students to enjoy comedy in its many forms.

• Community Research and Medicine (CRM) Club

  The Community Research and Medicine Club educates and engage students interested in medicine and medical research. Our goal is to be more cognizant about community health and create greater change in our society.

• Computer Gaming Club

  This social computer group welcomes students who enjoy the cyber world, role-playing and teamwork fostered by shared strategies.

• Debate Club

  The Debate Club is for students who are interested in learning more about formal, organized argumentation as well as developing stronger speaking and presentation skills.

• Food Council

  The Food Council meets with the school’s Food Service team on all things food, including the Cafeteria.

• Fourth Wall

  The Fourth Wall is a student theatre club in which students handle every part of the production process: acting, directing, sets/props/costuming, advertising, etc. Often, students write the material, but the troupe also produces adaptations of existing works.

• French Club

  The French Club enriches classroom activities with out-of-class opportunities to speak French and discuss French culture. Members plan activities such as outings to restaurants, movies, plays and other cultural events, as well as create projects to help expose the Parker community to French and francophone culture.

• FTC Robotics

  Students in FTC Robotics work with professional mentors to become science and technology leaders by designing and building robots for FIRST Tech Challenge Competition robotics competition. By experiencing the entire engineering process, students gain valuable skills in project time and task management; real-world problem analysis; mechanical, electrical and computer engineering; website design, graphic art, communication, publicity and marketing, as well as fundraising and budgeting.

• Investment Club

  The Investment Club educates students on making smart investments in the current global market and managing a smart and effective financial portfolio.

• Jewish Student Connection

  Jewish Student Connection is an affinity group for those who identify as Jewish to  come together on a regular basis to enjoy meaningful experiences. The group will celebrate our cultural and ethnic diversity, discuss local and national issues impacting Jews and share our perspectives with the greater school community. The group will also have fun holiday celebrations, engaging programming and lots of Jewish of food!

• Latin American Students Organization (LASO)

  The Latin American Students Organization (LASO) provides a space for students who identify with Latin American origins to celebrate their cultural and ethnic diversity, discuss local and national issues that affect them and educate the school and the community at large about their cultures and issues that affect Latinos at large.

• Let’s Take Action (LTA)

  The Let’s Take Action Club brings students together to learn, help and advocate for under-resourced people.

• MATE ROV (Underwater Robotics)

  The MATE ROV Competition is an underwater robotics (aka remotely operated vehicle or ROV) challenge that engages a global community of learners each year. Team webpage available here.

• Math Club

  Math Club is a forum for students who love math to work with faculty members on challenging problems that extend their classroom learning and allow them to work collaboratively.

• Meditation Club

  The Meditation Club allows students to explore guided meditation, deep relaxation, breathing and visualization techniques. Students lead and participate in weekly meditations with emphasis on improving focus, mental clarity and stress management.

• Men of Color Heritage Affinity (MOCHA)

  The Men of Color Heritage Affinity group (MOCHA) provides an open, student-run space for young men of color to gather and talk about different topics related to their experience. This organization aims to develop the voice of young men of color in the school.

• Mock Trial Club

  The Mock Trial Club members will learn the basics of courtroom law and put together a simulation of an actual trial. This club is for those who love to debate or are interested in criminal law. Experience is great but not required, and if you have any cases you would like to see debated, let us know! We’re so excited for this club, and we hope you are too!

• Model United Nations

  Students adopt the roles of United Nations diplomats by representing the perspectives of various countries during discussions of international policy and current events. Participants practice and develop research, writing, public speaking, problem-solving and negotiating skills through participation in intramural symposia and interscholastic events.

• Multi-Racial Affinity Group (MRA)

  The Multi-Racial Affinity Group brings people of multiple races together to share their experiences connecting with the many parts of their heritage.

• Muslim Student Association (MSA)

  The Muslim Student Association fosters an environment wherein Muslims at Parker can interact with each other through a variety of social, educational and religious activities.

• Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS)

  The Organization of Latin American Students provides a safe and comfortable space for Latine students at Parker to meet, discuss current events and our experience as Latine people at Parker and in the broader community.

• Parker Democrats

  Parker Democrats aim to make a difference in our democracy by promoting and canvassing for Democrats who share our values. We strive to educate ourselves on important issues at the federal, state and local levels. We lead by example and volunteer, knock on doors, canvas, educate, listen and hold ourselves and others accountable for Democratic beliefs. We recognize "Democrats" includes a variety of perspectives and we welcome all.

• Parker Poker Club

  The Parker Poker Club is focused on enjoying the art and game of poker. We believe poker is an essential skill to learn as it allows you to meet new people and form new connections.

• Parker Red Cross Club

  The Parker Red Cross Club fundraises and educates the Parker community on First Aid and other medical techniques, while also hosting yearly blood drives with the help of the School Nurse’s office. The Red Cross Club provides opportunities to make a difference in our community by developing knowledge and life-saving skills to help prepare students to respond to emergencies and help the Parker community at large. The Red Cross Club also offers numerous volunteer opportunities as well as hosts a multitude of events, including movie nights, bake sales and trivia nights.

• Paws for Parker

  Paws for Parker is a club dedicated to connecting students through their love of animals.

• Photography Club

  Students meet and discuss photographic art as well as design interesting projects with specific themes to improve their skills.

• Poetry Club

  The Poetry Club gives students a chance to explore poetry by a variety of artists, whether they’re well-known or local, and enjoy people’s company with some “poetry food.”

• PRIDE

  PRIDE is a committee and affinity group in one. The committee part of our group works together to host schoolwide events for Parker, such as Pride Week, MXes and teach-ins. As an affinity group, we aim to make a safe space for each other, whether you're in the community or not, and host meaningful conversations to assure everyone feels heard and safe. One need not be a member of the LGBTQ+ community to be on the committee, and there will be ally-included meetings.

• Power of Education Club

  This club raises awareness about the obstacles females face to receive a proper education in developing countries. Activities include movie screenings about international crises involving women and/or education.

• Random Acts of Kindness Club (RAK)

  The Random Acts of Kindness Club works to positively impact the student body through random acts of kindness.

• Reproductive Justice Club

  The Reproductive Justice Club brings students together and advocate, fundraise and protest for women’s and reproductive justice.

• Robotics

  Students on the Robotic Colonels team work with professional engineers to become science and technology leaders through the process of designing and building robots for FIRST Robotic Competitions. By experiencing the entire engineering process, students gain valuable skills in project time and task management; real-world problem analysis; mechanical, electrical and computer engineering; website design, graphic art, communication, publicity and marketing, as well as fundraising and budgeting.

• Scholastic Bowl

  Scholastic Bowl is a team academic knowledge competition. We practice during the school day a couple times per week and compete in several tournaments at the local and national levels.

• Science Olympiad

  In this national science competition, Parker students join their peers from more than 14,000 other K–12 schools, choosing from more than 20 events in different fields of science, ranging from Meteorology to Food Science to Simple Machines. Working in small groups of two to five members, students prepare for their events, periodically meeting with science teachers for extra coaching and to monitor their progress.

• SCOUT

  SCOUT is a pop culture magazine that serves as a platform to publish truth, innovation, taboo issues, complex experiences, introspection and growth through a digest of photography, poetry, writing, interviews and, of course, articles.

• Secrets of Success

  Secrets of Success provides students with opportunities to share in Zoom-based experiences with a host of people at the top of their fields.

• Slam Poetry

  Students explore spoken word and performance poetry, meeting weekly to write, share and perform their work and culminating with participation in Louder Than A Bomb, the world’s largest teen poetry festival, which takes place annually in Chicago.

• South Asian Student Alliance (SASA)

  The South Asian Student Alliance is an affinity group specifically for students who originate from South Asia.

• Split

  Split is a place for kids of divorced or separated parents to discuss their experiences in a shared space.

• Sports Debate Club

  The Sports Debate Club is a place for students to discuss, reflect and debate about a variety of sports. These could be debates on player comparisons, a rivalry, game results and more. The sports we’ll cover are soccer, football, basketball and baseball.

• Students Affirming Gender Equality (SAGE)

  Students Affirming Gender Equality (SAGE) provides a safe discussion space for Upper School students to explore current issues surrounding gender and sexuality.

• Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD)

  SADD is a committee that works to make sure that students across Parker are taking care of themselves. Heads attend freshman health classes to answer questions about time management, peer pressure and any other school or social-related stressors. They also provide information on how to take care of your mental health and make decisions that will only positively benefit individuals during their time at Parker.

• Students United

  Students United holds conversations regarding different cultures at school, with topics including race, gender identity, ethnicity, bullying and more.

• Table Tennis Club

  The Table Tennis Club hopes to spread the exciting game of table tennis in the Parker community! We meet once a week during lunch and have fun playing ping pong. Our club is meant for all levels of players, everyone is welcome!

• Tampon Tuesday

  Tampon Tuesday is a student club that raises money and awareness and collects tampons for women in need. We mainly hold bake sales (on Tuesdays) where we accept payment in dollars, tampons, pads or any other period products. We then donate everything we raise to two Chicago women’s organizations.

• The Parker Weekly

  The Parker Weekly is Parker’s flagship student newspaper and one of the oldest of its kind in the country. We publish about 11 issues every year, and members can contribute in a variety of ways. The Weekly is always looking to engage more contributors and improve our coverage.

• Underwater Robotics (ROV)

  The Underwater Robotics team works to build and program a robot to maneuver through obstacles. We are also a close-knit group of individuals; while we work hard, we also have fun!

• Video Club

  Students learn about and further develop their skills in developing, filming and editing video documentaries as well as exploring post-production techniques, such as animation.

• Video Game Club

  The Video Game Club plays video games in a fun and social atmosphere!

• WiSTEM

  WiSTEM aims to educate students about and advocate for the injustices women face in the STEM fields, along with helping establish a new generation of strong, intelligent and hardworking young women in STEM.

• Women of Color Affinity Group

  The Women of Color Affinity Group allows women of color collectively to come together and speak about being a woman of color at Parker.

• Women's Affinity Group (WAG)

  The Women’s Affinity Group is for female-identifying members of the community to socialize, talk about experiences, discuss concerns and anything else important to our community as well as our society.

• Yearbook Production

  Yearbook Production works on making pages highlighting each event throughout the entire school year. Club members are expected to get quotes, pictures and captions and format the page when assigned a specific event.