This article was translated to Spanish and French; see Spanish translation here and French translation here.

At New Trier High School, students don’t need to travel far to learn about different cultures from around the world. The school’s wide variety of cultural clubs offer students a chance to immerse themselves in and learn about several different languages and cultures. Many of the clubs meet regularly to give students opportunities to engage with foreign films, food, music, and traditions. These clubs are key parts of the school’s effort to promote greater cultural understanding.

Anne Salisbury, the sponsor of French Culture Club, says the clubs are available to anyone hoping to join.

“We are open to everyone; you can speak French, but you don’t have to,” she says. “I feel like it’s a place for people to come together who have a common interest.”

The French Culture Club recently spent one of its meetings cooking French crêpes, a traditional food in French culture.

“Over the years, we have made traditional recipes such as Croque Monsieur, a French grilled cheese and ham,” Salisbury says. “We’ve also made Madeleines, little soft cookies, and crêpes for fundraisers in the kitchens on our little crêpe-makers we’ve purchased.” 

Japanese Club, another cultural club at New Trier, also participates in a variety of activities such as traditional games, movies, and foods. One unique aspect of the club is its participation in a group competition at the end of the year.

“In the spring, we participate in the Illinois Japan Bowl, which is this academic contest which goes over a bunch of grammar, history, and all sorts of things,” Bradley Kuklis, sponsor of the Japanese Culture Club, says.

These activities offer students a space to deepen their appreciation for world cultures in ways that go beyond textbooks. The clubs tend to be a space for enjoying oneself and spending time doing things that interest them.

“We try to foster a fun, supportive environment. It’s not a very high pressure, high expectations sort of club. A lot of it is spending time with people you are friends with and doing things that everyone enjoys doing,” Kuklis says.

These clubs are mainly student led, with sponsors essentially only helping to guide students and help them put their ideas in motion.

“What’s good about our clubs here is that there’s this emphasis on letting students run it and have that experience,” Hiteshree Patel, sponsor of the South Asian Culture Club, said.

The clubs being student led is only one of the benefits of the clubs, though. Some of the students who have attended the clubs find them to be helpful in creating an inclusive school in which cultures are celebrated. Students attend culture clubs for a variety of reasons. Spanish Club is one of these clubs.

“I originally joined as a way to become a member of the Spanish Honors Society, but over time I started to really like it,” senior Anna Halwax, a previous member of Spanish Club, says. “I made new friends, and I was able to learn more about Spanish culture.”

As New Trier continues to encourage cultural awareness and diversity, these affinity groups play a vital role in shaping students’ understanding of the wider world. 

For those interested in joining, the clubs meet weekly, and all students are welcome, regardless of their language proficiency or prior knowledge of the culture. Other clubs include South Asian Club, Russian Club, Chinese Culture Club, German Culture Club, and Black and Brown Club. In order to learn more, students can go to the New Trier Club Finder website to see a description of the clubs as well as the sponsors running them and when and where the clubs meet.

These culture clubs at New Trier are not only to educate, but also to connect people.

“I see a group of students coming together who may or may not know each other but become friends through the club and seem to have fun just by being together,” Salisbury says.