Do you feel that you are well represented in the clubs and teams at CPSS? Our Equity Club has recently conducted a survey to find out.
The survey was extremely successful, with about 300 responses. Majority of the responses were from grade 9s; on the other hand, the least amount of responses were from the grade 12s.
In terms of the factors students consider when joining clubs, 90% responded that they consider their personal or career-based interests, 76% chose friends and only 0.3% said to have fun. When asked what barriers exist that may prevent them from joining clubs, most students said that they are too busy, or that they didn’t feel comfortable due to the presence of cliques. On a scale from 1-7, the majority of students chose 4 or 5 as a rating for the diversity in clubs, which isn’t horrible, but at CPSS, we strive for better. Lastly, students were asked why they chose the number that they did. Answers ranged from clubs being “very diverse and welcoming” to “it is racially diverse, but not diverse gender-wise” or “not diverse at all, with mostly students in regional programs.”
Now, there is also the question of how different students define "diversity." Due to the fact that this wasn’t made clear in the survey, we can expect another survey from the Equity Club this year.
So, what can we do to encourage more diversity in our clubs at CPSS? Well, we can focus on integration and create an environment where we are all safe and supported by using inclusive language, being welcoming and friendly to the people we meet, and addressing discrimination. We all deserve to feel comfortable and to be treated fairly, so let’s make it happen!
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