Club Life at The Downtown School

By Daniel Wicklund

The Downtown School offers the core elements of a liberal arts education: Mathematics, English, science, history and world language. But we don’t have a football field or a drama class. We don’t have a marching band, and while we have teachers who play musical instruments, we have none that teach them. And yet, The Downtown School is a place where these talents and passions are given room to grow, and our students eagerly pick up where the curriculum leaves off. Even without a drama class and teacher, our students put on plays. Instead of a band teacher conducting a set of songs, our students compose their own music and perform at school (and sometimes, with the Seattle Symphony!).

Our students’ talents and passions were on full display last week at the Downtown School Clubs Fair. A student body of 147 have almost 30 student-designed, student-run clubs to choose from, and 15 hours per week in which to engage with their peers, on campus, pursuing their passions. Students just this year founded four service clubs, two sports clubs, four game clubs, five music clubs, and over a dozen more. From established clubs like the DTS Ensemble, which puts on concerts throughout the year, and Baking Club, which brings fresh-baked cheer to Monday mornings, to brand new clubs like Coding for Medicine, our students do it all.

Clubs at The Downtown School have faculty advisors, but students take the lead in every sense. The clubs are dynamic, exciting and constantly evolving, and it is a delight to witness what our students put together given space and support. The Downtown School doesn’t offer after school sports, or classes in music or drama; our students do.