Clubs & Activities

Contact: Mr. Wirley
Location: MIHS Library
The Anti-Reality Club discusses creative, unique and rarely disputed topics. Club members delve into the mysteries of life and use proof based problem solving to create jovial conversations and witty banter. We meet on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month. 
 

Contact: Mrs. Keim and Mr. Lombardo

This is a club for students that love to swim or students that need some extra help to learn. Whether you have Aquatics class now, not yet, or already passed the class, this will give you the opportunity to get comfortable in the water with a smaller group, have fun, and get individualized instruction. See you in the pool! We meet every Thursday during tutorial. 

Contact: Mr. Palmer

Our club preserves and celebrates Asian culture to its members and the community as a whole. We meet on Fridays during tutorial.

Contact: Major Nygaard & Sgt. Stone
Location: Room 2-001

Air Force Junior ROTC is a program that focuses on citizenship and character development.  We study aerospace science, leadership education, and physical education in class while performing leadership exercises, team building activities, and community service outside of class.  Extracurricular activities include Air Commandos - our extreme physical training teambuilding team, Drill - our competitive marching team, and Cyber Patriot - our competitive cyber security team.

Contact: Mrs. White
Location: Room 217
A place to explore our universe's planets, galaxies, stars and more through discussion and various activities no matter if you're an expert or just beginning to learn. We meet Friday during tutorial. 

Contact: Mr. Boyd
Location: Room 109/110

Members of the bagpipe club will participate in weekly learning sessions to become proficient on the bagpipe. Weekly sessions are after school on Tuesday from 2:30-3:30 PM in room 110. We will hold short sessions during tutorial on Wednesdays as well. No musical background is necessary, just curiosity and an interest in this ancient Celtic art.

Contact: Ms. Kitcho
Location: High School Library

The Blue Bean Cafe is run by the life skills support classroom. Students may ask to be a part of Mrs. Kitcho’s Tutorial to help shadow with the life skills students. The Blue Bean makes and sells products to teachers and students. The life skills students learn work skills and social skills as a functional school based job. 

Contact: Mr. Bucheral
Location: MIHS 4-112

Students will learn and play card games. Some games include; cad, gin rummy, hearts, slapjack, spoons, etc. Students will meet with Mr. Bucheral in room 4-112 on the 1st and 2nd Thursday of each month during tutorial.

Contact: Major Nygaard
Location: Arts Commons

This is a club for all who enjoy playing the game of chess. It's a casual club and any McDowell student, grade 9-12 is welcome to stop in and play games during tutorial.

Contact: Mr. Palmer
Location: Room 005

Daily, we spend hours upon hours on our smartphones on various apps. Have you ever wondered how these apps are created or the logic behind them? The field of Computer Science is expected to grow dramatically in the job market over future years and yields a promising future. Our mission is to raise awareness about this subject while creating an environment where peers can discuss independent projects and assist one another with any difficulties.

Location: Room 4-101

Join the COSMO Club and learn about hair, make-up, and nails. We will have meetings on Mondays during tutorial. We will discuss easy hairstyles for all kinds of hair, what make-up compliments your skin tone, and different kinds of nail polish.

Contact: Mrs. Vergotz
Location: Room 203

Ever wonder what it would be like to own a business? Want to be your own boss? Come join the Entrepreneurship Club. Team members will collaborate to design products and business plans. We will then use state-of-art machines located in the MIL to build our products and bring our vision to reality. The products will then be marketed and sold to the Millcreek community via an online store. Are you ready to be in charge of your own future? Sign up now! Students will meet Fridays during tutorial.

Location: MIHS Library

Environmental Club is a group of students who advocate for environmental sustainability, spread awareness about climate change, and take action to be more eco-friendly. We will meet Thursdays during tutorial. 

Contact: Ms. Samol
Location: Room 218

The purpose of this club is to promote tolerance and spread global awareness to the McDowell student body as well as the surrounding Millcreek community. 

Location: Room 4-209

Film Club will meet on the first and third Friday of each month during tutorial.  Club members will select films to watch on their own time and they will discuss and analyze what they watched during meetings.

Contact: Mr. Vavreck
Location: Room 6-101

This club was formed to allow a team to fish in competitive high school bass fishing tournaments. We will be looking at ways to expand, grow, and support fishing activities. Students will share various experiences, successes, techniques, and news about fishing and other related outdoor activities. Students will meet with Mr. Vavreck every other Thursday during tutorial.

Contact: Mr. Bucholtz
Location: Room 008

The acronym “FIRST” stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.” McDowell students are teamed up with professional engineers to build a functional robot in six weeks. They compete with the robot in regional and national competitions. Any student grades 9 through 12 may participate. Team meetings begin in September with orientation meetings and fundraising. Robot building begins in January with competitions in the spring.

Contact: Mrs. Vergotz
Location: Room 203

FBLA, officially known as Future Business Leaders of America is dedicated to preparing students for careers in business. Our mission is to “inspire and prepare students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences.” Students will be engaged in leadership development, academic competitions, and community service. Come join our fun meetings as we compete and prepare for successful careers in business fields. We will meet Thursdays during tutorial. 

Contact:  Ms. Palermo & Ms. Testa
Location: 116

GameDay Crew is a group of students with a goal to increase school spirit and attendance at athletic events. We plan themes, sell white out shirts, organize pep rallies, and advertise on social media in hopes of getting students hyped and excited to join the MOB, the BEST student section in the state! We meet Wednesdays during tutorial. 

Contact: Mr. Kowalczyk
Location: MCD LGI

An interdenominational sports ministry designed to bring encouragement to students and coaches through the Gospel so that they may become loyal followers of Jesus Christ. Our ministry has been designed by NCAA student athletes and coaches to benefit all students. We will meet on Wednesdays during tutorial. 

Contact: Mrs. Bihler & Mrs. Allaman
Location: Room 4-210

The Garden Club maintains the pollinator garden at MIHS. We meet to plan activities and to work in the greenhouse planting seeds and propagating plants during the colder months. Guest speakers share their knowledge of gardening and related topics. There will be opportunities to complete service hours after school and during the summer to maintain the garden. We meet Tuesdays after school. 1st Semester Thursday Tutorial (if announced on Stream of Google Classroom) Email allaman@mtsd.org to join the Google Classroom.

Contact: Ms. Alesso & Mr. Fonticella
Location: Room 6-204 MIHS and 222 MHS

GSA is a club for everyone! We honor and support members of the LGBTQ+ community and work together to help create a more inclusive environment in our schools. Students will meet on the last Tuesday of each month in Mrs. Alesso’s room during tutorial, beginning on September 24th.

Contact: Ms. Tredrea
Location: Room 2-212

Do you like fairy tales, castles, history, or politics? German Club is a place where we explore all of those as it relates to German culture. We have crafts, games, and competitions! Students will meet every other week during tutorial. 

Contact: Ms. Maciulewicz & Ms. White

The mission of the McDowell Honors College of Leadership and Service is to provide our most dedicated high achieving students with a small learning community that provides structure for superior academic performance, leadership experiences, and community service opportunities. Students must submit a completed application by the designated due date to have their application considered by the application screening team. For more information, please visit Ms. Maciulewicz in Room 128.

Contact: Mr. Zeigler
Location: Room 211

The investing club will come together to learn, discuss, and invest in the stock market using a live simulation. The club will provide a platform for its members to share insights, gain knowledge, and develop skills related to stock trading, investment strategies, and market analysis. The club will provide opportunities for guest speakers to elaborate on topics related to the stock market and other investments. The goal of the investing club is to foster a deeper understanding of how financial markets work, help members become more confident investors, and develop skills that could be useful in personal or professional finance careers. Meetings will be held Thursdays during tutorial. 

Location: Room 116

Make a difference in your community while gaining leadership, teaching, and service experience. High school students (11th &12th graders) will visit elementary and middle schools to present Junior Achievement financial literacy lessons. Students may earn volunteer hours; develop leadership, communication, and teaching skills; enhance college applications and resumes.

Contact: Mrs. Marshall
Location: South Gym

To become a junior class officer, a junior must win an election that is held in the early part of his/her junior year. The primary job of the junior class is to organize the prom. Juniors who don’t want to be an officer and still want to help with the prom can become members of the prom committee. The junior officers from the previous year will return to help the new juniors with the prom committee; their experience produces a better prom.

Contact:  Mrs. Coleman (11-12) or Ms. Lober (9-10)

Key Club, a service organization for McDowell High School students, grade 9 through 12, operates under school regulations and draws its membership from the student body. Key Club differs from other service organizations in many ways. Key Club is unique because it is sponsored by the Millcreek Kiwanis Club, composed of the leading business and professional people in the community. Key Club’s objective is the development of initiative, leadership ability, and good citizenship practices. Key Club functions not only on the local level, but on a district and international level. This highly developed structure provides programs, literature, and the opportunity to relate to teenagers from countries around the world. Key Club is the largest service organization of its kind, with over 140,000 members in approximately 4,000 clubs. 

The purpose of the McDowell Key Club is to conduct an active program of service for the school and community. Through this program, the members fulfill the following objectives of the Key Club:
To develop initiative and leadership.
To provide experience in living and working together.
To serve the school and community.
To cooperate with the school principal.
To prepare for useful citizenship.
Meetings will be held in the MIHS and McDowell Libraries on an alternating schedule.

Contact : Mr. & Mrs. Musarra
Location: MIHS Little Theater

We are a Community Service Club. Our Mission Statement is anti-bullying, and anti-drugs. With our Drug Prevention program, we help teens avoid the use of Drugs. We do exciting events in and out of School. We keep hours for student volunteers. They in exchange can turn these community service hours in for credit on their transcript. Their involvement is also an excellent resume builder for both jobs, and college applications. Students will meet with Mr. & Mrs. Musarra on Thursdays during tutorial in the Little Theater.

Contact: Ms. Sleptzoff 
Location: Room 4-106
This student-led group is for anyone interested in the Christian faith. You’ll meet others, discuss how “faith” fits in with school/life, and you’ll have the opportunity to step into a leadership role if you decide to do so. Students can use their experiences and knowledge to help each other as we cover different themes throughout the year.  It’s an exciting opportunity that we encourage you to check out! 
We will meet in 4-106, Ms. Sleptzoff's room every-other Monday starting September 22nd

Contact: Mrs. Keim
Location: MIHS Fitness Center/Free-weight Room

This is a club for females to learn lifting techniques and have a safe/judge-free area to workout. We meet in the fitness center or free-weight room.

Contact: Ms. Testa
Location: Room 206

Do you like math? Do you like higher level math? This club is for students that enjoy doing math and want to look at the history of mathematicians, higher level math problems and how they relate to what we do in math class, math activities for all levels (k-12), competitions, etc.

Contact: Mr. DiLuzio and Mr. Sandberg
Location: Room 126 and 002
Students that are interested in engineering can be given an opportunity to collaborate with peers about various engineering tasks. Students will identify different engineering competitions or tasks that they would want to submit a project to and the students will develop a project to fit that criteria. Students will also be given the opportunity to hear from guest speakers, focus on school improvement projects, STEM outreach, and community service engineering. We meet Thursdays during tutorial. 
 

Contact: Mr. Schilajew
Location: Room 2-205
This READING CLUB is for students who like sharing their thoughts and ideas on books from different genres.  Students will have the opportunity to build their own libraries, as well as, participating in other reading related activities like, crafting, club writing contests, the school wide poetry slam, reading promotions to encourage reading, and many other fun activities.

Contact: Ms. Weiss or Mr. Schilajew
Location: Room 2-009/TV Studio

Students in McDowell Media club produce news and features for the McDowell Media Online website (writing/photography) and the Trojan News Network (video/podcasts) or explore making media for their own creative projects. During meetings, students can explore various forms of equipment, software, and media formats. Those interested in writing, online publishing, and photography will join the Print Media Team with Mrs. Weiss. Those interested in producing video content using video production software, the MIHS TV Studio, and video cameras will work with the Video Media Team and Mr. Schilajew. Students interested in producing regular podcast content will also meet with Mr. Schilajew about content and record when studio space is available in tutorial or after school either day. 
Video/Podcast students: Wednesdays beginning 9/10/25
Print/Photography students: Thursdays beginning 9/11/25
Meetings will be held after school in room 2-009 until 4 p.m. 
Students must be responsible for their own transportation home.

Location: Room 2-211

Students in the McDowell Midnight Society come together as a social community to appreciate all things in the horror genre. Examples of McDowell Midnight Society activities include after school meetings to watch movies and play games. Meetings during Tutorials will involve discussion and selection of after school activities. Students may also participate in and organize short story writing contests, as well as Halloween-related school spirit initiatives such as door decoration contests.

Contact: Ms. Gildersleeve
Location: Room 2-202

McDowell Swifties is a Taylor Swift fan club! We analyze Taylor's songs, listen to her music, make Taylor themed crafts, and much more! Membership is on a first come-first serve basis with membership maxed out at 30. We meet once a month on Fridays during tutorial! Please email Mrs. Gildersleeve if interested.

Contact: Ms. Coleman
Location: MIHS Library

The purpose of the club is to spread cultural awareness, celebrate the rich heritage of the MENA region, and to promote appreciation of the diversity of cultures and languages present with MENA communities. This club will be a safe space for students from MENA backgrounds to freely express themselves and would give other students the opportunity to learn more about the MENA community. We will meet every other Thursday during Tutorial.     

Contact: Ms. Lehman
Location: Room 123

The Model UN is an organization in which student’s role play delegates from countries which belong to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. It runs from September to November. Gathering in weekly block meetings with area schools, students discuss global issues and prepare resolutions supporting solutions for these problems. In November they present their proposals to the Gannon University Model UN General Assembly, which consists of over fifty other delegations representing schools from three states. Students from grades 9 to 12 with an interest in international affairs are welcome to participate.

Contact: Mrs. Schrier
Location: Room 210

The National Honor Society is an honor/service organization for high achieving students. Membership is limited to juniors and seniors who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship, service, leadership, and character. In order to be considered for membership in the National Honor Society, students must first have achieved a weighted GPA of no lower than 3.85. Students then complete a Student Activity Information form indicating the extent of their service in school and in the community. The Faculty Council reviews the candidates and recommends those whom they feel are qualified for membership, according to standards prescribed by the National Honor Society. These names are presented to the faculty for their final recommendations. To retain their NHS status, students must perform at least 20 hours of community service each year, following the date of their induction. They also must pay dues of $3.00, used for some induction ceremony expenses, for two monetary awards given to the seniors who are recommended for the NHS scholarship, and for membership dues in the National Honor Society organization.

Contact: Mr. Carnes

Location: Room 6-106

Orchestra members who wish to be part of the planning of extra activities for the orchestra.

Mr. Burruss - Room 124
Mrs. Allaman - Room 232

The PJAS sponsors a regional science competition each year. Students from grades 9 through 12 who enter must prepare an independent research project in science, mathematics, computer science, or behavioral science. The results are then presented at the regional competition. Students may be awarded a first, second, or third award on the basis of a point system of rating the projects. All students having enough points to earn a first award are also eligible for cash awards and for the state competition. Students interested in preparing a project should contact Mr. Burruss or Mrs. Allaman as soon as possible to begin planning the project.

Contact: Ms. Rupczewski
Location: Room 2-103

This is a student led club that meets once a month (specific dates will be communicated to students) during Monday’s tutorial. Students create slideshows on Google Slides/PowerPoint and present to each other for fun and to practice presentation skills. 

Mr. Bucholtz - Room 008
Mrs. Maciulewicz - Room 128

Senior Class Officers will meet every Thursday during Tutorial. Senior Homeroom Representatives (1 or 2 from each senior homeroom) will meet on the first Thursday of each month. All meetings will be held in 008 and will revolve around planning for all senior and graduation events and activities.

Contact: Mr. Blair or Ms. Nemet
Location: Room 6-205

Students learn basic business skills when running a small school store. Students will meet with Mr. Blair and Ms. Nemet room 6-205.

Contact: Ms. Farrell
Location: Room 4-103
Want to learn the basics of American Sign Language (ASL)? Join us!
We'll explore Deaf culture, practice proper hand placement, and learn a variety of signs—including the alphabet, numbers, greetings, everyday phrases, and more.
Students in grades 9–12 are welcome to meet every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month in Room 4103 at MIHS.

Ms. Womack - McDowell Office
Mrs. Weiss - Room 2-0009
Celebrate winter with us! Join the McDowell Snowsports Club! Winter is just better when you can ski or snowboard! Snowsports are a great all-around workout and being out on a mountain is invigorating and beautiful. You might meet some new friends or create more fun memories with your current group. We travel to Peek ‘n Peak for eight (8) Thursdays in January and February. Ride the bus with your friends! Package deals make these fun winter sports affordable. We’ll have an informational meeting in October. Bring a friend! See you there.

Contact: Mrs. Wagner
Location: Room 220

Spanish club 11/12 is for students who are currently enrolled in or have taken Spanish 3, 4 or 5 to practice their Spanish and participate in cultural activities. The goal is to advocate for language learning and bring a greater sense of diversity and cultural awareness to the McDowell community. We have a Google Classroom for communication. 

Contact: Mr. Caugherty
Location: Room 2-208

Members of the Speech & Debate Team and those interested in joining will meet to prepare for competition and to discuss issues of the day.

Contact: Mr. Andrzejczak
Location: Room 2-207
MIHS Student Council looks to give student leaders an opportunity to improve the school environment for all students. The council will do this in creative and positive ways designed by the students in the council. Student Council will meet with Mr. Andrzejczak on Wednesdays during tutorial in room 2-207.

Contact: Mrs. Liccardi
Location: Room 228

Looking for a way to become more involved in developing your leadership skills while also serving McDowell and our community? If so, the Student Council may be the right activity for you! There are three levels of involvement in this student government organization: officers, executive board and general council. The four officers are elected by the student body the previous spring. Along with the advisor, the officers select an “executive board” to serve as part of the student council homeroom. The “general council” is selected in the fall. An application and petition with student and faculty signatures is required for candidates to the executive board and general council. Listen to morning announcements for details on joining these groups or see the advisor, Mrs. Liccardi, in room 228. This club will meet on Thursdays during tutorial.

Location: MCD Library

Student voice club is for students who want to make a positive impact in their school and community. Together, members consider important issues and brainstorm solutions to them. This club gives a voice to students who want to be active and involved in their school and create a change for the greater good. It gives students a chance to put ideas into actions. We focus not only on school-specific genres but also raising awareness about widespread current event situations going on around the world. We will meet Fridays during tutorial. 

Contact: Mr. Fleming
Location: 2-215 and MIHS Gym

Members will spend time learning the fundamentals and playing table tennis with their peers. We will meet certain Mondays during tutorial.  

Contact: Mr. Bucholtz
Location: Room 007

JETS is a national program in which students take a day-long written examination in the areas of applied mathematics, sciences, and computer applications. These tests are completed in a group setting to emphasize cooperative problem solving. Student selection for both the Varsity and Junior Varsity JETS teams is based on teacher recommendation. Students practice after school from December through February. 

Contact: Mr. Johnson
Location: Room 6-105

We will explore all things technical theatre (lights, sound, sets, and costumes). Come join in the fun. Students will meet on Tuesdays during tutorial in room 6-105.

Contact: Ms. Myers
Location: 212

Students help design and select apparel and items to be sold on our online spirit store. They also help advertise and run “MOB Fan of the Game” to help increase awareness of online store. Meetings are Tuesdays during tutorial. 

Contact: Ms. Billings
Location: Room 6-104

Funded by Early Connections, this club would allow me to further work with interested Education Profession Pathway students work towards their CDA accreditation, complete dual enrollment courses, partake in the Early Connections Pre-Apprenticeship Program, and further explore early childhood employment opportunities with the help and guidance of Early Connections and myself. We meet Fridays during tutorial. 

Contact: Ms. Rupp 

Unified Sports Club is an inclusion club for students, special education and regular education, to participate in physical activities once a month outside of school. The club does not require students to participate in seasonal activities (Unified Bocce or Unified Track and Field). The mission is to encourage physical activity while making meaningful inclusive partnerships. 

Contact: Mr. Andrzejczak
Location: Room 2-207

The Academic Decathlon is a ten-event competition between schools from all across Pennsylvania and the nation! This club is for anyone that is interested in being part of this year’s team. We will meet and discuss Academic Decathlon news and events, as well as prepare for upcoming competitions. Students will meet with Mr. Andrzejczak Tuesdays during tutorial in room 2-207 and after school Thursdays 2:50-5:00.

Contact: Mr. Wirley
Location: MIHS Library

The Velociraptor Earth Club discusses the creative, unique and rarely disputed topics. Club members delve into the mysteries of life and use proof based problem solving to create jovial conversations and witty banter. We meet 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month. 

Contact: Mrs. Vergotz
Location: MHS North Gym

A club for students to improve physical health and socially interact with friends. Students will meet Wednesdays during tutorial in the MHS North Gym.

Contact: Mrs. Marshall
Location: Room 6-203

The aim of the yearbook staff is to capture the memories from the school year in words and pictures. Students will get the opportunity to take part in documenting their year at McDowell in a meaningful way, from creative page design to taking and deciding on the perfect photos to be placed in the yearbook. Students in this club will work in tutorial with Mrs. Marshall and at school events or TBD after school meetings. 

Contact: Major Nygaard
Location: Room 2-011

This club is for students who are anti-woke, pro-freedom of speech, pro-Second Amendment, who favor limited government, traditional values, and a strong sense of national pride and positive community change. Students will have access to involvement with the Erie County Republican Committee, local, state, and federal campaigns (including candidates running for, or in office) as well as building a coalition with other like-minded high school students across other high schools in Erie County. Students will meet with Major Nygaard on Thursdays. 

Contact: Ms. Moyer
Location: MIHS Library

Youth In Medicine (YIM) explores medical careers through presentations, demonstrations, and activities to help students discover their interests. Hands-on activities are often offered, for instance, splinting, games, and CPR on practice models (a CPR/First Aid certification is also available)! Furthermore, various guest speakers are invited throughout the year to discuss their professions or experiences in health. We also enjoy our learning with snacks! Meetings on Tuesday during tutorial and the advisor is Mrs. Moyer. Participating in this club also counts towards McDowell’s Stem Certificate.