Student Voice & Choice

Importance of Student Engagement 

Student engagement is a critical component of a quality intramural program. When students are actively involved in shaping and delivering the program, their needs and interests are better understood and addressed. This approach increases participation and ensures that the programming is relevant, meaningful, and inclusive for all students involved. 

Trust Building 

Building trust is essential for effective student engagement. The following are strategies to establish trust with students: 

  • Create a Safer Space: Establish a safe and non-judgmental environment where students feel comfortable expressing their opinions and ideas. Encourage open communication and assure students that their voices are valued. Take time to highlight moments where their input has affected programming, showing them the impact of their contributions. 
  • Actively Listen: Practice active listening when students share their ideas, feedback, or challenges. Show genuine interest in what they have to say and validate their feelings and experiences. 
  • Build Relationships: Develop positive relationships with students through regular communication and interactions. Get to know them personally, show support for their involvement, and recognize their contributions. 

Students as Co-Facilitators 

Involving students as co-facilitators in the planning and delivery of intramurals offers several benefits, including increased ownership, engagement, and the creation of a more inclusive and collaborative environment. To effectively work with student leaders, consider the following strategies: 

  • Establish open communication, valuing and considering all perspectives, experiences, and feedback. 
  • Clearly communicate roles and responsibilities for student leaders, including surveying peers, connecting with the school community, planning and running events, promoting activities, and mentoring new team members. Post this information in a visible location in the meeting space. 
  • Empower students from marginalized and underrepresented groups by offering opportunities for leadership and skill development and amplifying their voices when making decisions. Help students understand that their ideas matter by acting on their input and providing feedback on how they influenced outcomes. 
  • Provide training and work with student leaders to equip them with the skills necessary to fulfill their roles as committee members. 
  • Encourage creativity and input while also outlining limitations, such as location choices, encouraging innovation within defined parameters. 
  • Provide any necessary resources and accommodations for student leaders, such as accessible equipment, communication devices, sign language interpreters, or captioning. 

Strategies for Gathering Student Voice 

  • Use surveys, polls, and/or focus group discussions to collect valuable insights for customizing the program and addressing specific concerns. Implement fun and informal methods as well, such as having students answer questions with emojis or generating ideas in community circles.  
  • Promote inclusivity when gathering input, by employing the following measures: 
    • Develop culturally sensitive and unbiased questions and discussion topics. 
    • Provide alternative formats or assistive technology to accommodate students with disabilities. 
    • Ensure language accessibility for students with diverse linguistic backgrounds. 
  • Prioritize building trusting relationships with students by actively listening to their concerns and validating their experiences. 
  • Allow anonymous feedback, such as online polling tools or suggestion boxes, to accommodate students who may not feel comfortable sharing their thoughts openly at this time. 

Understanding Barriers to Participation 

To address barriers to participation, intramural organizers must recognize and understand the diverse challenges students encounter. By doing so, targeted strategies can be implemented to create an inclusive, accessible, and engaging program. It is important to note that barriers to participation can vary based on individual circumstances and school environments. 

Engaging Student Voice in Understanding Barriers: 

Seeking input from student leaders, program participants, and students who are not engaged in intramurals is essential in understanding their preferences and interests and overcoming barriers to participation. Tap into their insights to understand specific obstacles and involve them in finding effective solutions. Initiate discussions with students using open-ended questions to uncover their thoughts and concerns. Examples of conversation starters that can be tailored for various age groups and student cohorts include: 

  • What are your thoughts on participating in the intramural program? Is there anything that excites you or concerns you about it? 
  • Have you ever felt that your interests or needs were not represented in the intramural program? If so, how do you think we can address this? 
  • Are there any factors or barriers that you feel may prevent you from fully participating in intramurals? 

Prioritizing student voice in understanding barriers promotes ownership and collaboration and ultimately enhances the overall experience and outcomes of the intramural program. 

Strategies to Address Common Barriers to Participation

Common Barriers  

Strategies 

Lack of Awareness and Accessibility of Information 

Provide Frequent Communication and Access to Information 

  • Ensure program information is easily accessible to students, staff and parents/guardians and caregivers by sharing it through various channels (e.g., social media, posters, announcements) and providing multilingual communication and translation services.  
  • Ask school staff and student leaders to share information with students directly. 
  • Collaborate with other school clubs and organizations to distribute information. 

Perceived Exclusivity and Lack of Belonging 

Focus on Belonging and an Inclusive Environment 

  • Consistently reinforce the purpose of intramurals in all communications, activities, and interactions, highlighting their inclusive nature and ensuring that every student feels welcome, valued, and encouraged to participate. 
  • Provide diverse programming opportunities, based on student input. 
  • Ensure representation in role models, leadership positions and promotional materials. 
  • Implement team-building activities and social events. 
  • Encourage students to bring friends or form their own teams. 
  • Incorporate peer-to-peer mentorship roles. 
  • Focus on participation, with an emphasis on personal progress and effort. 
  • Consider different methods to measure success in activities, beyond just keeping track of traditional goals/points scored (e.g., keep track of passes made or issue points for teams showing strong teamwork skills or spirit). 

Program Accessibility 

Prioritize Accessibility 

  • Ensure facilities are accessible to all. 
  • Provide adaptive equipment as needed. 
  • Offer variations to accommodate a range of abilities and establish appropriate levels of competition. 
  • Consider the accessibility of program timing, recognizing that before/after school programs can be influenced by several factors, such as transportation and the availability of food. 

Lack of Interest 

Understand Student Interests and Preferences 

  • Conduct surveys to understand student preferences and interests, and design activities accordingly. 
  • Gather feedback from participants regularly and use it to improve the program.
  • Create incentives for participation, such as awards, prizes, or recognition, to motivate individuals to join and actively engage in the program. 

Historic Underrepresentation of Marginalized Groups 

Understand Who May Not Participate and Why 

  • Acknowledge that some student groups may need time to see intramurals as inclusive and relevant to their experiences.
  • Be intentional in outreach efforts and consistently work towards building the necessary trust and relationships that lead to participation.

Lack of Inclusivity  

 

Create a Welcoming and Inclusive Environment 

  • Encourage participation and ensure that everyone feels comfortable joining in activities.
  • Design intramural activities that respect and celebrate diverse cultural backgrounds.
  • Ensure gender-inclusive programming, language, and facilities, actively encouraging participation from individuals of all gender identities. 
  • Accommodate religious practices by scheduling events at times that do not conflict with important observances. 

Availability of Space 

Coordinate Use of School Spaces 

  • Work closely with school staff, including administration, educators, and coaches, to secure equitable access to school spaces and resources.
  • Make the most of the available space by creatively organizing activities, such as dividing the gymnasium into multiple smaller playing areas to accommodate numerous games simultaneously.
  • Take advantage of multi-purpose locations within the school, such as the library, foyer, and outdoor spaces.
  • Offer a variety of intramural activities that can be adapted to different spaces.