When the Spokane, Wash., school district banned cellphones during class time at the start of the 2024-25 school year, leaders in the 29,000-student district leveraged extracurriculars to give students an alternative to screen time after the school day ends, according to an article in Education Week.
The district has increased the number of school-sponsored clubs, sports teams, and other activities more than sevenfold since the 2022-23 school year, due in part to a grant from LaunchNW, a local nonprofit. Spokane has dubbed the initiative, which marries the cellphone ban with this investment in extracurriculars, Engage IRL (“in real life” in internet speak).
The district has five engagement navigators, with salaries funded through LaunchNW, who spread the word about available activities, from pickup basketball to a Dungeons & Dragons club, and help highly sought-after clubs get off the ground.
The navigators dissect data to find ways to increase involvement in clubs, sports, and other activities. They reach out to students who aren’t participating in extracurriculars to help overcome barriers such as transportation or finances. And they connect with students in classroom visits who might not be naturally drawn to extracurriculars, such as English learners.
One navigator is assigned to each of the district’s five feeder patterns to ensure extracurricular programs that are successful in a middle school continue in high school.
Natalie Marshall, one of the navigators, sees her role as the “glue” that helps hold Engage IRL together.
“I really love seeing kids find meaning and purpose,” Marshall says. “Being a part of seeing them either start a club or find people with similar interests, that is the best feeling in the world.”
Education Week
