Clubs and activities

At University School, learning extends beyond classtime as students engage in a variety of clubs and activities. Students are able to choose membership in groups that best meet their interest and goals. Younger students simulate space missions, start businesses, or learn how to code while high school boys can handle investment portfolios, participate in mock trials, or produce the school newspaper. Our experienced faculty and staff oversee the more than 90 clubs and activities.

After-School Adventures

Our after school Adventures program for grades junior kindergarten through grade 8, now offers new Adventures CLUBS and Adventures SPORTS. These enhanced opportunities allow boys to have unique and interesting experiences outside of Adventures CARE. Adventures CLUBS and Adventures MUSIC are available on specific days of the week and run for 8 weeks, while Adventures SPORTS are twice a week for 12 weeks. CLUBS and SPORTS options vary dependent on the fall, winter, or spring seasons.  Learn more about our Adventures program.

Upper School (Grades 9-12)

List of 52 frequently asked questions.

  • Academic Challenge

    Students participate in interscholastic competitions in academic subjects ranging from history, science and math to arts and literature.

  • Anime Club

    Anime club meets semi-regularly to watch Anime, and to discuss the art and story.

  • Anderson Scholars Program

    A co-curricular immersion, the Anderson Scholars Program enables students to pursue a passion with structure, rigor and depth. Scholars concentrate in science, entrepreneurship, or reading and writing.

  • Astronomy Club

    This club is for students who want to learn more about the cosmos. Members meet on campus and use the school observatory for viewings.

  • Aurelian Society

    Members of the Aurelian Society assist with the identification, promotion and coordination of various community engagement opportunities in the Greater Cleveland area.

  • Blockchain, Bitcoin, and Cryptocurrency

    This club discusses the origins, economics, politics and technological underpinnings of the brave new world of cryptocurrency.

  • Book Club

    Students choose a book to read and meet quarterly for dinner and discussion.

  • Business Roundtable

    Students read a business book or packet of related articles and discuss the issues presented during a lunch meeting.

  • Chess Club

    The Chess Club is designed for boys of any experience level to learn more about the strategies of how to play the game of chess.

  • Culinary Club

    Let’s be frank, if you love cooking or eating, that is what we will be doing. 

  • Davey Fellowships in Creative Writing

    A co-curricular immersion, Davey Fellowships enable boys of special literary promise to undertake extensive projects in fiction, drama and poetry writing.

  • Entrepreneur Cup

    Participants in the Entrepreneur Cup competition develop an idea for a new business and create a plan to launch and build it. Students do not actually have to launch a business to enter or win the friendly competition.
     

  • Film Society

    The film society promotes interest in film as a medium, meeting most Fridays after school to watch movies.

  • Financial Literacy Club

    The Financial Literacy Club is open to any student interested in learning about different aspects of financial literacy including personal finance and investing. Topics are chosen based on members’ areas of interest. Students learn through guest speakers, group discussion and other resources.

  • Future Problem-Solvers

    Future Problem-Solvers is an international competition in which students learn critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making as they work in groups to investigate and imagine creative solutions to global problems.

  • Great Lakes Sailing Adventure

    Students on this summer trip will experience a nineteenth-century maritime environment that makes living on board the U.S. Brig Niagara an education in itself.

  • Investment Club

    Students actively participate in a simulated stock market competition, investing virtual money in the real stock market.

  • The Island School

    Science Anderson Scholars candidates in tenth grade can snorkel, kayak, perform research and more in Cape Eleuthera, Bahamas during spring break. READ more.

  • Life Act

    Students raise awareness of adolescent depression and suicide by educating their peers and encouraging at-risk students to seek help.

  • LoPresti Philanthropic Board

    Students learn the institutional skills necessary for philanthropy, raise funds for their philanthropic goals, and solicit grants to help those in need. The emphasis is on helping underserved children in the Greater Cleveland area, with an emphasis on education.


  • Mabian Yearbook

    Students produce the school yearbook, which has been published every year since 1919.

  • Math Team

    Math team meets weekly to practice for and participate in math competitions.

  • Mock Trial

    Students in Mock Trial practice for and participate in this statewide organization that helps students learn about the United States trial system.

  • Multicultural Organization (MCO)

    The MCO is an umbrella organization that promotes interest in and provides information about the diverse cultures represented in our school. Affinity groups include Asian Platform, Fellowship of Christians at US, Gay Straight Alliance, Italian Club, L'Chaim Society, South Asian Platform, Pembroke Society.

  • One Love

    One Love is a national organization that strives to educate young people about healthy and unhealthy relationships and galvanizing them as leaders of change. 
     

  • Outdoor Adventure Club

    Members take excursions to local parks for a variety of outdoor seasonal pursuits such as rock climbing, hiking, and skiing.

  • Outdoor Projects

    Students work on the campus' nature trail, trout farm, a maple-syrup industry or several foresting and erosion control projects.

  • PenOhio Club

    PenOhio is a competition in writing for students who love to write. In regional and state tournaments, students write in response to prompts and under time limits for awards for the best creative stories.

  • Philosophy Club

    Philosophy Club serves as a forum for students interested in reading, debating, and learning about various schools of thought from Rationalism to Existentialism and beyond.

  • Photography Club

    The Photography Club introduces photo basics to new photographers, helps experienced photographers explore their interests, teaches photo editing on Adobe software, and, above all, inspires its members to photograph for fun.

  • The Record

    The Record showcases students’ creative writing and original artwork.

  • Robotics Team

    Boys will compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge, where they design, build, and program their robot in a 10-week build period to compete in an alliance format against other teams.

  • Rocketry Club

    Boys compete in TARC, a national rocketry contest sponsored by major AeroSpace firms to promote engineering and science career paths. Students also will work on their own rocketry projects throughout the year.

  • Science Research

    Science Research romotes interest in science through participation in local and state-wide competition.

  • Ski Club

    Members learn or hone their skiing and snowboarding skills at Brandywine on Fridays in January and February. No experience needed.

  • Society of Skeptics

    An open, organized, and intelligent lunch-time forum of students and teachers to discuss and debate a topic of relevance. Any member of the US community can attend on a meeting-to-meeting basis. 

  • Speech and Debate

    Members of Speech and Debate develop their oratorical and analytical skills and compete against students from other schools.

  • Stock Market Challenge

    Student teams receive a virtual $100,000 and simulate managing a portfolio by buying and selling stocks at real-time prices.

  • Strnad Fellowships

    Strnad Fellowships include yearlong projects of significant original research that are presented to the student body at the end of the senior year.

  • Student Discipline Committee

    Elected representatives from every class advise the administration on disciplinary matters and help educate the student body on the school’s Code of Conduct.

  • Student Event Committee

    A selected group of 10th-12th grade students who help plan and execute all of the school’s student events, including the Homecoming Dance, a winter performance show, and Prom.

  • Student Investment Committee

    A select group of nine students manage, with real money, a significant portfolio of stocks and bonds based on University School’s endowment investment guidelines. Over its 10-year existence, the students have beaten the overall endowment’s return!

  • Table Tennis

    The Table Tennis Club promotes the introduction and development of table tennis as a recreational sport.

  • Theatre

    The Theatre Department presents a fall play in November and a spring musical in May. Accommodations are made for athletes and local high school girls to participate. US students can also be part of the Booth/Tech Crew.

  • Ultimate Frisbee Club

    Whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced veteran, come play organized games of Ultimate during and after the school day.

  • US News

    Students produce the US News, the oldest school newspaper in Ohio, which is published online once a month.

  • US Pitch Cup

    US Pitch Cup participants formulate a business idea, produce a 60-90 second elevator pitch video, and submit it online. The competition culminates with a live presentation before a panel of judges. Prizes will be awarded to the top three pitches.

  • University Sports Programming Network (USPN)

    An online streaming platform for sports games allows students to produce, direct and serve as on-air commentators for US athletic contests.

  • Writing Forum

    Writing Forum is a monthly writing workshop for all students interested in writing. Each month students meet after school, write creatively in response to prompts, share their work with each other, and discuss writing and creativity.

  • Yoga

    This club meets to practice power vinyasa (flow). It is meditation in motion – while building strength, emphasizing balance, and lengthening muscles for greater range of motion.
     

  • Young Entrepreneur Institute

    Students discover and explore their passion for business through a wide range of activities. READ more.

Middle School (Grades 6-8)

List of 25 frequently asked questions.

Lower School (Grades K-5)

List of 36 frequently asked questions.

Shaker Heights Campus

20701 Brantley Road
Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122
GRADES Junior K-8
Phone: 216-321-8260

Hunting Valley Campus

2785 SOM Center Road
Hunting Valley, Ohio 44022
GRADES 9-12
Phone: 216-831-2200
University School serves 870 boys in Junior Kindergarten to grade 12 on two campuses in suburban Cleveland, Ohio. The School’s mission is to inspire boys of promise to become young men of character who lead and serve. Dedicated faculty, rigorous curriculum, and experiential programs foster intellectual, physical, creative, and moral excellence. University School is a diverse and inclusive community where each boy is known and loved. 
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