Many high schools struggle with the “islands” effect, in which clubs and activities often operate separately, with little knowledge of each other’s goals or events.
Student leadership summits like the one described by Ella Genovese in the student newspaper at Delaware Valley High School in Frenchtown, New Jersey, are one way schools try to counter that, creating spaces for student leaders to collaborate and see themselves as part of a larger community.
At Del Val’s August 14 summit, Principal Michael Kays emphasized that leadership is not just about holding a title but about making the school work better for everyone. The day began with an informal time over breakfast, followed by an escape-room activity designed to encourage students to collaborate quickly. One freshman attendee said the icebreaker was effective, providing them with the opportunity to connect with peers they might not have met otherwise.
The summit continued with breakout sessions led by faculty, covering practical aspects of leadership, teamwork, and responsibility. By moving between structured workshops and interactive challenges, students practiced both individual initiative and group problem-solving. Faculty members also emphasized that effective leaders know when to share responsibility and when to take the lead.
Kays closed the day by outlining future meetings and reinforcing the broader goal: helping clubs and organizations support one another rather than remaining siloed. For a school with dozens of activities, building these bridges may be as important as any single event they organize, making leadership summits a model worth considering at other high schools as well.
Siloing Is Common in High Schools
Many high schools explicitly create Inter-Club Councils (ICC) to fix the “islands” or “siloing” problem by coordinating calendars, fundraisers, and messaging among clubs. District and school ICC pages describe their purpose as promoting communication and cooperation between student organizations, with reps meeting monthly to share plans and avoid conflicts.
For example, in the Charlotte-Mecklenberg school district, the Inter-Club Council at Ardrey Kell High School says on its website that its mission is to “facilitate communication and cooperation among the different organizations. Additionally, it accurately represents the concerns of the clubs and organizations to the administration, faculty, and staff. Each group appoints one member to act as its ICC representative, and the representative meets with the ICC once monthly to discuss plans for the future of AK’s clubs and organizations.”
And a 2022 student news report from Ocean Lakes High School in Virginia Beach gives readers an on-the-ground description of the same “silo” issue. Reporters confirm that their ICC was initiated to prevent overlapping sales and to help club leaders learn from one another.
Research doesn’t usually use the word “islands,” but it backs the why: organized activities build social capital, and bridging ties across groups (not just tight bonds within one club) tends to broaden opportunities and engagement. Recent reviews and open-access studies lay out this pathway. In addition, federal research links extracurricular involvement with stronger school engagement, providing another rationale for getting clubs to connect rather than compete.