The Trend-Trackers Club: The Club for School Improvement
The Trend-Trackers Club is a one-of-a-kind club about statistics and data that was started this year by freshman Zobia Shaikh. The club meets every Friday at lunch in the classroom of their advisor, AP statistics teacher Katherine Smith. They collect data from surveys of students’ feedback and concerns and use this data to help improve the school by bringing this information to the Superintendent, Dr. Alfonso Jiménez, through the Superintendent Advisory Council (SAC).
“What inspired me to start this club was a combination of my passion for advocacy and data analysis,” Zobia said. She started this club with her friends, who have the same motivation as her, and want to help bring about a positive change in the school. They make and distribute surveys to teachers, who will give them to their students to gain valuable feedback to help improve the school. The most recent survey they conducted on school food preferences revealed that the “Walking Taco” is the most popular lunch item, while bagels are the top choice for nutrition break options. This information represents the first step toward reducing food waste on campus, empowering students to influence the allocation of their food budget, and introducing a wider variety of food options.
The Trend-Trackers Club is continuing to use data from our student body to positively change our school in many ways. They have been very successful in getting students’ opinions on the school’s problems. In early September, the Trend-Trackers Club surveyed over 250 students regarding campus restrooms. The majority opinion was clear: more than 72% of students said they avoid using on-campus restrooms due to uncleanliness and excessive vape usage. This alarming data was communicated directly to the administration. As a direct result, trash cans were placed in every restroom, marking the first step toward a cleaner campus environment.
Zobia is eager to have a diverse variety of voices in the data the club collects and said that “together as a student body we can make a powerful impact by showing the board that we all share the same concerns which will ensure that they are persuaded enough to take action.”