School Spirit

The other day a coworker of mine asked if high school in the US is "like it is in the movies". I asked what he meant. He said, "Where everybody goes to the big championship game, and cheerleaders and stuff like that". I thought about it for a minute and said, "Yeah, I guess it is. It's exaggerated, but yeah it's normal for people to go to their school's sporting events, and there are cheerleaders and pep rallies... it's not like that here?", and in saying that I realized that it's not. Life is not exactly like Varsity Blues or Friday Night Lights outside of Texas, but there are some elements of truth about American life in them. I was not a particularly "spirited" individual in high school, but I did partake occasionally. I went to the pep rallies because they were during school; I went to a few football and basketball games and school dances. All throughout the year there is always some next big event in American high schools that everyone is motivated for: a game, a dance, a fundraiser, a play, etc. I just figured that's what high school was like in most places, or at least most English-speaking places, but it's not. 

The particular girls I work with in the schools here are the ones who tend to be less engaged in the school community (that's why they were picked specifically for the program), but I kind of see why now. There isn't that much for them to be engaged in, so of course they're not very interested. I'm sure there are some extracurricular programs that engage some of the students that I don't get to see in my short time each week, but there is generally less stuff going on that seems to excite the students than at your average American high school, and I'm not sure if this is indicative of most high schools or just these two particular ones. 

I am only in Australian high schools one day a week and I hadn't realized the lack of "spirit" posters or decorated lockers. For starters, high schools include what Americans would consider the middle school grades (7-8), so that slightly changes the dynamic. Sports here are more low-key and often just among students within the same school. High Schools have practical programs in addition to the usual academic subjects, like agriculture or teaching hospitality skills. Of the two schools I'm in regularly, one literally has a cafe where the students are learning barista skills and teachers can buy the coffee they make. The other school has horses on the property that the students take care of. Most of the girls in the programs where I facilitate work after school jobs that they all hate, almost exclusively in fast food chains. They're all getting practice at real-world job skills, but seem to be lacking in some of the also important light-hearted and fun experiences.