Clubs take center stage at lively White Plains High School fair

Sep 24 2026

Tables packed with colorful displays, sign-up sheets and plenty of sweet treats drew hundreds of White Plains High School students to the first Club Fair of the school year on Thursday.

Dozens of organizations throughout the school introduced themselves to prospective members. Students moved from table to table, chatting with club members, grabbing informational materials and sampling goodies while discovering the many ways to get involved at WPHS.

Three young women stand behind a table with a "Book Club" sign in front of a large window overlooking a school courtyard.

Students interested in languages and cultures could learn about the French, Italian and Spanish clubs, ASL Chat, Black Awareness Club and Jewish Culture Club. The Book Club and Science Fiction Club appealed to those seeking literary and imaginative pursuits, while other groups offered opportunities in engineering, leadership, service and student wellness, among many other topics.

At the Junior Engineering Technical Society, or JETS, sophomore Grace Karam described a club where students can turn ideas into actual projects.

“We build a lot of stuff! If you want to be an engineer and if you're not able to take one of the classes, then you can come join JETS,” Grace said, explaining that members design and construct projects, participate in engineering events and take part in the school’s Craft Fair.

Other tables offered students opportunities to support their classmates as well as themselves.

A group of students stands behind and around a table with flyers and signs in a brightly lit indoor room.

Casey Hendrickson represented Morgan’s Message, a club for student-athletes that reminds them that they do not have to struggle alone with mental health issues.

“It’s OK not to be OK,” Casey said, explaining that students should feel comfortable reaching out and talking to someone when they are having a difficult time. “We want to eliminate the stigma about mental health.”

That message of support was also evident at the Youth 2 Youth Leadership Club table. Student Assistance Counselor Zotica Medina said the student-led organization combines serious messages with activities designed to engage the school community.

“We promote mental-health awareness, substance abuse prevention, and we also do several really fun activities throughout the building,” Ms. Medina said. “Every month, we have something that we're sponsoring or working on.”

A group of students stands at a table with papers in the foreground, while a crowded school hallway fills the background.

The club had close to 60 members last year, and students will bring their message to the Oct. 16 homecoming football game, where they plan to distribute stickers, bracelets and informational materials.

The goal, she said, is to promote “mental health awareness and community within White Plains High School, as well as the City of White Plains at large.”

The fair also showed students that a club's name does not necessarily tell the whole story. Librarian Kara Ross said that in addition to reading and discussing books, the Book Club is also a social organization that plans special events and provides students a chance to form friendships around a shared interest.

Whether Tigers came looking to build something, learn about another language or culture, find their next book, support a cause or simply meet new people, the Club Fair offered plenty of possibilities and an eye-opening introduction to life beyond the classroom at WPHS.

A smiling man in a suit and two students stand together in the foreground against a blurred background of a bright room with large windows.

A woman in a black floral cardigan speaks with three young women at a table in a crowded indoor hall.

Three teenagers stand side-by-side in a hallway with a red door and beige walls.

Four people stand together and smile in the foreground, with a large painting and a colorful bulletin board in the background.

Four people stand around a table with a robot and various parts in a room with a white cabinet and neutral walls.

Two smiling young women stand behind a green table covered in papers, with other students and a bright indoor hallway in the background.

Five smiling people stand together in a room with large windows overlooking a grassy outdoor area and a building.

Two smiling young women stand in the foreground next to a "Peer Leaders" poster, with a trophy case and windows in the background.

Four young men stand together in the foreground, one holding a frisbee, positioned in front of large windows and a neutral-toned wall.

Five people stand behind a table covered with a red, white, and green cloth in front of a school store wall and a hallway.

Two women hold flags behind a table filled with brochures and candy, set against an orange backdrop with scholarship signs.

A young man holding a Jewish Culture Club flyer and a woman holding a cake stand in front of a plain white wall.

A group of young musicians play instruments in a room featuring a large orange bulletin board on the wall.

A woman holds an orange "LATINO COALITION" sign in the foreground while two other women stand behind her in a brightly lit room.

Seven smiling young women stand behind a table filled with items in a brightly lit room with white walls.

Two young men give thumbs-up gestures in the foreground, standing in a crowded school hallway in front of a display board and a "White Plains" sign.