Students at Chatmore International School are doing more than signing up for clubs — they are creating them.

The Smith’s-based school has initiated a club programme that is entirely student-led covering film, Dungeons and Dragons, Minecraft Esports with Daigon, crochet, pickleball and aviation.

High school students lead the clubs which are open to students from Year 3 and up.

Students came up with ideas for clubs and aspiring club leaders presented their proposals to the school during assembly.

Since then, the students have been submitting lesson plans, arranging outings and guiding participants through tasks.

Jack Walsh, one of the students leading the Pickleball Club, has been selected for Bermuda’s youth national pickleball team.

He said: “At the start of leading the club, I felt that teaching pickleball, especially to younger students, would be a challenge.

“After leading the club for a few weeks, I feel more confident about teaching pickleball to younger people and people my age.

“The club provides an opportunity to share that enthusiasm and experience with other students, taking on a different responsibility as a leader rather than solely as a player.”

Jonah MacGuinness, an S1 student who helped launch the club, added: “Seeing players of all different abilities jump in and learn together has been awesome.

“It’s taught us how to bring different skill levels together and make sure everyone gets involved.”

S1 student Elijah Komansky leads the Dungeons and Dragons Club with S3 student Tristan White.

Elijah said: “The students have had to think about how to explain something clearly, organise their time and help someone who is finding a task difficult.

“Helping another person learn it requires patience, preparation and an ability to see things from their perspective.

“Once I saw how it all worked, it was smooth sailing. I was a bit nervous at first but feel confident now.”

The two students running the Aviation Club are planning to explore careers in the field.

Dylan Walker, one of the two, said: “I have found that running the Aviation Club has benefited me by boosting my confidence to lead and helped me learn to adapt when something goes wrong.”

The Minecraft Esports Club, run with Daigon Esports, also has international experience among its leadership. One of its student leaders, Christopher Pacheco, S4, was part of the Chatmore Rocket League team that placed third at Daigon’s 2025 School Esports World Championships in Malta.

He said: “I have enjoyed being able to show that you can learn a lot more from Esports beyond the gaming. There's teamwork, problem solving and resilience built in.”

Film Club is making connections with the creative industry through special guests, including Qian Dickinson, film-maker and father of Kennedy Dickinson, an S2 student who launched the club.

The student said bringing a practising creative professional into the club offers a connection between students’ interests and the work taking place beyond the classroom.

He said: “It gives you a sense of independence, because now I get to be the teacher and share my passion of film and the arts with others who are interested. It's also nice to have the extra quality time with my dad.”

Dungeons and Dragons and Crochet Club round out the programme, making space for interests in storytelling, imagination and creating by hand alongside sport and technology.

A Chatmore spokeswoman said: “The variety reflects the students themselves, rather than a predetermined view of what a school club should look like.

“The programme is part of Chatmore’s future-focused learning model, in which academic learning is complemented by practical opportunities to develop independence, judgement and responsibility.”