Extracurricular Activities

Honor Societies, Competition and Organizations/Clubs

A broad, varied educational experience prepares students to become successful in their higher education pursuits, and to become self-motivated citizens who can and will contribute to their communities. TAG offers a wide variety of these activities and ample opportunity for students to participate in and become members of clubs, academic teams, and organizations in order to pursue their interests and passions.

Although membership in some organizations is based on academic performance and accomplishment, most are open to all students of different ability levels and interests. Some academic contests are often competitive within, but this competition is in the spirit of achievement and pride in a student’s commitment and desire to learn outside the classroom.

These organizations have produced many honors and recognition for the school, and instilled a sense of pride in the student body. As a recognized school on the local, state, and national levels, TAG has a long tradition of excellence and its activities maintain and bolster that tradition every school year.

Academic Honor Societies

• International Thespian Society
• Mu Alpha Theta
• National Honor Society
• National English Honor Society
• Science National Honor Society
• Spanish National Honor Society

Sponsored UIL Competitions

• Accounting
• Band, Solo and Ensemble
• Calculator Applications
• Choir, Solo and Ensemble
• Computer Applications
• Computer Science
• Current Issues and Events
• Editorial Writing
• Extemporaneous Informative Speech
• Extemporaneous Persuasive Speech
• Feature Writing
• Headline Writing
• Lincoln-Douglas Debate
• Literary Criticism
• Mathematics
• News Writing
• Number Sense
• One-Act Play
• Orchestra, Solo and Ensemble
• Poetry Interpretation
• Prose Interpretation
• Ready Writing
• Science
• Social Studies
• Spelling and Vocabulary

Other Academic Competitions

• Academic Decathlon
• Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO)
• American Invitational Mathematics Examination
• American Mathematics Contest (10th grade, 12th grade)
• Citizen Bee
• Destination Imagination (DI - formerly Odyssey of the Mind)
• History Day/Junior Historians
• Inklings – The TAG Literary Magazine
• Math Olympiad
• Mock Trial
• Robotics (ROBOTAG)
• Science Fair
• Texas Area Model Organization of American States (TAMOAS)
• Whiz Quiz
• WorldQuest

Clubs and Organizations

• Chess Club
• Cross Country Club
• Dallas Association of Minority Engineers (DAME)
• German Dance
• Junior State of America (JSA)
• League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC Youth)
• Pan American Student Forum (PASF)
• Student Council
• Students Against Global Abuse (SAGA)
• Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE)
• Youth Alive
• Youth for Global Improvement (YGI)

Community Service Activities and Opportunities

Communitarianism – an ideology which emphasizes the responsibility of the individual to the community and the social importance of the family unit

Colleges and universities are seeking student-citizens that have a sense of self and of community. The modern workplace must return to these ideals upon which both our democratic and free enterprise systems are built if we are to preserve the vibrancy and strength our society has worked to establish. To these ends, students at TAG are not only required to complete community service (students must complete a minimum of 50 hours as a requirement for graduation), but are encouraged to nurture that sense of community and contribution in their own value system.

Many of the aforementioned clubs and organizations maintain their own standards of service and require members to participate in many charitable and volunteer activities. In addition, each class within the student body undertakes and completes at least one major service project each year. The following is a list of projects that have been completed, or are completed each year by TAG students and supported by the faculty.

• North Texas Food Bank – regular contributions
• Paper Recycling Project – school-wide initiative to collect and recycle paper products
• Dallas City Zoo (Boo at the Zoo - popular Halloween event designed for children 3-12) – volunteer for various activities and responsibilities during event
• Dallas Aids Services (provides housing, meals, and transportation to people with HIV/AIDS) – fundraising efforts, food donation requests, food preparation
• Juliette Fowler Home (assisted living) – make and deliver Valentine’s Day Cards, spend time with resident
• FairParkHealthCareCenter and SouthhavenNursingCenter – entertain residents with skits, singing, a magic show, and provide residents with bingo and card games
• Dallas Life Foundation (Homeless Mission) – serve meals, clean and wash in the kitchen
• Mobile Pet Hospital – collect food, cleaning supplies and other items for the care of animals
• Put a Cap on Drug and Alcohol Day – Student Council obtained approval for students to wear caps the day before spring break to show support for abstaining form alcohol and drug use during the break
• Heart of America – book drive benefiting DISD local elementary schools
• Dallas Parks Department (White Rock Trash Bash) – regular participation in litter pickup day at White Rock Lake