6410 South Dante Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637

Mount CarmelHigh School

Phone: 773-324-1020      Fax: 773-359-0506

Student Life

Do you want to build a robot? Do play-by-play reporting for a live telecast of a football game? Play chess competitively? Perform your favorite monologue in front of a packed house? At Mount Carmel, you can participate in a whole range of activities that will enrich your high school experience. 

Student Activities Mission

We strongly believe that the key to success as a student is involvement. We encourage every student to invest himself in at least one extracurricular activity, although most choose to take advantage of multiple opportunities.
Whether your interests are athletic, cultural, societal, academic, artistic, or service-oriented, Mount Carmel offers programs that will match your passion. Read more about the clubs and activities that will help shape your high school experience below.

Academic Success Groups and Honor Societies

List of 3 items.

  • Honors Cohort

    Moderated by: Mr. Dominic Scheuring, dscheuring@mchs.org

    By invitation-only, the Honors Cohort engages students who have exceptional grades, high entrance exam scores and good grade school attendance. Prospective members apply in the form of written responses to open ended prompts. Accepted freshmen join the ranks of admitted sophomores, juniors and seniors to participate in a variety of enrichment activities. These activities include field trips that span the disciplines of the arts and sciences.

  • National Honor Society

    Moderated by: Mrs. Jennifer Smola, jsmola@mchs.org

    National Honor Society is an invite-only group that is open to second trimester juniors that have a cumulative GPA of at least a 3.82 and must take at least one honors/AP course. Students who are invited complete an application process of a resume, essay, recommendation letters, and a clean discipline record. NHS members act as role models for other students. In addition to their strong academic records, our chapter members are leaders in many student organizations, and serve our school and community through many activities throughout the school year.

  • Scholastic Bowl

    Moderated by: Mr. Dan Burke '98, dburke@mchs.org

    Scholastic Bowl is a team trivia competition spanning all areas of knowledge. Conference meets are held on most Tuesdays. Practices occur 2 times a week.

Career and Leadership Clubs

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  • Capital Club

    Moderated by Mr. John O'Connor (H), joconnor@mchs.org
    The Capital Club explores the exciting world of finance and investments! Our club is a proud participant in the prestigious UPenn Wharton Global High School Investment Competition. Members will
    • Compete in the Wharton Global High School Investment Competition as a team to manage a $100,000 simulated investment portfolio, just like real Wall Street professionals.
    • Learn to analyze companies and markets, make informed investment decisions, and refine financial skills with guidance from top-tier resources.
    • Tackle real-life financial challenges, sharpen critical thinking, and collaborate with teammates to craft winning investment proposals.
    • Top-performing teams earn scholarship funds, recognition, and a chance to showcase their skills at the global finals.
    The Capital Club is a gateway to learning, teamwork, and the thrill of competition in high-stakes investing—right here at Mount Carmel!

  • First Responders Club

    Moderated by: Mr. John O'Connor (H) joconnor@mchs.org

    Mount Carmel High School’s First Responder Scholars program honors students whose parents serve their communities as first responders by recognizing their families’ sacrifice and commitment through scholarship assistance. The program also gives students meaningful opportunities to show gratitude, serve others, and represent the Mount Carmel community at important commemorative events, including participation in the annual Chicago Police Department St. Jude Parade honoring fallen police officers, a September 11 tribute to first responders, and the school’s Veterans Day Celebration. Through these experiences, First Responder Scholars develop a deeper appreciation for service, courage, sacrifice, and the enduring responsibility to support those who protect and serve our communities. 

  • Law Club

    Moderated by Ms. Valentina Sorescu, vsorescu@mchs.org

    The Law Club at Mount Carmel is an opportunity for students to receive a deeper understanding of law and the legal system through activities such as case studies, mock trials and debates. The club helps students to discover the legal field by learning the different types of careers through field trips and guest speakers. 

  • Peer Leaders

    Moderated by: Mrs. Kristina Luster, kluster@mchs.org

    Mount Carmel High School’s Peer Leadership Program develops Caravan students into confident, service-minded leaders who model the values, responsibility, and brotherhood of the Mount Carmel community. Through weekly leadership assignments focused on communication, accountability, teamwork, decision-making, and service, students gain practical experience leading by example and supporting their peers. The program also includes field trips that expose students to leadership in action beyond the classroom, as well as monthly lunches with Mount Carmel alumni speakers who share their personal and professional journeys, offer career insight, and emphasize how leadership, character, and faith continue to shape their lives after graduation. 

  • Student Council

    Moderated by: Mr. Dan Haggerty '11, dhaggerty@mchs.org

    Student council meets every week. Members plan spirit events, school dances, dress down days, and fundraisers for school. Members also listen to the student body and bring concerns to administration.

  • The Standard Business Club

    Moderated by: Mr. John O'Connor, joconnor@mchs.org

    This hands-on introductory business program allows students to explore basic business skills and knowledge through monthly immersive experiences and presentations led by successful Mount Carmel alumni and other MC constituents from a variety of fields.

Language and Cultural Clubs

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  • Brothers from the Mount (BFM)

    Moderated by: Mr. Julius Henry and Mrs. Emma Norise, jhenry@mchs.org and enorise@mchs.org

    BFM focuses on providing an inclusive safe space for students to build community and understanding and promotes inclusivity. The club gives voices to students who would like to bring up topics that are not generally talked about in school and fosters an environment in which all students listen to each other grievances. All are welcome to join!

  • Italian Club

    Moderated by: Mr. Giovanni Minicucci, gminicucci@mchs.org and Ms. Sam Lazzaro, slazzaro@mchs.org

    The Italian Club invites students to explore the language, history, culture, and cuisine of Italy outside the traditional classroom setting. Newly founded this year, the club brings Italian traditions to life through hands-on experiences and community connections — including Italian Heritage Month programming in October, a walking tour of Chicago's Little Italy, and a Carnevale celebration, with hopes to partner with the Italian Consulate of Chicago and local Italian-American organizations. All students are welcome, whether or not they are currently studying Italian, as the club aims to build lasting appreciation for Italian culture within the Mount Carmel community.

  • Multicultural Club

    Moderated by: Mrs. Jennifer Davis, jdavis@mchs.org

    The Multicultural Club encourages acceptance and respect for various cultures and ethnicities. Understanding cultural diversity is a crucial aspect of education, and we will strive to enhance awareness and appreciation for individuals from different backgrounds.

  • Spanish Club

    Moderated by: Mrs. Valerie Beavers, vbeavers@mchs.org

    The Spanish Club is a group of diverse students who may or may not be students in a Spanish class. Members work to educate the greater Mount Carmel community about culture, traditions and challenges of individuals living in Spanish speaking countries. The club is mission and service oriented; members have collected toiletries for shelters servicing refugees/migrants, and supported student service projects that worked to improve the lives of others. Additionally, the group plans and executes special food events that students and staff can enjoy. The club also goes on trips to places such as museums, and restaurants that bring greater awareness of Spanish and Latino culture.

Media and Publication Clubs

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  • Caravan Media Group

    Moderated by: Ms. Ellie Menke, emenke@mchs.org

    Caravan Media Group is a student-focused media and broadcasting group. Students meet and organize broadcast crews for various MC events. Meeting frequency varies, but there are many opportunities to assist with broadcasts throughout the year.

    Students focus on work as:
    • broadcasters
    • producers
    • camera men
    • photographers
    • editors
    • and more!

  • Honors Film Cohort

    Moderated by: Mr. KC Perlberg, kcperlberg@mchs.org

  • The Merchant

    Moderated by: Mr. Tim Baffoe '00, tbaffoe@mchs.org

    The Merchant is Mount Carmel's satirical newspaper published twice a trimester; meetings are on Zoom multiple times leading up to each issue. The club helps members gain an appreciation of and understand of how to create satire and satirical content and to expand the audience of The Caravan, Mount Carmel's student newspaper.

Mission and Service Clubs

List of 4 items.

  • Caravan Connection

    Moderated by: Ms. Mary Kate Byrnes, mbyrnes@mchs.org

    Caravan Connection is a group of Mount Carmel students along with Ray Graham training center. The group pairs up to participate in Special Olympics Unified, an inclusive program that integrates students with both traditional and diverse learning needs on sports teams for training and competition

  • Environmental Club

    Moderated by: Mr. Dominic Scheuring dscheuring@mchs.org

    Mount Carmel’s Environmental and Outdoor Club seeks to get students outside and to learn about our natural world! Through gardening, hiking, camping, bird watching, advocacy, and study, we hope to foster a growing understanding of our place in this earth community alongside the vast plant and animal life of our world. Our latest activities include working to restore our rooftop garden, planning fall hikes and a spring camping trip, as well as lending microloans to folks around the world who are working on sustainability projects through Kiva and the Climate Pilots group. We also maintain a growing library of books on the environment, nature writing, maps, etc.  

  • Liturgical Minister

    Overseen by: John Stimler jstimler@mchs.org 

    Students interested in helping to plan and be involved in school prayer services are encouraged to join this group. Students who want to be lectors, servers, Communion ministers, or choir members will be trained and assigned to various school liturgies. These ministries are one way that a student can engage more actively in his faith life. There are no set regular meetings for  ministries after the initial training, and ministers for each month will be posted on the Liturgical Ministries Google Classroom page.


  • Sacramental Preparation

    Overseen by: Mr. John Stimler, jstimler@mchs.org

    Students who are interested in receiving the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Confirmation can join sacrament preparation classes. We offer sacramental prep for Holy Communion every year, usually in the first half of the year. Preparation for Confirmation occurs every other year. Confirmation occurred in the Spring of even numbered years (ex Spring 2028, 2030, 2032, etc). The prep classes begin in the Fall prior to the confirmation date.


Performing and Visual Arts Clubs

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Science, Technology, Art and Mathematics Clubs

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  • Aviation / Drone Club

    Moderated by: Mr. John McGowan '94, jmcgowan@mchs.org and Mr. John O'Connor (H) joconnor@mchs.org

    Mount Carmel High School’s Aviation and Drone Organization introduces Caravan students to the rapidly growing fields of aviation, aerospace, unmanned aircraft systems, and drone technology through hands-on learning, flight simulation, safety training, and team-based projects. Members explore career paths in piloting, air traffic control, engineering, aviation maintenance, drone operations, aerial photography, mapping, and emergency response while building technical skills, responsibility, and leadership. A highlight of the organization is a field trip to Lewis University, where students tour aviation facilities and aircraft, meet faculty and student pilots, and learn about the university’s respected aviation program. The visit will also provide students an opportunity to connect with recent Mount Carmel graduates who are currently studying aviation at Lewis, offering an authentic perspective on college life, flight training, and careers in the aviation industry. 

  • Medical Enrichment Club

    Moderated by: Mr. Julius Henry, jhenry@mchs.org

    The Medical Enrichment Club is a dynamic and engaging space for students of Mount Carmel who are interested in pursuing careers in healthcare and medicine. Our club offers a unique opportunity to explore various aspects of the medical field through hands-on learning, expert guest speakers, discussions on current medical advancements, and interactive activities. 

  • Robotics

    Moderated by: Mr. Caribee Collier (H), ccollier@mchs.org

    Caravan Robotics participates in VEX robotics. "VEX Robotics is educational robotics for everyone." Beyond science and engineering principles, VEX encourages creativity, teamwork, leadership, and problem solving among groups." The group typically meets Tuesdays through Thursdays after school.

  • STEM Cohort

    Overseen by: Mr. Caribee Collier (H), ccollier@mchs.org

    Students become eligible during their sophomore year. Once accepted into the Cohort, students begin work toward fulfilling the requirements to be recognized at Graduation as STEM Scholars. 
    • Student collaborate in research and competition
    • Students gain scientific, mathematical and technological literacy from exposure to both academia and industry
    • Students engage in skills in problem solving, critical analysis and creative thinking.
    • Students take additional electives class (5 years of math or science) in a STEM area, complete additional STEM related projects, participate in STEM related clubs, and attend field trips.
    Students must maintain a B in their STEM classes and take a math or science elective (5 math or science classes over the course of their 4 years.)

Sport and Social Clubs

List of 7 items.

  • Chess

    Moderated by: Dr. Jon Berry (H), jberry@mchs.org

    This is both a Chess Club (open to all students, regardless of skill level) and a competitive Chess Team, that competes in chess matches against other Chicago private (mostly Catholic) high schools, as well as in a sectional and state competition. Open Chess is available on Mondays and Thursdays after school.

  • Culinary Club

    Moderated by: Mr. John O'Connor (H) and Ms. Erin Cronin, joconnor@mchs.org and ecronin@mchs.org

    The Culinary Club introduces students to the culinary arts. Students work in conjunction with Country House Staff (Mount Carmel's food service provider) and learn the importance of kitchen safety and sanitation prior to learning how to cook basic meals.

    It is the goal of the Culinary Club to have MC students prepare meals for purchase during lunch periods for the general student body and faculty. 

  • Fight Night - Intramural Boxing

    Moderated by the MC Fathers' Club

    Fight Night is an over 40-year tradition at MC. Fight Night introduces participants to the fundamentals of the sport of boxing in a safe and competitive environment. Students partake in a boxing tournament (by weight class) and the championship bouts are held during the historic MC Fight Night sponsored by the MC Father's Club. Fight Night emphasizes conditional, mental and physical fortitude all in a controlled highly competitive environment.

  • Pickleball

    Moderated by: Mr. John O'Connor (H), joconnor@mchs.org and Mr. Trey Ross (tross@mchs.org)

    Mount Carmel High School’s Pickleball Club offers Caravan students a fun, active, and competitive opportunity to learn and play one of the nation’s fastest-growing sports. During the 2025–26 inaugural season, members will develop their skills, compete in organized matches, build friendships, and represent Mount Carmel in a welcoming team environment. The club will utilize the pickleball facility at 47th Street and Lake Shore Drive for practices and competition, with the season highlighted by a special competitive event against the University of Chicago. 

  • Sailing

    Caravan Sailing gives sailors of any experience level lessons and practices on how to sail. The group meets once a week on Saturdays during the fall and spring seasons at Jackson Park Yacht Club. 

  • Student Trainers

    Overseen by: Ms. Marie Tasiopoulos (mtasiopoulos@mchs.org)

    The Student Athletic Trainers Club is a great way to get involved with athletics at MC while gaining hands on experience in sports medicine. Club members will attend practices and be present on the sidelines during games, working alongside athletic trainers and learning important skills such as taping, injury prevention, rehabilitation, and basic sports medicine techniques. This club is a great opportunity for students interested in athletics, health sciences, or sports medicine to get involved, build valuable skills, and support MC’s athletes. 


  • Tailgate Sports Club

    Moderated by: Mr. John O'Connor (H), joconnor@mchs.org

    Informal organization that allows students to partake in traditional "tailgate" sports in a competitive nature. Students will be introduced to bean bags, spikeball, 16" softball and games of chance in a competitive environment.
For a full list of the extracurricular athletic programs that Mount Carmel offers, please visit the athletics page.



MOUNT CARMEL
HIGH SCHOOL

Living with Zeal for God, for Life, for Learning



6410 S. Dante Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637 Phone: (773) 324-1020