Club Descriptions

Many of our clubs are teacher-sponsored, but student-run. Please see below to read about the many options for current clubs at our school. If you're interested in or need more information on a club please speak to the listed advisor(s). If you have an idea for a club you want to start, please speak with administration for an application to start a new club at NDA!

Chess/Board Game Club

Chess Club provides a student with the opportunity to grow as chess players. Students will learn problem solving skills and patience. Our club welcomes all who are interested in playing Chess or other board games.

Advisor: Ms. McDaniel

Creative Writing

Come join other student writers to start a new story, polish a piece, and get feedback from your peers! Every week we work towards a goal, and will be looking at submitting stories to contests later in the year. Do the WRITE thing...join Creative Writing Club!

Advisor: Ms. Fox and Mr. Kayler

Deep Space

The Deep Space club is focused on data analytics. The club uses weather stations connected to either weather balloons or rocketry in order to collect various data at different altitudes. Students can then analyze that data for meaning, mistakes and anomalies. All equipment used in the club is made in-house, so students get hands-on practice at soldering, wiring, CAD design and 3-D printing. This is all in preparation for analyzing data that will be sent from a deep space mission flat-sat being launched from NASA's Artemis 1 rocket which is scheduled to launch in November 2021. Data to be collected from this mission includes: plasma detection, electron flux, particle detection, infra-red detection, magnetic field detection and temperature.

Advisor: Mr. Tucker

Environmental Club (YES)

Youth for Environmental Stewardship (YES!) environmental community outreach club YES is NDA's chapter of a bigger county-wide environmental outreach club. Every school in Buncombe County now has a YES club and they get together monthly for community service. YES works through larger programs such as Asheville Greenworks, Riverlink, French Broad Riverkeepers and the Sierra Club. Through YES, NDA students have floated the French Broad on river clean-ups, planted trees in city parks, planted pollinator gardens at various schools, collected hard to recycle items for the community and even petitioned city council to implement a sustainable solar energy plan for the city.

Advisors: Mr. Tucker, Mrs. Kaiser, and Ms. Parker

Envirothon

Envirothon is a NC competition club that competes in the spring of each year. Students form teams of 5 students each. Each student focuses on 1 of the 5 different topics of study in order to become the "expert" in that topic for their team. The study topics are: Aquatics, Wildlife, Soils, Forestry and Current Environmental Issues. In house and various on-site training for each topic is offered throughout the year in preparation for the competition in early spring.

Advisor: Mr. Tucker

Get Outside Club

The Get Outside club was started by NDA students to give all students the chance at outdoor adventure. The club has taken students mountain biking in Virginia, and spelunking in Tennessee over the last few years. They also do community service such as trail work at the Nesbitt trail or at nearby Richmond hill park. Any student is able to make suggestions on outdoor activity ideas and help plan trips.

Advisors: Mr. Tucker, Ms. Glass and Mr. Lanahan

Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code is a computer science club dedicated to closing the gender gap in technology (and not just for girls). In this club, you will learn the fundamental computer science concepts of loops, variables, conditionals and functions that form the basis for all computer programming languages while building your teamwork and leadership skills. The club will participate in several coding competitions throughout the year (e.g. picoCTF, a cybersecurity competition held in September/October.)

Advisor: Ms. McDaniel

GSA

Genders & Sexualities Alliance (GSA) is a student-run club, which provides a safe place for all students to meet, support each other, talk about issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, and work to end homophobia and transphobia.

Advisor: Mrs. Pruett

HOSA

What is HOSA you may ask? HOSA is all about becoming leaders in the global health community through education, collaboration, and experience. If the healthcare field sounds like your passion this club is for you.

Advisor: Mrs. Kaiser

Knitting Club

All levels and styles are welcome. Learn, teach and relax while knitting with needles and looms. Feel free to bring your own and borrow from us. Every semester we pick a project such as making gifts and/or donation items.

Advisors: Mrs. Robinson and Ms. Fox

Math Club

The NDA Math Club is made up of students who exhibit a love for and a proficiency in mathematics. After several months of coaching, students will have the chance to compete individually and as teams. Our goal this year is to compete in at least two contests, including Furman Math Tournament, Charleston Math Tournament, Western Carolina University Math Contest, and the AMC 10/AMC 12.

Advisors: Mrs. Robinson and Mrs. Wheeler

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of being fully aware and involved in the present moment. Mindfulness Club is a time for students to focus on breathing and other techniques to address stress and anxiety. Students use this club time to practice awareness of thoughts and try to focus more on the present helping to build empathy and understanding for others.

Advisor: Mrs. Pruett

Mock Trial

Mock Trial team meets regularly from the beginning of the school year and into the spring, preparing for an imaginary civil or criminal legal case and competing in a regional competition. The team consists of NDA students who have an interest in either law or drama, filling the roles as attorneys and/or witnesses. Regional competitions are held in February with the highest scoring teams going on the state and national competitions. Students with an interest in the law or acting are encouraged to attend exploratory meetings at the beginning of the school year, and to join the team if interested

Advisor: Mr. Irvin

National Honor Society

The purpose of NDA chapter of National Honor Society shall be to create an enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote worthy leadership, and to encourage the development of character in students of Martin L Nesbitt Jr Discovery Academy.

Advisors: Mr. Tucker and Mr. Irvin

Nesbitt Habitat Collaborative

NHC is an organization that will focus on affordable housing in Western North Carolina through a collaborative relationship with Habitat for Humanity. Each year we will raise money through fundraising events, grant applications and donation requests from community partners to fund a student build home. Each fall, we volunteer on-site providing hands-on support while acquiring invaluable technical and life skills. We will contribute alongside other public and private high schools in our region. In the near future, Nesbitt Habitat Collaborative will expand our alignment with Habitat in order to extend our impact on affordable housing in Western North Carolina. You must be 16 to volunteer on-site, but there is not an age requirement for membership and fundraising efforts.

Advisors: Mr. Orange and Mrs. Kaiser

Poetry Club

The Poetry Club does a multitude of poetic plays including Poetry Out Loud, a national competition where students memorize and deliver anthologized poems. We also are working on Slam poems so that students can participate in youth slams in Asheville with other high schools. Additionally, students can share any poems that they have written or poems by writers they admire. The only requirement of poetry club is an appreciation of poetry, one may simply come and listen!

Advisor: Mrs. Pruett

Political Discussion

Students choose weekly current issues to discuss and facilitate their own discussion on the topic while modelling good speaking, listening, and thinking skills.

Advisor: Mrs. Yurkovich

Science Olympiad

Science Olympiad is one of the premier science competitions in the nation, providing standards-based challenges to thousands of students across the nation. Our students compete in teams in dozens of events that include scientific information as well as processes and engineering build events.

Advisor: Mrs. Washburn

Student Ambassadors

Student Ambassadors are a small group of students dedicated to the positive promotion of Nesbitt Discovery Academy. They will work on a volunteer basis to serve as liaisons between the community, prospective students, and local business and industry. The student ambassadors' main job is to be a helpful, friendly face for new students in their first year of school. They also serve as peer mentors for 9th grade students. Students must apply every spring.

Advisor: Mrs. Shippey

Student Council

The aim of the Student Council is to work in partnership with the administration, staff, parents, and students for the benefit of the whole school community. The Student Council will undertake a program of activities, which will support the school. In planning activities the Student Council will consult with the liaison teachers and administration (as needed). Each year the student body will elect two class representatives for each grade level and a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer for the study body. Non-elected members of the study body are eligible to serve on sub-committees, which will be formed and announced as needed.

Advisor: Mrs. Burnett

Technology Student Association (TSA)

TSA is an extracurricular yet profoundly beneficial organization for our students that allows them to further pursue their own interests in STEM fields. Students will be given opportunities to take their STEM learning to the next level through engaging weekly activities held after school on various days from any number of Discovery Academy Advisors. Central to TSA are numerous competitive events, as well as opportunities for building leadership skills, and the experience is an advantage on higher education applications!

Advisors: Mr. Orange, Mrs. Kaiser and Mr. Hylemon

TSA Vex Robotics Team

The Robotics club at Nesbitt is a subset of the TSA VEX Robotics Competition (VRC) which provides students with a hands-on, co-curricular competition for learning about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). These events complement the existing technology-related competitions offered by the Technology Student Association (TSA). The TSA VEX competitions are designed to provide students with the same action-packed experience of VEX events and enable team members to participate in other national TSA conference competitions and activities. Any student enrolled at NDA can participate in Robotics Club at school however only 2 teams per TSA chapter may compete in TSA events. All teams may compete in other VEX competitions where we may compete.

Advisor: Mr. Hylemon

Theater

Advisors: Ms. Fox and Mr. Kayler

Trails Club

Advisors: Mr. Tucker and Ms. Glass

Yearbook

The Yearbook Club will plan and create the NDA yearbook. Students will have the opportunity to learn photography, page design, marketing, and journalism.

Advisor: Mrs. Yurkovich