Activities & Clubs

Kennedy Student Ambassadors is a leadership group for those who would like to help with prospective new students coming to Kennedy. This includes giving tours to new students and families in addition to being a lunch buddy or partner, by answering any questions new students may have and having lunch with them in the cafeteria for the first few days as they get settled. Student participation in this leadership program can earn volunteer hours, as well as a great resume builder for job, college and scholarship applications. Students should feel comfortable in their knowledge of the Kennedy building, with a guide/talking points sheet provided to assist in the tour.

Students will be paired with new students based on your lunch shift, free periods during the day, and interests if possible! If you are interested in applying to be a Kennedy Student Ambassador, please complete the Google form.

Kennedy Student Ambassador

Class Council is a way for students to get involved and work on leadership skills. Each spring upperclassmen elect a six member class council. The student receiving the highest votes becomes president. The council then determines roles for the remaining members. In the fall, freshmen are encouraged to join their class council and they elect a president at that time.

Each council works with their sponsors to encourage connection for their classmates through pep assemblies, volunteer opportunities, and class projects. They raise money for prom and plan the senior prom. They meet throughout the year and meet every other month with Principal Kline to be the voice for their class.

“There are lots of wonderful academic competitions out there.  You can go prove you’re the best writer, or the best orator, or the best speller.  Academic Decathlon isn’t about any of that, though. It’s not about demonstrating how good a student you already are. It’s about daring to push your limits, to master college-level material and to practice skills, like public speaking, that might be new to you. It’s about the people you’ll meet along the way—the coaches who will mentor you, the competitors who will challenge you, and the teammates who will become your lifelong friends.” (Dr. Les Martisko)

What Is Academic Decathlon?
A competition of intellectual and academic curiosity!  As Decathletes, you’ll learn about an exciting new theme each year, such as The Roaring Twenties! The competition centers around learning with TEN events.

Tests in: Math, Science, Economics, Social Science, Literature, Art, and Music 

Speech (prepared & impromptu), Essay, Interview, and SUPER QUIZ!

The things you practice in Aca Deca will help you tremendously as you prepare to apply for and attend college.

What do we have to do?
Study, practice, and compete!  It is more fun than it sounds like.  Click here for details: https://www.usad.org/the-experience 
There are study guides for the 7 test areas, and a novel to read. If you’re not a reader, there are videos to watch instead. 

“You’ll learn to move an audience not just with facts and rhetoric, but with confidence. And you’ll never do any of this alone. You’ll be working with a team—a team composed of students with a wide range of grades but a single shared goal.” (Dr. Les Martisko)

When will we practice?
TBD

When are Competitions?
Regionals the last weekend in January, held at Jefferson High School.
State is the first week in March, this year held just north of Des Moines. The State competition takes place over 2 days. 
The 2026 national competition is in California. 

What is the Classification System?
At competitions, a total of 9 students can compete for us, plus 3 alternates. But we break students down by unweighted GPA from their two previous school years and choose 3 from each level:

Honor (3):              3.80 – 4.00 GPA
Scholastic (3):       3.20 – 3.799 GPA
Varsity (3):            0.00 – 3.199 GPA

"Our club is a community where people come to create lifelong bonds.  We are proud of fostering a culture where the friendships created go beyond club meetings and activities."

The Cedar Rapids Kennedy Best Buddies Club supports the district vision of Every Learner. Future Ready by fostering inclusive relationships that empower all students to learn, lead, and belong. Best Buddies enhances the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) by creating meaningful friendships between students with and without disabilities.

Through student-led activities and events, club members build connections that promote a positive school culture. These experiences encourage students to take ownership of their learning and leadership while strengthening social and emotional skills that prepare them for life beyond high school.

Kennedy Best Buddies participates in a variety of unified sports opportunities sponsored by Special Olympics Iowa, providing inclusive experiences that connect students’ interests to teamwork, wellness, and community engagement. The club also takes part in the “Choose to Include” campaign each March, amplifying student voice and reinforcing a culture of belonging for all.

Students interested in participating in Best Buddies should sign up. Click HERE for the link.

Unified Physical Education Opportunities:

Students who are interested in building connections through sports and physical education are encouraged to explore Unified Physical Education, a PE credit course. Unified PE brings students with and without IDD together in an inclusive learning environment that emphasizes collaboration, leadership, and mutual respect. This course supports personalized learning while strengthening friendships and social mentoring. For more information, visit the Physical Education page or talk with your counselor about how to register.

Black student union creates a safe place for Black students and allies.  We discuss relevant topics, raise awareness of systemic concerns, and educate students about Black culture and history.  They meet Tuesdays from 3-4 pm in room 106.

The Cougar electric car company students design, build, and race one-person electric race cars. The team competes with other high schools and colleges at electric vehicle rallies across the Midwest.

While it looks like racing, it’s much more than that. It’s a competition that includes endurance, braking efficiency, handling, and design. In addition, students are assessed on their ability to carefully document the design and construction of the cars.

Cougar electric car is hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math education. Students focus their learning and experience in at least one of three primary areas:

• mechanical engineering (crew chef, machinist, aerodynamics/design)
• electrical/chemical engineering (telemetry, batteries/trailer maintenance)
• promotions (promotions, documentation, graphic design)

Results

Iowa state champions: 2024
Nebraska state champions: 2024
Wisconsin state champions: 2024

Sponsors

Next Era Energy
Bill Witter Construction
Hall Bicycle
New Leader Manufacturing
ACME
Bjerke Engineering
Doyle Masonry
IBEW 204
Hawkeye Termite and Pest

Kennedy’s Gay-Straight Alliance is open to anyone.  This club is not only a safe space, but also an area to discuss LGBT+ related topics and create social change.  Everyone is welcome, no matter gender identity or sexual orientation.

Information on meetings will be posted when available.

Do you enjoy playing video games? Do you like to be competitive? Kennedy Esports is the team to join. With several titles to choose from, our goal is to give students the opportunity to pursue their passion for video games in a positive environment. Esports is growing across the country with new opportunities at the high school and college level established every year! We compete in the IASHEA and PlayVs leagues. Our teams have won several state championships and have grown each year. Again, if you like playing video games and want to be a part of a great group of students and coaches, come join us!

We practice Monday- Thursday, 3-5:30pm, Fridays as needed, in room 220

The Valorant team were Runners Up at the 2025 League OS National Championships in St. Louis, MO. In 2024 Overwatch finished in 2nd place last season and Valorant placed 2nd in the State Championship.

The Kennedy robotics team “27293 CougarBots” is an extracurricular program for students. We build 18″^3 robots for competition, and educate the community on the ethos of FIRST.

The CougarBots are looking for new members! Challenge yourself as you design a robot, solve problems, and compete in custom games. You’ll have the opportunity to make connections and build friendships with members of other teams across the city and the state! Learn skills like collaboration and communication as you work with the team to think creatively about the game and report on what we learn throughout the year. In addition to designing and building the robot, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in community service and outreach to share the ideals of FIRST.

Meetings are on Monday 3-4:30 and Thursdays at 3-4 in room 64C. 

The Kennedy student government is an excellent group for all students. Student government officers are elected and are automatic members of the group.

Students who want to participate may register for the class. Class size is limited, and meets on an alternate day schedule. Student government plans and coordinates dozens of events each year from homecoming to food drives. See Mr. Benedict for more information.

2026-2027 Officers

Hayden Scott (President)
Seamus Duggan
Lawson Neighbor
Addison Phillips
Lextyn Pankey
Jarron Weber

The Torch is Kennedy High School’s student-run newspaper.

Read the Torch Online

Do you like some of the pictures you see on the Torch? Here is our Flickr page if you would like to download a photo.

Torch Flickr Page

The Kennedy Trap Club is a spring season sport that teaches gun safety and education, sportsmanship, and team building.  Trap Club participates in state-sanctioned competitions from March until June but begins meeting in the fall to begin organizing and fundraising.  A safety class and test for all members is mandatory, which is held once a year in February.

Monthly club meetings are held throughout the year. Practice begins in March and are held Tuesdays and Thursdays at Otter Creek Sportsman’s Club.  

Head coach: Chaz Davis