Girls United Virtual Club Overview

Clubs have had to make drastic adjustments to the new way of Google Meet learning which has been a curve to some, and a blessing in disguise for others.

Girls United, a club that focuses on empowering the next generation of women, is one of the many extracurricular activities that students can participate in. Due to COVID-19, the club has had to run virtually and communicate with each other in more unconventional ways instead of the usual face-to-face meetings.

Linda Nyakundi, senior, is co-president of Girls United. She has been involved in the group for three years and has taken an important leadership role to ensure everyone has a smooth adjustment to the changes. 

“Although it has definitely been tough, as a big part of our club is having the in-person interaction and community building experience, our board has developed weekly scheduled meetings, regular communication within group chats, and interactions with other students to see how we can improve,” Nyakundi said.

One of the biggest challenges clubs have had to endure is the dip in attendance due to programs and meetings being done virtually. Girls United has seen first hand their club attendance drop, but Nyakundi says it proves who is truly passionate about the club and the values they uphold.

“The people who show up to our virtual meetings are the ones who really care and share the same passion and interest in what we do at Girls United,” Nyakundi said. “Normally our first few meetings are a big hit in person, but we’re still getting a good number of people to attend.”

One of the ways Girls United has helped to recruit and draw in more attendance is through unique programming that other clubs don’t provide.

Ani Palm, senior, serves with Nyakundi as co-president of Girls United. The two of them together, along with the rest of the Girls United board, have been communicating back and forth coming up with plans and virtual events to help draw in more students to uptick attendance. 

Many of these programs focus on the promotion of women empowerment, which is one of the core values of the club.

“In the coming weeks, we are looking forward to having a virtual meet and greet with Principal Ballard and hosting virtual activities around women’s empowerment,” Palm said. “An important aspect of Girls United is the education and discussion of women’s and human rights, which we also plan on continuing through our virtual meetings.” 

In a time where in-person interaction is limited, Palm believes participation in virtual club meetings is quintessential to the betterment of the community and recommends that students try and go out of their comfort zone with virtual clubs.

“I would encourage my peers to come to club meetings online because it is so important to create community while we are distant from each other,” Palm said. “The club leaders and presidents are working hard to create virtual meetings and ways to connect, so if you are interested in a club, go for it! You are valued and will add so much to the clubs you join.”