As West Ranch transitions from online to in-person, students looking for new spaces to improve their skills or meet new people have a lot of club options for the 2021-2022 school year. With Club Rush Day taking place several weeks ago, here are three new clubs at West Ranch that were founded this year.

Changing the Status Quo

Amid everything going on in the world right now, it is more important now than ever to stay up-to-date with current events and topics of discussion. This is exactly what junior Julia

Quinones and sophomore Kishneet Kaur hope to achieve with their club, Changing the Status Quo.

This club aims to raise awareness about local and global issues. Each month, the club focuses on a specific event and educates members through PowerPoint presentations and by engaging in relevant discourse.

For instance, during Hispanic Heritage Month, the club provided a safe space for students to come to talk about their experiences and share their heritage.

Kaur explained, “Members get to learn about the world from different points of view.”

Global Youth Mission

As the world begins to reopen, connecting with each other is vital. Global Youth Mission, or GYM, is a community service-based organization that has several branches across Southern California and South Korea and now, at West Ranch.

The club strives to involve students in improving their communities through hands-on projects. Some examples of past projects include writing cards to soldiers overseas, making flower pots for senior citizen centers, and creating blankets for cancer patients. This month, GYM is making and donating dog toys to local animal shelters.

The club’s president and founder Clarice Kim revealed what members can expect to gain from her club. “In conjunction with interacting with their classmates around them, we hope members will be able to feel a sense of community and accomplishment when volunteering and helping people who happen to be less fortunate than them.”

Not only do club members receive community service hours from participating in the events, but they will also get opportunities to hone in on their creativity and bond with their peers.

UNICEF

Throughout communities around the world, many young boys and girls face barriers to proper education and standard living conditions. The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, or UNICEF, plans to help meet their basic needs and expand their opportunities to help them reach their full potential.

The UNICEF High School program is a smaller branch of a youth-led initiative that works to educate and fundraise to support UNICEF’s humanitarian efforts. It is a growing movement rooted in the belief that students play a vital role in helping the world’s children survive.

Club president and founder, sophomore Faith Lawrence, described what a typical meeting entails. “We’ll hold fundraisers and discuss different ways to advocate for global issues. People can learn about issues like child poverty that’s happening in other parts of the world.”

This month, the club has already established several fundraising drives at many retail stores around the valley, such as Target, Starbucks, Ralphs, Whole Foods, and several other establishments. All funds contribute to helping UNICEF build schools for underprivileged children in Africa.

Clubs are an effective way for students to immerse themselves in a topic they are passionate about while connecting with their peers. These organizations are open to all students no matter their background, so if you’re looking for ways to be more involved in your community, consider joining some of these new clubs on campus.