The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected the way students are relating to each other this year. The film club, the cooking club, the improv club, the photography club, et al. are looking for new ways to engage with one another and keep their passions alive. This means the yearbook teams need to delve a little deeper to make sure each student club is represented in the 2021 yearbook.
Covering the new ways clubs are interacting with one another isn’t the only challenge, you’ll need to find out what new student clubs and organizations have sprouted up since the pandemic began and incorporate them into the yearbook as well.
Covering Student Clubs in the 2021 Yearbook
Pre-pandemic students have been the early adopters of all social media, to say their usage of these tools nowadays has increased would be an understatement. Consider asking these 3 questions when interviewing members from your school’s clubs to help you as you build their spreads in the yearbook.
1. How are you collaborating?
Are they using social media? Have they created their own Facebook Groups or hashtags? (Hint: if they have this is a great place to find photos) Are they hosting Zoom meetings? If so, find out if you can join. If your part of a meeting, not only do you have the opportunity to interview the group, but you can also snag a few fun screenshots of the group (provided this is allowed by your school community). Are they hosting Teleparties to watch movies and chat together? Not only will this question help you better understand what they are doing this year, but it might also provide some interesting insight into how technology has played a role in the school year outside of the virtual classroom.
2. Are you taking selfies of your activities?
Any project based club (the STEM club, the cooking club, etc) will likely be sharing photos of their work with one another. If they are willing to share these photos with the yearbook team, this is a great place to start to look for your story, not to mention an awesome place to get photos for their club’s yearbook spread.
3. How does the new normal differ from previous years?
Many clubs are really having to change their plans this year. We spoke with a student at Mounds View High School who is in charge of a club that volunteers for a local nursing home. Now that visiting is not possible they have decided to make masks and other supplies for the nursing home residents. A fun spread idea, in this case, could be to have each student hold a sign stating what they did pre-pandemic and what their new normal is.
New Student Clubs During COVID-19
You might be surprised to learn what new clubs and organizations have sprouted up at your school this year.
We are loving what Boca High teacher Jordan Hernandez and student Luke Lynch formed for their community. The #CoronaCant movement promotes positivity, fitness, and engagement through social media to stay in touch with their students.
The Corona-Norco Unified School District, in Norco California, created a virtual calming room that includes a number of resources in various categories including Guided Meditations, Yoga, Coloring & Creativity, and my personal favorite, Live Animal Cameras.
Along with the rise in popularity of virtual spirit weeks, many schools are creating mental health and well-being clubs that should also be covered in your 2021 yearbook.
We understand the 2021 yearbook will be different, to say the least. Just because things are different this year, doesn’t mean students have stopped finding ways to make memories. Taking the time to ask the right questions, and find out how your student body is changing this year will make for not only a unique, but very memorable yearbook spread to look back on in years to come.
If you’re looking for more ideas on how to produce the 2021 yearbook, check out this article: Yearbook Ideas: We’re All in this Pandemic Together. How to Capture 20-21 in the Yearbook.
