Global Engagement Club invites peers to New Year’s resolution booth

Members of the Warwick Valley High School Global Engagement Club were asking their peers today, “What are your New Year’s resolutions?” 

During Tuesday’s lunch period, members of the club hosted a New Year’s resolution booth and encouraged their peers to share the resolutions they’ve made and contribute to a resolution board.

“We wanted to create an interactive way to engage with everyone, so we thought this would be a great way to do so,” said club member Olivia Retcho. Sharing their resolutions and aspirations for the new year proved to be a fun way for students to connect, and created a palpable camaraderie around the event.      

Serena Sze, the club’s advisor, explained that the Global Engagement Club began about three years ago, as a way for students to share and learn about different cultures and traditions. 

“A student actually approached me about helping her start up the club,” Ms. Sze said. “She wanted to start it because she felt that she was stuck between cultures, and that there were probably other kids who shared her experience.”

Ms. Sze and a handful of students launched the club that year, and it has been growing and becoming more active ever since. The club couples cultural education with fun events and experiences that students can participate in. They can broaden their world view while learning what it means to be an ethical, global citizen, which is one of the seven tenets of our district’s Portrait of a Graduate.

Ethical and global citizens exhibit empathy, compassion, and respect for others, and strive to understand a variety of cultures and perspectives outside their own. They consider the issues of the day through the lens of local, national, and global perspectives – from social issues to environmental issues. They act with integrity, are community-minded and understand the foundations of our nation – both rights and privileges – and the responsibilities we share to others in the global community.

“The goal of the Global Engagement Club is to learn about different cultures and events going on,” said club member Ciara Mattson.

If you’re interested in being a part of the Global Engagement Club, you can talk to Ms. Sze or any of the club members. And, you can also keep up with the club’s latest global/cultural focus and activities by checking out their monthly displays on the bulletin board outside the north cafeteria.