The Young Feminists Club is back!!!! This section of the club is for learners between ages 9-11. Another club is in the works for ages 12-14. A link will be added here as soon as it's ready. The club for learners 12-14 will run on Thursdays from 4-4:45pm EST. 

Welcome to the Young Feminists Club! We're an ongoing club that has been meeting for over two years! Our members are warm-hearted and intelligent young feminists. Members have joined from all over the world, although most of us are spread across Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. Amazing friendships have blossomed from this club. It's a kind and encouraging environment to share ideas, ask questions, have fun, and connect with other young people like you. Many of our members identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community but everyone is welcome in our space. We ensure that everyone's names and pronouns are respected. Students are encouraged to add their pronouns to their name in our Zoom meeting. 

We meet each week to discuss a topic related to feminism, social justice, LGBTQ+ rights, Indigenous Sovereignty, Anti-racism, and all kinds of other topics. We switch things up every week to keep things new and exciting and to cover topics that are current and in line with students' interests. We do frequent group checkins to see what kinds of things students want to discuss and learn about. 

We might look at a newspaper or magazine article (age appropriate), a current event or social movement (such as Black Lives Matter, Indigenous Movements, Climate Justice, Women’s Month, etc.), or learn all about a feminist hero or an activist. We love delving into popular culture and having discussions about a music video, TikTok trend, or a recent movie or television show. 

One of the club's favourite activities is "Feminist Show and Tell" where students bring an item to class that they are proud of. We've had members show their coolest cosplay looks, art pieces, their activism work, family photographs, their favourite clothing items that make them feel powerful (we had an amazing pair of clawed crocs once, thanks E!), their YouTube channels, Etsy shops, the best book they have ever read, their makeup looks, and so much more! We do Feminist Show and Tell once every couple of months because the members love it so much. It's a great chance to learn about our members and ask them questions about the things that are of interest to them. 

We also occasionally do a craft or a writing activity and listen to music. We have made feminist pennants, written about our ideal mental health days, written love letters to ourselves, and lots of other fun activities!

The classes are conversation-based and often include slides with visuals. We'll often watch a video from YouTube or take a look at a piece of art to get the conversation rolling. Members are encouraged to participate in the discussion in a way that is most comfortable to them (some members prefer sharing through the chat instead of unmuting themselves and this is totally welcomed! Other members prefer keeping their cameras off- that's cool too!)

Learners will be encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas with each other about the event/movement/media in relation to social justice and feminism. Members will learn about how they can become involved in their own communities and we will talk about the projects we can do (like crafts, fundraisers, or volunteering). 

The goal of this club is for learners to:

1. Have ongoing access to conversations related to social justice and feminism 
2. Connect with other kids who are interested in similar things 
3. Feel encouraged and inspired to take action in their own communities 
4. Be introduced to feminism and activism in a low-stakes, encouraging learning environment that fosters fun, critical thinking, and creativity

I'm so excited to bring this club back in February and can't wait to meet our new members and welcome back many familiar faces! Please feel free to send me any questions you have about joining the club and I'll respond as quickly as I am able.