6 Ways Online Students Can Socialize Outside of the Classroom
byPhoebe Brown
6 min to read
When families think about their child socializing in school, they probably imagine children playing at recess or working together in the classroom. While these are accurate depictions of socialization in brick-and-mortar schools, peer-to-peer interaction can occur in a variety of ways.
Many people assume there are limited opportunities for online students to develop friendships; however, the opposite is true. These days, people often use technology to form relationships.
Though digital connection is a key component of today’s social life, there are many other ways for online students to establish and maintain relationships while attending online school. Here are some top ways for making friends in online school:
1. Join Virtual and In-person Clubs
When it comes to online school socialization, clubs are an opportunity for students to connect with peers who share similar interests.
Virtual Clubs
From academic clubs to hobbies, students in online school can choose between a variety of virtual clubs and activities they want to further explore while meeting new people.
For example, at Connections Academy-supported online schools, students who love science might join Gross Science, a club where students meet virtually to discuss yucky, gooey, stinky things in the world around them, or explore other virtual clubs, such as:
Art Club
Chess Club
Kindness Club
Arts and Crafts Club
Esports Teams
Drama and Performance Club
Leadership Club
and technology clubs
Often, these online clubs are customized for specific grade levels, so students can get the most out of them and interact with kids around their own skill level and age. Virtual clubs and activities empower students to connect with peers across regions, fostering collaboration, cultural exchange, and friendly competition that builds school spirit and leadership skills.
In-Person Clubs
If families are looking for socialization opportunities in-person, students can further grow their social circle by joining groups outside of school in their own communities, such as:
4-H Club — teaches kids about health, science, agriculture, civic engagement through doing different activities together
STEM clubs — use science, technology, engineering, and math to empower youth and encourage leadership skills and teamwork
Orchestra, band, or chorus — good for students who love singing, music, and playing instruments
Language learning programs — great for students interested in learning other languages
Sports teams — give students access to play youth sports with their peers
Service clubs — excellent choice for students interested in volunteering for different organizations
Book clubs — encouraging kids to read and discuss books and participate in reading challenges
2. Participate in a Learning Pod
Learning pods are small, informal groups of students, often from different families, who all learn from home. Being part of a learning pod can help with socializing in online school while staying engaged in learning. Learning pods can be hosted during the day or after school by Learning Coaches or another trusted adult and help keep students on track academically while they connect with peers and classmates as they work on their schoolwork or during breaks throughout the day.
3. Get Active in Your Community
Being active in the community can help online students make friends while spending time with family and giving back.
Volunteer Opportunities
Because online learners do most of their schooling from home, finding a community organization to volunteer with can boost students’ social skills with others who live in their community. Volunteer opportunities can be based on something your student is interested in, such as:
Gathering and donating clothes, shoes, and food
Starting a community garden
Picking up trash in the local area
Walking dogs at an animal shelter
Helping at special community events, like health fairs or reading to kids at the library
Since volunteer work occurs regularly, continued interactions allow students to become familiar with each other and make genuine friends. Research also shows that donating time makes people feel more socially connected.
Sports and Activities
While getting involved will look different for each online learner, sharing an activity in common, like community sports or organizations, is a great way for virtual school students to make friends outside of the classroom.
Many neighborhoods have local youth sports teams. From cheerleading to soccer, online students can learn teamwork and develop strong social bonds. Some brick-and-mortar schools even welcome children not enrolled to participate on school teams. If your child is interested in participating in a team or individual sport that a local public or private school offers, reach out to see if it would be possible for your child to join.
If sports aren’t their thing, some students may prefer to make friends through the arts or music. With community theaters, youth orchestras and bands, and local art classes, participating in shared experiences can help students build relationships and express themselves creatively.
4. Join Field Trips and School Outings
In addition to offering time away from the classroom, field trips provide an environment for students to build relationships with their peers in a more informal atmosphere.
Many students at Connections Academy have the option to attend field trips organized by the school where they can go to:
Historical sites
Museums
Parks
Aquariums and zoos
Music performances
Volunteer opportunities
As students go on adventures with the classmates they may have only ever interacted with virtually, they have more chances to get to know one another while they explore something exciting and new.
5. Go to Summer Camp
Online students’ social life should be a priority year-round, but especially during summer break when classroom interaction is often absent. Although some students attend summer school, an ideal seasonal opportunity to socialize is summer camp. Camp can be extremely beneficial for virtual learners if they struggle to maintain friendships while out of school.
Some of the benefits of summer camp for children include socializing and friendship-building, eliminating screen time and getting exercise, making memories, and learning from positive adult role models. In camp, youth participate in group activities like read-alouds, scavenger hunts, and field day. By the end of the summer, students know what it means to work in a team, accept others, and express themselves, which is key for future communication with their peers.
Prioritize Family Time
Culture and family play a key role in shaping a student’s socialization skills. And family is a child’s first foundational social group. Parents have the responsibility of teaching children how to converse as well as how to form and maintain relationships.
One of the key benefits of online school is that students have increased family interaction. That means simply engaging in conversation at dinner time or spending a brain break with their Learning Coach will significantly increase their interpersonal skills. Building on the foundation of family, students learn how to communicate with others and are more comfortable with seeking out friendships.
Socializing in Online School can be Easy
Online students don’t need a physical classroom to have a healthy social life and build meaningful relationships. If your family is interested in learning how to make online school a possibility for your student, download our free eGuide to learn more about all Connections Academy has to offer.
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