College Club Emphasizes Friendship
by Caitlin Grosso
Imagine a laid-back space on campus where you can chat about your hobbies and interests, work on craft projects, and take nature walks - all while socializing with your peers. All clubs at 4C’s, in essence, integrate one or more of these activities into their agendas, but they don’t quite accomplish it in the same manner as the Best Buddies Club does.
What makes it stand out? Three words: Inclusion, opportunities, and connection. The Best Buddies Club not only highlights the importance of friendship, but the sense of community that develops through the club as members connect with other students whom they might not otherwise cross paths with on campus. Many students involved with 4C’s Project Forward are members of the club. Project Forward is a vocational program for students with disabilities.
“The purpose of BB,” says club adviser Tara Marini, “is to provide inclusion and opportunities via activities for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
By the same token, it encourages one-on-one friendships between college students without IDD and their peers on campus or in the community with IDD.
“That’s a big thing,” she says. “4C’s students obviously take classes with Project Forward students, but there is very little opportunity for them to connect outside of an academic setting.”
These moments of socialization are limited to the Seashore Café, which is a worksite for the students in Project Forward.
The club currently has 12 student members and focuses on group activities.
“We’ve done things like mindfulness sessions and quick field trips,” Marini says. “We went to Sandy Neck Beach to collect stones for an upcoming art project, and the Anime Club will join us as we close out the semester with a pizza party.”
The club also intends to organize a student and staff sporting event.
In the spring, the club plans to visit residences of local nursing homes for their civic engagement project.
“The club is student led,” Marini says. “The members generate ideas for what they want out of the organization, but a key thing that brings every member into the club space is the desire to socialize.”
This is especially true coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We really want our students to get out there and make friendships outside of Project Forward. We have found, by and large, that 4C’s students haven’t been given many opportunities to socialize with those with learning differences,” says Marini.
BB meets on the first and last Wednesdays of each month in Room 117 of the Maureen M. Wilkins building. To join, contact Marini via email at [email protected].
4C’s Best Buddies Club (Sophia Goldstein)
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