Country of Residence
United States
Age
19
Project title
Zero Barrier Social Club
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
The Zero Barrier Social Club (ZBSC) is an all-inclusive club that hosts once a month meetings, which bring young women together to connect and build a sense of community through various activities.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
https://instagram.com/zbsocialclub/
Project Category
My project is a brand new / emerging idea
Project Stage
Pilot-Stage (We’ve tried an activity or two)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
Growing up as a Somali-American in rural Minnesota, I often felt like I stood out and didn’t fully “belong” compared to everybody else, but growing older has made me realize that nobody should have to feel that way. I want to start this project to help other girls have a safe space where they feel a sense of belonging and make new friends in their community. I am deciding to take action towards this project to fulfill my desire to help others and to make that first step, because if I don’t, then who will?
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
Growing up as a minority in rural Minnesota, it can feel pretty lonely and isolating. I want to solve the problem of loneliness and a lack of sense of community for other girls in my community. As having been through this myself, I want to make sure that other girls don’t have to go through the same thing I did.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
How my project makes a difference in my community is that it allows young women like me to gather together once a month and hang out with others, build a sense of community, allow for new friendships to be made, and have something to look forward to in their lives. Doing various projects during the gatherings such as painting, pottery, board games, etc, will allow to dispel some of the awkwardness that comes with meeting new people, and provides a creative outlet and fun space for girls to socialize.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
I’ve gotten a group of 11 girls together in the past to have a gathering to watch a movie in theaters. This idea didn’t allow much socialization during the movie, but we had great discussions afterwards. I got positive feedback from everyone, saying they really enjoyed it and would definitely be up to another gathering in the future! Moving forward, I want to do more face-to-face activities with gatherings so that more socialization and connections can be made. Speaking from my point of view, after gatherings similar to these, I feel refreshed and have a sense of belonging. I really appreciate my opportunities to meet new people and make new friends, which in turn boosts my mood and overall confidence. I think this idea can be successful due to the low commitment (once a month) meetings, no expectations, no boundaries, etc.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
My project strives to have zero barriers, hence the name “Zero Barrier Social Club”. I understand that money may be an obstacle that’s preventing people from going out and being able to enjoy things in their communities. In the past, I’ve seen social clubs or gatherings that heavily align with the ideas that I have for my social club, but they usually cost money to attend. I don’t want money to be the reason that people are holding back from attending various events in their community, as I feel like everyone should get the chance to experience something like this. Further down the line, I want to tackle other obstacles that may be holding people back, such as lack of transportation, disabilities, etc.
How many people are on your team?
4
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
My older sister is my biggest partner in this project, she gives great feedback on what ideas could and couldn’t potentially work. She also gives ideas on things to do around the community and is willing to participate in this project with me in the future! My two cousins are also part of my team. They help me recruit girls from around the community and help spread the word on any gatherings that we do. In the future, I’d like to have more people on my team as this project continues to grow.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
I want to grow my project by hosting more gatherings on a consistent basis. I’m thinking once a month meetings are low commitment, but also provides a sense of consistency. I am looking for funding to help kick off my project, and want to work towards community donations in the future once consistent meetings have been successful. I am also planning on reaching out to local businesses to see if they would be willing to have their space to host our gatherings or offer any activities we can do. My goal is to get at least 20 girls to attend one gathering by the one year mark. I definitely would love the idea to partner with local businesses, other social clubs, and brands to help expand this project.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
In the past, spreading the gathering information by word of mouth has been reliable. In the future, I want to start posting on my social media page: @zbsocialclub on Instagram to reach an even bigger audience. I think flyers around the community will also be a great idea. I participate in my schools Student Nursing Association, and flyers we put up around the school are a great method to get people aware of our meetings and to attend. I think this will have the same effect on my social club. I am also looking to make a post on social media that lets others know what this social club is about, and our main mission, which is to promote a sense of community to young women and help fight loneliness and isolation.
