By Nina Lehr and Tisha Bhat, VRG Interns

If you’re a student, one of the best ways you can advocate for vegetarianism is by starting a club or organization at your school. From documentary screenings to sharing fun meal ideas, the opportunities for fun and engaging club activities are endless! Starting an organization will also allow you to gain confidence with public speaking and learn valuable leadership skills. With hard work and dedication, you can make a difference in your community and introduce your peers to a rewarding new lifestyle. Here are some tips that may help you in running your own vegan/vegetarian club.

Tip #1 Create a strong leadership team

Running a club requires a lot of planning, so make sure you find other like-minded peers who can help you with this process. You could go about this in many different ways. For instance, you could advertise that your club is seeking student leaders on a school bulletin board or announcement page, or maybe ask your friends if they know people who would be interested. Once you find several leaders, make sure everyone has clearly defined roles, so that there isn’t confusion over who is in charge of each task. Brainstorm and discuss everyone’s interests and skill sets when deciding on roles. For instance, if someone is great at writing, they can be in charge of email communication. Someone with an interest in graphic design can design the club materials, such as PowerPoints and club merchandise. One challenge I sometimes faced when leading my club was trying to take on too many responsibilities. Thus, it’s helpful to try not to overestimate the amount of time you can dedicate to your club. Factor in homework, other extracurricular activities, and other commitments when you decide on which tasks you perform and which tasks you delegate. It’s also important to maintain strong, open communication. This can be done in a variety of ways, and technology is often very helpful in facilitating this. Try using Remind, Google Classroom, group chats, and similar platforms. Make sure to hold officer meetings frequently, and update your plans as needed. If your school assigns you a club advisor, be sure to maintain a good relationship with them. In my case, the club advisor was really helpful and a great help when it came to planning meetings and events. If you are open and willing to collaborate with yours, it can be very beneficial.

Tip #2 Have good vegan food at your meetings!

Providing delicious vegan food at each meeting is a great way to get people interested in your club. If you have an Instagram account for your group, post a picture of food you’ll be giving out as a way to promote your next meeting! This was one way that I was able to attract a substantial number of peers to my club! Try having a taste testing activity– this will not only be fun, but also show participants that vegetarian food can be tasty and full of variety! Around different holidays, provide attendees with seasonal goodies (for example, you could have a vegan Halloween cookie decorating event in October). Bringing plates, napkins, and utensils is a good idea. Ask your club advisor (or the person in charge of organizing clubs at your school) about a budget for your club. Typically, schools will allocate a specific amount of funds you can use towards club materials and activities. Using some of this money towards food, utensils, and similar items can be very helpful! Another important tip is to be very careful about allergies! Be sure to disclose any possible allergens (gluten, nuts, etc.) that are present in your food.

Tip #3 Be open to questions and collaboration

Making your club members feel welcome and valued is very important! Tell participants that they can feel free to ask any questions about veganism/vegetarianism, no matter how silly or basic they may seem. Be friendly and open to clarifying any questions they may have. If you appear to have a judgmental attitude towards non-vegetarians, this may deter people from both your club and considering eating more veggie food! Also, be open to hearing their ideas for future club meetings and events. You might get some great suggestions to use later on! One tool that I used was an anonymous google survey for suggestions and feedback. I would put it in the emails I sent out to members so that they could have another way to provide input to the club leaders!

Tip #4 Have guest speakers

Inviting guest speakers from other vegetarian-related organizations is a great way to engage with the greater vegetarian community! It also can attract new members to your club and be a way to add variety to your meetings. Try reaching out to organizations that have led meatless movements! Some ideas are Peta and I’m Not Lovin’ It. You could also host the leaders of vegetarian clubs at other schools near you. This is a fun way to collaborate with other like-minded students and hear their ideas.

Tip #5 Screen Documentaries

This is often a great way to introduce people to veganism/vegetarianism and spur discussions about important topics. Generally, it is advisable to avoid graphic documentaries, as some people may not be able to tolerate viewing such material. This could deter people from coming to your club and seeking out information about the cause. Thus, try to stick to informative, engaging, and non-graphic videos. If you want to recommend a more graphic documentary, maybe provide information about it in your club’s mailing list, or simply mention it at a club meeting.

For more organizing ideas, see:

https://www.vrg.org/teen/#activism

https://www.vrg.org/teen/#group

https://www.vrg.org/teen/#food

https://www.vrg.org/teen/#school