Let’s Connect! Rancho

Project Theme: Community Connection and Sense of Belonging

Years in Existence: 4

Target Audience and Location: Rancho High School students and teachers in Reno, Nevada.

Mission: To foster a sense of comfort between students and teachers by providing fun, cost-free, and community-building-focused opportunities.

Project Description: In 2022, founding Scholar Runzhi Hu and educator Scholar Susan Potts aimed to foster positive interactions between students and teachers at Rancho High School. Their project, Let’s Connect! Rancho, addressed the challenges of remote learning by facilitating connections through school activities, such as a Connection Cafe. This year’s student leader, Ekemini Okon, along with her team, is focused on bridging the gap between groups of students impacted by the lack of connection and social-emotional support. Through a series of after-school activities which include scavenger hunts and trivia games, the team plans for students to find new friends and share more about their experiences at the school. Ekemini is most proud of “the bravery and eagerness that my team has towards making a change in our school community. I am so inspired and proud of our underclassmen, who will later take over this project and are always ready for the next step of our project!”