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| Members of the Outstanding Mature Girlz (OMG) Organization are learning how to properly communicate with their parents during the governor's stay at home order through virtual club meetings. |
Baton Rouge, La. – As schools are closed around the nation, and the world
is being encouraged to practice social distancing in the wake of COVID-19, many
youth organizations are being tasked to find innovative ways to keep youth engaged. On March 17, the Outstanding Mature Girlz (OMG)
Organization launched its first virtual OMG Club Meeting. These face-to-face meetings which were
previously held in-school and out-of-school, with community service projects on
the weekends have now found an innovative way to maximize their “Digital
Footprint,” while still making “Social Change.”
“It’s
amazing how this moment has come full circle,” said SU Ag Center’s Assistant
Area Agent, Nicolette Gordon. “Previously,
during our quarterly advisory meetings community stakeholders discussed ways to
engage our youth groups through technology before this pandemic was even a
thought,” she added.
In
December of 2019, the Outstanding Mature Girlz Organization was awarded the Cox
Charities Grant for $2,000 to use for OMG emPOWERed. This grant, which is solely funded by Cox Communications employees, is intended to help keep all OMG Club members in
South Louisiana connected.
“We’ve
launched our OMG emPOWERed Sessions virtually online, and we are still keeping
our young ladies motivated, encouraged, and ready to take over the world,” said
OMG Organization’s Founder, Sashika Baunchand. “We want them to bloom right
where they are planted.”
Nearly
25 girls have joined in virtually through Blackboard every Tuesday, at 7 p.m. to
practice leadership skills through the use of Parliamentary Procedure, and
discuss monthly iValues such as Choice and Accountability. Moving forward
Baunchaund stated that the organization will do everything that needs to be
done to ensure that all club members remain safe throughout the duration of the
COVID-19 Pandemic. She also stated that
she is very thankful for the many parents that have worked behind the scene to
make the OMG emPOWERed launch successfully.
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