WINclusion Wednesdays: What are They?
Photo from Karola G via Pexels.
Leesha Vanchireddy and Samannvi Reddycherla
What is WINclusion?
Chances are you’ve seen students waiting at Charger Corner during Late Start with containers of craft supplies, coloring sheets, and puzzles. This is where volunteers meet every other week for WINclusion. WINclusion is a Wednesday event that brings creativity and connection to our school—with students from clubs such as Club Action and Amplify getting involved by helping make crafts and playing boardgames with Exceptional Ed peers. When they color, their finished products coloring works they make, like Thanksgiving turkeys and back-to-school buses, decorate their lockers when they’re finished. It is a fun way for students to connect, get involved, and build friendships while adding a little creativity to the day!
What do the students think?
“I volunteered because I want to give back to the community. I enjoy how we can connect with people and how it builds our community within our school. I love engaging with everyone and the activities that we do are really fun.” —Zoe Boschek
“I do WINclusion because it's really fun to help out other students and get to make fun things before school.” —Marina Duvernell
“I really like the inclusivity of the event and how it brings joy to all the students and the people who attend it, you get to have fun as well as make new friends.” —Rilyn Midthun
How did it start?
WINclusion was the brainchild of Peyton Impola and Audrey Davies, two students at Hamilton. Sarah Kowalske, their AP Language teacher, says that both students had always strongly believed in inclusivity and that every student should feel welcome, so when it came time for a service project in the class, they found the perfect opportunity to make an impact. With PLC late start Wednesdays new at the time, they saw the perfect window to host the event in the mornings, ensuring strong participation from volunteers across different clubs.
How can you get involved?
If you’re interested in getting involved it’s not too late to join Club Action and the other clubs that volunteer at WINclusion, there's often 3–4 spots open to help, alongside other opportunities to connect with the community and be active in school events! Events like WINclusion are what help us turn inclusion into a lived experience for every student.
