OCGA
Bringing a community together during a pandemic Katie Hunt Alumni and Community Manager
I was so impressed with how well Carey responded to the pandemic. The School managed a sudden and unexpected closure, swiftly transitioning to an entirely new online learning environment with no preparation. Carey saw not only a challenge, but an opportunity. Through the new online mode, Carey engaged its community, and saw an incredible move to band together and support one another, with staff, families, alumni and past families alike all working to ensure the best outcomes for Carey students.
Welcome to the new world It was first thought Carey would remain closed for a short period and we would all go back to work and classrooms within days. The Old Carey Grammarians Association (OCGA) were busily planning for reunions, speaking events, luncheons and other gatherings at Carey. Initially, there was little to suggest that our entire year’s calendar would be cancelled, and we had no concept of the struggles that would follow. As the situation evolved, it became clear that the methods we’ve always used to support our community would no longer suffice. Firstly, we would need to adapt our approach to engage a community that would be physically distanced and experiencing a wide range of struggles. Secondly, if we were to engage this new type of community, we had to deeply understand the community’s needs and expectations and offer programs and support accordingly. Sociologists refer to communities as a group of people who interact within a bounded geographic territory: living, 32 | Torch
working, studying and relating to one another through a sense of belonging. When we lose the ability to engage physically and lose those communities easily accessible to us, as we experienced through the pandemic, we know people seek out alternative communities to regain that sense of belonging. We turn to groups that are familiar to us, even if we haven’t engaged with them for many years. For example, one may not have had contact with old school friends for some time, but there is comfort in the familiarity and shared experience. With this in mind, we reached out to our alumni to provide them with a space to connect and find that renewed sense of belonging. The first step was a review of the OCGA website to ensure the tools for engaging and networking were highly visible, updated and functioning. From there, we looked at what our alumni needed, what events we could plan for and how to offer programs and activities in an online space.
What our alumni need From recent data and surveys, we found a few recurring themes and widespread needs we could address for our community. Many simply wanted to stay in touch with the School and have a social outlet, but a significant proportion hoped for business and career networking opportunities. Parents expressed their desire to support small businesses within the Carey community, and were seeking ways to promote their own endeavours to fellow community members. Our younger alumni wanted support developing professional networks and connecting with other
‘I have discovered a silver lining and it is in the overwhelming readiness of our Carey alumni to reconnect with their school and each other to support one another and rekindle their sense of belonging.’
