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, 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.

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.

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 alumni who followed similar paths and could offer guidance. Many older alumni were seeking opportunities to use their expertise through mentoring.

We developed a strategy for delivering activities that would benefit a broad cross-section of our community and mapped out timelines for communication and delivery of initiatives, including:

• establishing a Carey community business directory

• updating and promoting our mentoring platform

• informing staff at Carey that alumni were available and willing to assist in their online learning programs

• communicating with our alumni through newsletters and social media informing them of the many opportunities to exchange and share their knowledge online

• establishing a series of events for young alumni and international alumni with a focus on networking and career opportunities

• running weekly online events on personal and professional productivity, leadership and staying motivated

• reshaping traditional events into online topical conversations and interviews to create interest

• inviting alumni to share their stories and messages of hope from throughout COVID-19.

Geographic boundaries no longer an issue

Carey’s alumni are all over the world, and prior to COVID-19, we held chapter reunions in the US, UK, Hong Kong and China, among others. However, the Carey community is still largely based in Melbourne, and our survey data cited geography as a barrier to being active with the community. Embracing a primarily online mode for community engagement breaks down this barrier.

The Old Carey Grammarians Association committee meeting on Zoom.

Our traditional Anzac Day event attracts around 100 guests to Carey for an assembly and luncheon. Even without the promise of lunch, our online event saw thousands come to view our tribute. We also recently hosted an online international alumni event focussing on making the most of university and internships during COVID-19. This event brought our international OCGs together, when traditionally the geographical divide has made this difficult.

Communities that started as faceto-face have now migrated to digital media to stay connected, which also works to widen the limited geographical boundary. Community may look and function differently online, but its essence is the same. People can connect through online platforms as a group and even work together to learn a new skill or discuss common challenges through an online session or seminar.

A united community in the face of adversity

I have always known the Carey community to be one of kindness, joy and passion, but it is only now that I have come to fully realise this in all its glory. While we continue to face the challenges of the pandemic, I have discovered a silver lining and it is in the overwhelming readiness of our Carey alumni to reconnect with the School and each other to support one another and rekindle their sense of belonging. We have welcomed back alumni to our community that we would never have otherwise through offering online events and lifting the geographical barrier.

Going into the future, we know now that we can invest more in digital communication channels, content, stories and videos, and that we must make effective use of our available resources to engage more of our members than ever before.

Despite the challenges we have faced this year, I have learnt that navigating a difficult time isn't necessarily a negative experience – it should be a hopeful one. Carey has recognised that with a bit of creativity, flexibility and enthusiasm, we can bring a community together and provide opportunities to meaningfully connect.

Full article originally published in Face2Face, an Educate Plus magazine.