WeGo Global tackles world issues, provides aid

Designed to shed light on social injustices around the world, WeGo Global gives students an opportunity to create ground roots activism projects.

“Misinformation is rampant in today’s society, and we’re trying to confront that, as well as do what we can in a small way to address the root issues of some of today’s problems around the world,” said Social Studies teacher and WeGo Global adviser Maggie Haas.

WeGo Global originated at the high school in 2013 with the goal of promoting a positive impact on the wider community. The club allows students to use their voices to create a change on a local and global scale. In the past, the group has worked to fundraise for Afghan refugees, promote Black History Month, and share information about human trafficking.

With between 60-80 members at times, deciding on an area of focus can be challenging, according to Haas.

“When students have disagreed with topics we’re focusing on, we model civil discourse, which is what society should be doing (and unfortunately isn’t) when there are disagreements,” said Haas via email.

Most recently, WeGo Global has focused its attention on spreading awareness about gun violence in America. The club has a large display in the Social Studies wing that outlines gun violence incidents in 2022.

“We did a lot of work at the start of the year about gun violence. As you’re surely aware, we ended the year with some weapons coming into the building, and the day that we had the gun issue this year, we are actually getting started with our gun violence campaign, not realizing that was going on at the same time,” said Haas.

“Our victim wall is a visual representation of the impact of gun violence on our communities. As a group, we noticed how the constant statistics about gun violence in the media have contributed to desensitization, so we use the wall as a way to work against that. Each person on the wall represents a person who has been affected by gun violence, with blue representing people injured, and orange representing people killed. Our wall is updated weekly at our meetings, and we hope that our project encourages people to see the impact of gun violence on communities as more than a number,” said junior Lauren Sikma.

WeGo Global also concluded a successful Frosty Gram fundraiser, raising money for flood victims in Pakistan through the organization known as Mercy Corps.

“We chose Mercy Corps USA after we evaluated its impact and results on providing relief for the victims of Pakistan’s floods,” said junior Christina Guo.

According to Guo, it is never too late to join WeGo Global, as the group is constantly working on multiple projects, allowing new members to get involved in a variety of ways.

“WeGo Global is the perfect place for people who want to see and do change in the world through local means. We really make an effort to recognize the different talents of our members, so no matter what your skills are, you’re sure to find a project you’ll enjoy,” said Guo.