Best friends Rayne and Amariah have a lot in common. They both love to create art and build Legos. They like to make silly videos for their YouTube channels. Like most friends, they like to just hang out together.
They also both attended the same online high school, Arizona Connections Academy.
“When I first started online school, I was nervous because I didn’t know anybody,” said Amariah. “I also get anxious when I meet new people. But when I met Rayne, it just clicked, and we became instant besties.”
The Benefits of Friendship
Friendships are a critical part of the school experience for students attending both brick-and-mortar schools and online schools like Connections Academy. Making friends and building connections gives students a sense of belonging in their school and community and helps them shape their identity.
Amariah and Rayne met at church and soon discovered that they went to the same high school.
“I was so excited to have a friend that went to my school,” said Amariah. “We started chatting in the LiveLesson classes we had together.”
Having friends in high school has several mental and physical health benefits like reducing stress and positively impacting a student’s academic performance. Friends provide emotional support during a time of significant change as teens transition from kids to adults and can reduce depression, build confidence, and help teens learn empathy.
“I am so thankful to have Amariah as a friend,” said Rayne. “She understands me and cares about me. I have struggled to find and keep friends and even thought that I didn’t need friends. But I met Amariah and just opened up. She wants to hang out with me. We have fun together. I never had that before.”
Friends can also help teens develop the social skills they may need to be successful later in life, such as overcoming conflict and having meaningful and productive conversations, since friends who feel comfortable having deeper conversations can offer a different perspective, helping teens develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. “We do so much together,” said Rayne. “We celebrate birthdays together. Amariah has become part of my family.”
How to Make Friends in Online School
Rayne started attending Arizona Connections Academy when she was in middle school. “My first thought was, ‘How am I going to make friends in online school?’”
Online schools understand the social and emotional benefits of building friendships. That is why they intentionally create opportunities to help students connect with their classmates — so they can build and maintain lasting friendships.
Online Synchronous Classes
Students can meet their peers during teacher-led LiveLesson classes. These classes give students opportunities to chat with each other and meet in breakout rooms. Many teachers assign group work or projects, which also bring students together to work toward a common goal. Friendships naturally develop from those interactions and shared experiences, which students can nurture outside of class just like they do in in-person school.
Extracurricular Clubs
Connections Academy offers hundreds of clubs to help students nurture their interests or explore new things. There is a wide range of clubs to appeal to different students, including gaming, debate, student government, and book clubs. These meet online and offer the perfect opportunity for students to connect and form friendships.
[blockquote] “Rayne and I bond over art, so sometimes we will just hang out and paint. She is an amazing artist. We even volunteered to teach an art class together at the library. We called it ‘Be Bold and Brave.’”
Field Trips
Many online schools offer in-person field trips or other school-sanctioned events to bring students together to meet in person.
[blockquote] “As soon as I started going to school events, I started to feel more comfortable making friends,” said Amariah.
Create a Study Group
Online students can form study groups with kids from their classes. Teachers can assist with making the initial connections, and students can choose to participate. Study groups not only help students academically, they can also spark friendships that extend beyond school.
Other Opportunities to Make Friends
Like Amariah and Rayne, participating in activities outside of school can lead to lasting friendships. These activities could include participating in extracurricular sports or cultural groups, finding a job or internship, or volunteering. Kids can also just hang out at places where there are other kids, such as the skateboard park, roller skating rink, community pool, or local basketball courts. Some public schools allow kids not enrolled to participate in sports, drama clubs, and more, so don’t be afraid to reach out to other schools in your area to ask about their policies.
Amariah encourages online students to “not be afraid to make new friends. Go to church if your family attends, go to events, and go to the park. Then just talk to the other kids that are there. When in an online class, take the opportunity to engage with your classmates. You won’t regret it!”
Even though Rayne has graduated from high school now, she and Amariah still have a strong bond.
“We have tons of things in common,” said Rayne. “We enjoy spending time together and even just texting each other throughout the day. I want this friendship to last forever. I want to grow old and wrinkly together!”
