I’m a rising sophomore interested in medicine, and I was considering starting a HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) club in my school. I plan to contact the person who manages chapters in my state (New York) to get more information and register my club if it gets approved. For anyone who has a HOSA club in their school or has started it or another club in the past, do you have any suggestions? What will this club involve, and how should I prepare people for the workload in terms of preparation for the competition and events? Are there any good ways to gain members?
Hi! First off, I’d like to congratulate you on finding something you love doing and taking the initiative to get a HOSA chapter started at your school.
Although I don’t know the specifics for HOSA, I can give you some general advice on getting a club started.
1.) Find some other people that would be interested in becoming founding members/officers. This is especially critical because you’ll be able to alleviate all of the stress/work from yourself while also being able to grow your club.
2.) Finding a teacher willing to sponsor. Don’t just ask any teacher- think carefully about who would be a good fit (science/health teachers) and whether or not they would have time to dedicate towards the club. I’m sure if you asked your guidance counselor he/she would be able to point you in the right direction.
3.) Following other HOSA chapters on Instagram/Facebook/Instagram. This is actually super useful as it will provide you with the connections needed to get it off the ground. You’ll also be able to hear from them as to some ideas you can utilize for you club. Make sure to follow your state’s officers too to start networking with them.
4.) Setting up posters and Remind. Nice-looking posters hung around areas where lots of students congregate in your school is very useful in attracting members. Also, make sure to have an announcement running during the school day so that everyone in the school can hear about it. I’ve found offering an incentive at the first meeting (donuts do the trick) will get a lot of people to show up. Setting up a Remind101 is a great way to keep your members up-to-date with everything.
Hopefully this helps you somewhat! Good luck!!