Everyone is invited to get involved when it comes to Community Inclusion Club. After hosting its ice cream social to kick off the year, the organization is on to planning upcoming events for the fall.
“Community Inclusion Club, otherwise known as CIC works to create socially inclusive opportunities for people with disabilities and their non-disabled peers. We’re trying to build friendships and connect people in our schools so that everyone feels welcome and no one feels alone,” Club President Eli Foster ‘25 said. The junior has been a part of the club since his freshman year, spending his sophomore and now junior years on the club’s leadership team.
The organization hosts many events throughout the school year, trying to organize an activity for its members at least once a month.
“They’re basically big hangout sessions where we just invite everyone to come, and then we have a party. So just recently, we had our ice cream social recruitment event,” Foster said.
The club’s recent ice cream social was to aid in one of CIC’s continual goals of growing and expanding as a student organization.
“We want to get this club known to as many people as we can and continue to keep an inclusive space for everyone. Everyone is welcome. [The ice cream social] was for new people to come and to see what our club is about or to come and decide if they want to sign up, and to get the year started off. I know last minute it had to be moved inside because of the pouring rain, but we had a great turnout,” Foster said.
As CIC gets back into full swing the club has begun planning its first events, hoping to change a past event so it’s accessible to all.
“In the past years, we’ve gone to Wilson’s Apple Orchard but we’ve decided not to do that because it’s not fully inclusive for people with wheelchairs,” Foster said. This year the club is looking to have a Fall event at Kroul’s Pumpkin Patch to make sure all can participate.
One of the club’s other events last year took place downtown at a restaurant called Unimpaired. Everyone was welcomed to drinks, pizza, and whatever else they wanted. These types of meetings throughout the year are simply considered to be big group hangouts by Foster. Besides CIC’s casual monthly events, the club has participated in both City High’s and the University of Iowa’s Homecoming Parades, walking as a group.
“Our biggest event last year was the end-of-the-year party. We had that down at the Oddfellows Lodge about a block from [City High]. At the party, we ordered Oasis for everyone to eat, had a waterslide, and there were a bunch of fun games we did there too,” Foster said.
Besides its larger events, CIC also pairs with City High Sparkles, an inclusive cheer and dance team that gives students with and without disabilities the opportunity to participate in a school spirit activity.
“We learn routines and perform at pep assemblies and certain sporting events at City High. We have also been given the opportunity in the past to perform at a public library event, a county event, and Arts Fest. Sparkles helps form friendships and strives to create a positive environment where everyone feels welcome,” one of the Sparkles team captains, Katy Harmsen ‘24 said.
“[Sparkles] is also [open] to any new members. Anyone is welcome to join, we want as many people as we can in Sparkles,” Foster said. Sparkles is holding an informational meeting on September 29th in the lower commons during advisory and plans to practice Fridays during advisory as the year moves forward. For more information, you can contact Katy Harmsen, Penelope Wilmoth, or the team’s advisor Laura Schwab.
Community Inclusion Club hopes to begin meeting during advisories in addition to their monthly events. The goal is to meet once a week during the school day to play games and hang out with anyone who wants to attend.
“There’s always something for someone to do,” Foster stated.
Additionally, the club uses Instagram (@ciccityhigh) to share fliers and announcements with information about all their upcoming events.
