When the pandemic started, I started hosting online meetups for self-directed teenagers from all around the world. They were fun, free, and casual—a great way to meet new friends. I’m not running them anymore, but below you’ll find the original description.
Who are the meetups for?
Teenagers (ages 13-19) who…
- consider themselves self-directed learners
- come from anywhere in the world
- want to make new friends
- are mature enough to talk to total strangers
- speak English (or are learning to speak English)
How do the meetups work?
- We all meet in the big Zoom room, and I give a quick introduction to how the meetup works.
- I randomly split everyone up into smaller (3-4 person) breakout rooms to discuss the first topic for 15 minutes. (As a small group you can talk about anything you’d like, but please give everyone a chance to respond to the topic first.)
- We come back to the big room, and I randomly split everyone into breakout rooms again, and everyone discusses the next topic for 15 minutes.
- We do it all again a third time!
- Everyone comes back to the big room, I take a screenshot, and there’s a little space for final Q&A / announcements / banter before I end the call. (At this point, it’s been about an hour.)
- If you’d like to continue chatting, join one of the “afterparty” rooms created by participants… or organize one yourself!
Why do you run these meetups, Blake?
- Because I’ve worked with self-directed teens for more than 12 years, I think they’re awesome, and more of y’all should meet each other.
- …and I enjoy facilitating fun meetings between strangers.
- …and I have the time to do it right now.
- …and, you know, pandemic.