A new club at Bear River is giving students a place to share their ideas and talk about current events. Club America started this year and focuses on open discussion.

Club America is a chapter of Turning Point USA, which is an American nonprofit organization that advocates for conservative politics on high school, college and university campuses. It was founded in 2012 by Charlie Kirk and Bill Montgomery.

President Ethan Perrine said he wanted to start the club after learning about political groups.

“I thought that was kind of what our school needed,” he said. “Our main goals were to kind of get started and get known in the community.”

He added that the club gives students “a place to talk about their beliefs and hear different ideas.”

They haven’t hosted debates yet, but they have had open forums where students can share their opinions.

Outreach coordinator Carsten Duffey said the club is open to everyone.

“We love to have new people in our club,” he said. “We truly enjoy it when we have as many people as possible.”

Duffey said meetings help students learn and talk about different topics. “We offer conversations in an effort for everyone to grow intellectually,” he said.

Meetings are held during lunch every other week and often include games and snacks. “Our goal for every meeting is to make it as fun and interactive as we can,” Duffey said.

The club hopes to host guest speakers, debates and work with other clubs in the future. They are also planning to go to the Penn Valley Rodeo to talk with people in the community.

Club America shares information through school email and flyers. Members are also encouraged to be kind and welcoming.

“The best way is simply by being as kind and inviting as they can,” Duffey said.

As the club grows, its members hope to create a space where students feel comfortable sharing ideas and learning from each other.