Educators often assume that clubs, activities, and school culture must happen in person—that building belonging in virtual learning is limited or even impossible. Many imagine distance learners as isolated kids behind screens, missing the social experiences that shape identity, leadership, and community.
But what if that assumption is simply wrong?
In this conversation, Cindy Carbajal, a 20-year veteran of Pearson Virtual Schools, shows us how vibrant, student-driven communities thrive online through thoughtful structure, flexible engagement pathways, and opportunities for real agency.
Cindy oversees a global clubs and activities program serving 11,000+ students across time zones, grade levels, and cultural backgrounds. Her work demonstrates that:
1. Student-Centered Design Fuels Real Belonging
2. Flexible Models Match Virtual Students’ Real Lives
3. Clubs Quietly Reinforce Academic & Durable Skills
Cindy calls it “stealth learning”:
4. Data Drives Program Evolution
Her team measures:
How Educators Can Apply These Insights Today
1. Start with the student experience—not the content.
Ask: Where can students lead? Where can they share? How can this be theirs?
2. Build broad entry points.
Instead of a niche club for each interest, create umbrellas where kids can explore together.
3. Don’t replicate in-person school—capitalize on what’s uniquely possible online.
Global reach, time-zone diversity, virtual volunteer opportunities, and student leadership that scales across schools—these are advantages brick-and-mortar can’t match.
4. Teach students how to interact online.
Cindy’s programs explicitly teach:
5. Track what matters.
Attendance, satisfaction, enrollment, and student stories help shape future offerings.
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