How One ENGin Volunteer Turned a Love of Film Into a Community of Friends

At ENGin, volunteering looks different for everyone. Some volunteers show up for weekly one-on-one conversations. Others go further — building spaces where dozens of people connect, learn, and grow together. Kelsey Jung did exactly that. Since 2022, she has led ENGin's Movie Community, turning a shared love of film into one of the program's most active and beloved communities. In her own words, here's how she did it — and what keeps her going.

My name is Kelsey Jung, and I'm an ENGin volunteer from Fayetteville, Arkansas. I've been an ENGin volunteer since July 2022 and the ENGin Movie Community Leader since December 2022.

Why the Movie Community?

I chose the Movie Community because films have an incredible way of connecting people on a deeper level. When I first stepped into the role of Movie Community Leader, I saw movies as simply entertainment and a fun discussion topic. Over time, though, this ordinary hobby evolved into something much more meaningful. Through daily discussions about our favorite movie genres and characters, engaging trivia nights, and lively video meetings filled with competitive games and debates, movies became the foundation for a genuine sense of community.

My inspiration and sincere passion for this community come from the members themselves. Over the past three years, I've had the opportunity to meet so many kindhearted, welcoming, and devoted people who share my love for films, and I'm incredibly grateful to call them my friends. It's heartwarming to see the close friendships formed between community members who live in different cities and even different countries, all brought together through this shared interest and platform.

How the Community Works From the Inside

Throughout my time as Movie Community Leader, I've developed a few key systems to keep the community organized and active each day. First, I use an internal planning document to schedule Telegram announcements, discussion questions, game prompts, trivia quizzes, grammar practice tests, and other activities. Every Sunday, I outline the week's activities and draft messages in advance to keep everything running smoothly.

Because many members are based in Ukraine, I also schedule posts around the time difference to maximize engagement. I usually send discussion questions at night my time, which is morning in Ukraine, when members are most active. To maintain consistent interaction, I typically post twice a day: one discussion-focused activity in the morning and another game, quiz, or community activity later in the day.

Our community usually meets twice a month on weekend evenings through Google Meet. To organize each meeting, I start by creating a poll about a week in advance where members can vote on both the movie and meeting time. Once everything is decided, I send a second poll for attendance and email the Google Meet link to everyone who plans to join. I also send several reminders leading up to the meeting to keep participation high and give members flexibility if their plans change.

Planning and coordinating these meetings was one of the biggest learning experiences for me as a leader. Over time, I developed a structure that keeps meetings organized while still feeling relaxed and fun. Before each meeting, I prepare a slideshow and agenda. We usually begin with introductions and an icebreaker game before splitting into smaller breakout rooms to discuss the movie. Meetings often end with a group activity like Kahoot trivia, Jeopardy, Mafia, or another team-based game. Most meetings last around 1–1.5 hours, which I've found creates the right balance of engagement, discussion, and consistency.

Keeping People Engaged and Coming Back

One of the most helpful tools I've used to keep the community active is feedback forms. After each meeting, I send out a Google Form asking for suggestions, favorite games and discussion topics, movie recommendations, and overall feedback about the atmosphere of the community. Reviewing and applying this feedback has been incredibly valuable because it helps members feel heard and directly involved in shaping the group, while also making activities more enjoyable and engaging.

Small actions have also played a big role in maintaining engagement. Birthday shoutouts, community check-in polls, and consistent reminders help members stay connected and involved. I've also found that consistency is key, so I follow a weekly planning schedule that includes discussion prompts, polls, meeting announcements, and community updates to keep members coming back regularly.

One of my favorite parts of leading this community is creating new activities and events. For example, Movie Madness is a tournament-style event where members vote on movies within a specific theme, such as Best Comedy Movie or Best Movie Soundtrack. We've also hosted Oscar prediction polls, "Movies from Our Imagination" challenges where members create their own movie concepts, debates, and mystery-solving games with team-based puzzle activities during meetings!

The One Piece of Advice for Anyone Starting Out

Remember your "why." Building and leading a community can feel overwhelming at first, especially when you're trying to stay consistent and come up with new ideas, but having a clear purpose makes everything more meaningful. When I first became Movie Community Leader, my goal was simply to create a space where people felt supported, welcome, and comfortable sharing their interests. Over time, that purpose kept me motivated even during busy or difficult periods.

What started as a small role gradually became an important part of my daily life. Through years of planning activities, hosting meetings, and connecting with members, I built friendships and memories that I never expected. Looking back, I feel truly blessed for the sense of joy, purpose, and community this experience has brought me — and I think that genuine passion is what helps a community grow and last.

Could You Be the Next Community Leader?

Kelsey's story shows what's possible when you show up for something bigger than a weekly call. At ENGin, volunteers don't just practice English with students — they build friendships, lead communities, and create spaces that people return to week after week, year after year.

Whether you'd want to lead a community like Kelsey, or simply start with one conversation per week, the door is open.

Sign up as an ENGin volunteer and find out where it takes you.

ENGin is a nonprofit program that connects Ukrainian students with English-speaking volunteers for weekly online conversation practice. Learn more at enginprogram.org.