Turning Point USA, an American nonprofit organization that advocates for conservative politics and values, has integrated into schools around the United States over the years.
Turning Point, founded in 2012 by Charlie Kirk and Bill Montgomery, has expanded across America through Club America. Club America helps students set up clubs in schools, promoting the values of Turning Point and fostering civil discussion.
Club America states, “We empower bold student leaders to promote free thinking, engage in grassroots activism, and bring their beliefs to life—both on and off campus.” and the club is known for spreading a new wave of conservatism in America.
The club, with the first meeting being Jan. 25, is currently in search of a vice president. The current officers are sophomore Aren Browne, club president, sophomore Blake Gallant, club secretary, and sophomore Terrence Yang, club treasurer.
The club has a large goal for 2026, which revolves around the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. “I decided that I should start a club. It’d be perfect timing, especially with the 250th around the corner,” Browne said.
As expected from a political club, Club America faced lots of backlash when first announced. The club’s Instagram, which has since been revamped, faced swarms of negative comments, often criticizing the strong conservative values of the parent company.
Instructional Coach, Ann-Wayland Cook, took on the role as the club’s sponsor, admiring the hard work put into the club. “Aren worked very hard to gather all the documents and get signatures, and followed everything to such a great degree, and he was just persistent, when I saw him, I couldn’t turn him down. He’s a boy with a passion,” she said.
The club has since made efforts on spreading messages of diversity, inclusivity, community outreach, and freedom of speech, which has been included on social media posts, and voiced in club meetings.
“[I want to] make the school a more understanding place, make people understand… you can be different and disagree with someone fully on what they believe in, but you can still talk cordially and have that difference,” Browne said. Browne expanded on the club’s goals regarding community outreach. “A lot of the officers and some members will go to conferences, and we are also hoping to partner with other Club America champions at different schools,” he said.
Since the first club meeting, the club has released conflicting statements on its partisan affiliation. The club spread a message of neutrality, claiming it doesn’t lean liberal or conservative. “We are nonpartisan. We do not align with any party,” Browne said. “I think a lot of us have conservative ideas. But, not to say that… we’re not open to discussing other opinions. But, yeah, I would say it’s rooted in conservativism,” Cook said.
