We know this time is tough for everyone; with uncertainties about jobs, schools, health and being apart from loved ones at the front of people’s minds.
Over the past week we’ve been talking to our projects and networks about the challenges they’re facing. In addition to adapting to new realities, there are particular concerns about the crisis widening gaps between the haves and have nots, with many young people having limited access to devices and inequality in remote teaching between schools across the country.
We’re working with our pioneers to see how we can collaborate and help. But there are some snippets of hope and opportunity that we wanted to share:
- Old assumptions about where, who and how learning happens are already being challenged – in the long run this could be a moment of collectively rethinking education
- Positive, proactive and resilient reaction of teachers, educators and the wider education community
- Parents, communities and new faces (well known and emerging) stepping in to support learning in new ways
We wanted to take some time over the next few weeks to celebrate our wonderful projects and share some nice things that are happening around us.
Our projects are all working tirelessly to support young people and we’re so proud of how they’re all responding to this crisis.
A couple of highlights from us this week:
EasyPeasy + 50 Things to do Before You’re 5
From now until 31st May, the EasyPeasy app is completely free. Jen Lexmond and the team have made the home learning platform as accessible as possible to support parents and early years educators during this time.
The #50Things app is also free to download and features a host of home activities for children, even if you live outside their current partner areas.
Big Education Conversation + Whole Education
Big Education Conversation and Whole Education are collaboratively lobbying supermarkets to provide food vouchers and lobbying tech companies to provide devices and dongles to young people in need. Sign this Google Form to support the call for access to tech devices.
Big Education
Has launched a range of free resources for schools supporting key workers at this time. Download them via their Twitter account @bigeducation
Impact-Ed
Are working with their school partners to support monitoring of pupil wellbeing and engagement while pupils are not in school, collecting feedback, and evaluating the remote learning provision they are putting in place.
They’re also planning research into the impact of school closures on pupils’ academic and non-academic outcomes, focusing on the most vulnerable. If you would like to partner with them on this, please get in touch with them impacted.org.uk
A big thank you to all our projects, and all of you who have played a part in supporting or funding them.
One for the road (or…err…sofa?)
And one other thing that made us smile:
Mental Health Foundation has launched a random acts of kindness in isolation campaign. The list is well worth a look, we’re looking at video skill-sharing and virtual lunches!
Keep looking out for each other, we’ll get through this together.
Big Change x