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It鈥檚 a cruel irony of the COVID-19 pandemic: the youngest children, whose brains depend on education for healthy brain development, are least teachable via online platforms. Despite all the stellar technology available, the critical dynamic of early childhood education happens face to face and in close proximity.
That鈥檚 why, despite government and philanthropic interventions, education for the pre-kindergarten set will take a hard hit in the wake of this crisis. The impact is compounded for children in need, says Betsy Zorio, vice president of U.S. programs and advocacy at Save the Children. 鈥淪ummer 2020 is shaping up to be the longest summer of their young lives,鈥� she warns.
Save the Children, a national leader in protecting children in emergencies and disasters, operates in more than 200 rural communities in 12 states. Its team of nearly 1,500 early childhood education staffers delivers early childhood education and family engagement programs, as well as training and employing local educators and staff. It has created a signature .
颅颅颅Here are three facets of the organization鈥檚 multidimensional COVID-19 response:
1. Nutrition: An alliance with No Kid Hungry is ensuring that school districts, community organizations and government agencies can get nutrition assistance. Simply contact No Kid Hungry at their . Organizations eligible for funding will be contacted directly to submit an application.
2. #SAVEWITHSTORIES: Besides being gifted actors, Jennifer Garner and Amy Adams have stepped up for kids with their Instagram #SAVEWITHSTORIES campaign. It鈥檚 a great way to keep learning going while millions of Americans are home. #SAVEWITHSTORIES benefits Save the Children and No Kid Hungry. Here are a few:
- by Matt de la Pe帽a, illustrated by Loren Long. Gorman is the Inaugural Youth Poet Laureate of the United States.
- by Arree Chung
- by Jamie Lee Curtis, illustrated by Laura Cornell
- by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts
- , illustrated by Phyllis Harris, along with husband Chris Pratt
3. Maintaining Contact: Schools and libraries are closed. There鈥檚 a wealth of resources online, but not everybody can get online. Save the Children鈥檚 Lindsey Lockman Dougherty says, 鈥淲e鈥檙e adapting our program models to maintain contact and provide support to families during this pandemic. And when necessary, we鈥檙e relying on 20th-century solutions to serve children in rural communities,鈥� such as printing and distributing educational materials within schools鈥� food distribution programs and calling families directly to share information and resources.
Save the Children also raises awareness about , a platform for boosting the brain-building power of parent-child interactions. Lockman Dougherty, Save the Children鈥檚 Vroom specialist, says that while the digital divide always factors into their attempts to help home-bound kids to learn, many families without broadband do have smartphones and appreciate the Vroom app and Vroom by Text. 鈥淭his is how to turn any moment into a brain-building moment,鈥� she says.
鈥淐oronavirus is going to change all of our lives,鈥� says Zorio. 鈥淲e are looking at the impacts wide-scale learning loss will have on our nation鈥檚 kids, but we also see solutions and the chance to set lasting positive change into motion.鈥�
Disclosure: Vroom was created by Bezos Family Foundation. This story was originally published on Early Learning Nation, which was also an initiative of the Bezos Family Foundation.
This story originally published on Early Learning Nation and is now archived on 蜜桃影视. Learn more here.
Mark Swartz writes about efforts to improve early care and education as well as developments in the U.S. care economy. He lives in Maryland.
