Complete Education Initiatives in the Summer

Four years ago, the coronavirus pandemic began to impact the United States. Although daily life has largely returned to normal, the effects of learning loss are still being felt. 
 
Mounting evidence shows that school-age children experienced academic setbacks. Some experts estimate that students lost out on about 35% of a normal school year’s worth of learning when they were sent home in March 2020.

“Schoolchildren’s learning progress slowed down substantially during the pandemic,” said Bastian Betthäuser, a researcher at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. “Children still have not recovered the learning that they lost out on at the start of the pandemic.” 

Children from disadvantaged backgrounds were disproportionately affected by the school closures. Many did not have laptops or high-speed internet and could not overcome the "digital divide."

School districts can do many things to lessen the learning loss. However, volunteers are essential, especially when federal COVID-19 relief funds expire this fall. 

If you and your colleagues would like to help students, we have several volunteer options available. 

Full- or half-day events at schools.
Prepare schools for the arrival of students by adding murals to hallways, building shelving, installing picnic tables, and painting classroom walls. Landscaping is also possible. 

Events at offices, hotels, or conference centers.
In September 2023, the National Retail Foundation estimated that families would spend nearly $900 for school supplies during the 2023-2024 school year. Help offset the cost of school supplies by filling backpacks with pens, pencils, notebooks, crayons, erasers, and other items.

Volunteers can also create circuitry, environmental, and robotics kits to help students develop a love of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
 
All activations are tailored with the particular school or after-school center in mind and can be subject to change.
 
Want to learn more? Contact us.