#BackToSchoolSolutions is a campaign to elevate the best ideas that will help students, teachers, and communities find the care they need while creating long-term support by catalyzing change.
SUBMIT YOUR SOLUTIONS AND STORIES!
As students around the country prepare to return to school in countless different ways, their parents, teachers, and other concerned community members are moving from uncertainty to action - forging creative solutions to care for each other and care for our children. Add your voice to help us source the best solutions with the chance to win prizes, funding, and more!
Join Us!Connecting with others who are also dealing with back-to-school stress will help you feel less alone.
Consider drawing a smiley face on the mask, using a clear mask, or even introducing some basic sign language gestures — these actions can help foster positivity and connection even when students can't read your facial expressions.
If you’re struggling with school-related uncertainty and negativity, set aside just a few minutes each day to write down what’s going well. You’ll put your worries in perspective, and reflecting on what we’re grateful for is linked to a range of physical and mental health benefits.
Each student will have experienced significant disruptions in their day-to-day routines the last several months in very different ways, and consistency is key for feeling safe and enabling learning.
In ordinary times, going back to school can be a time of anxiety among children — and right now there are even more factors to cause worry. Even if they’re not in the mood to share, a brief daily check-in will keep the lines of communication open.
The longer our work routines are disrupted, the more likely we are to slip back into poor habits and neglect our well-being. Jotting down notes on your sleep, nutrition, and movement patterns will help you celebrate your successes and pinpoint better choices.
Many parents and families have adopted new sleep schedules during the pandemic — often going to bed later. Start moving up bedtime incrementally to ease your child’s transition — and your own. Even a few minutes per night will make a difference.
As uncertainty about schooling continues, being open to change helps decrease frustration associated with ambiguity. Science shows regularly reminding ourselves that change is a good thing can actually retrain our brains to handle it better.
Children often take their emotional cues from parents. Spend just a few minutes on an activity that brings you calm — it might be meditation, breathing, stretching, or something else — for your own benefit, and your child’s.
Remembering what motivated you to join this field can help you to move through challenging moments with more resilience.
Social Media Toolkit
#BackToSchoolSolutions is a call to engage. If we want to help the next generation succeed, we all need to step up. Join us! So much is possible when we come together.
EngageOn September 12, 2020, parents, students, and teachers from across the country joined together to share stories on the state of our schools, discuss what's working, and brainstorm solutions. The event was moderated by Van Jones and Nisha Anand of The Dream Corps, and included panel discussions with Merrit Jones, students Opal and Francis Suavillo, teacher Amanda Calzada, parent and LegUp CEO Jessica Eggert, and Arne Duncan of Emerson Collective.
Communities in Schools LA
Executive Leaders of Color: COVID-19, Social Unrest, and the Impact on our Students
Twitter
Educators need better support for their mental health. Let's get to work, @Socialchangefnd
Source: @chopraofficial
TikTok
Teachers take virtual learning to the next level with this quirky dance video!
Source: @mrpapetti
TWITTER
4 categories of solutions employers should consider to support parents through the next year of childcare & education
Source: @ErinLThomasPhD
FACEBOOK
Kindergarten teacher transforms her living room into a virtual classroom to host wedding of Q and U
Source: Kelly Potter