Dallas, Texas, March 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Despite school closures due to COVID-19, Uplift Education supported schools kept their doorsopen — online. As news organizations report on closures and how schools plan to cope, we as a network are“uplifting” guidance and resources that match our focus on equity, quality, and a human-centered approachto the use of technology for learning.
More than 20,000 charter public school students attended live Facebook and YouTube classes online thispast two weeks.
The online school education provide students with a familiar routine, companionship and support. “Onlinelearning can be a dynamic model that offers a robust and enriching experience. We will help our familiessucceed during these difficult times,” said Yasmin Bhatia, CEO.
As of Monday, March 30th, Uplift is implementing “Online Learning 2.0”, which will incorporate paper copiesmailed to each family, online resources and live instruction for all grade levels. Teachers will have set hoursto assist and help students and families to answer questions.
With school closures, it is essential to find ways to continue to provide learning opportunities and criticalservices to our students —especially those who will be hit hardest by the economic downturn that is alsooccurring.
This is a moment that exposes the many inequities in our society — from the broadband and computersneeded for distance education to the supportive environments needed to focus on learning. For the millionsof children who are homeless, food insecure, without social emotional support, school is often the one placewhere they feel safe and where they are taken care of. At Uplift we have distributed over 5,300 ChromebooksPAGE 2 OF 2to our students and 20,263 grab-and-go meals in the past two weeks. In addition, part of Uplift’s COVID-19response, the Well-Being team is actively offering counseling and health services support to students as wellas sharing regular practices on how they can take care of themselves in the midst of the uncertainly broughtabout by the pandemic.
While we must stay apart physically right now, it is heartening to see so many of us coming together at ournetwork in many other ways to care for each other and our students. Perhaps some of the innovations we’redeveloping today may lead us to new and powerful solutions in the future that can help overcome thepersistent challenges of equity and access in education that we all strive to end.
Uplift Education
Uplift Education is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the lives of teachers, families, and, mostimportantly, students. With a network of 43 college preparatory, public charter schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area,Uplift offers students of any background the powerful chance to study within a multidisciplinary curriculum and preparefor the college career they deserve. Uplift is the largest International Baccalaureate district in Texas and the #2 IB districtin the nation because of the number of holistic extracurricular and educational programs. The incredible educators inthe Uplift network guide and teach nearly 20,000 students in Pre-K- 12th grades, with the majority being low-income andminority students who will be the first in their family to attend college. For more information Uplift’s mission and theirblind lottery selection system, visit uplifteducation.org or facebook.com/uplifteducation.