For schools & programs to re-open successfully in the fall, it will take more than just finding funding & keeping people safe from the virus. After months of sheltering at home, economic decline, and racial pain it will also take listening, affirming, responding, and bonding 1/7
Listening: Convening carefully structured conversations and collecting and analyzing data to understand the experiences young people have had during the months of sheltering at home, economic downturn, and protests following the murder of George Floyd. 2/7
Affirming: Proactively letting young people know that the ideas, experiences, and emotions they are bringing with them back into schools and programs have been heard and are valid. 3/7
Responding: Providing all young people with supports they need through the work of internal staff and external partnerships with public agencies & community organizations that can provide resources in areas such as mental health, social services, tutoring, & racial healing. 4/7
Bonding: Re-establishing or building truly developmental relationships with individual young people and creating a shared sense of belonging among all youth, staff, volunteers, and families who are part of the school's or program's work and community. 5/7
These points might seem obvious, but the research we are conducting @SearchInstitute finds that unless schools and programs are very intentional about re-entry though relationships, these needs will be overshadowed by the big financial and logistical challenges that lie ahead 6/7
If that happens, we not only won't meet the needs of the young people we serve -- we will squander the incredible opportunity to advance positive youth development and equity that the painful experiences of recent months have given us. So let's #ListenAffirmRespondBond. 7/7
