Can Mass Self-Testing for Covid-19 Keep Schools Safe?

Founded in 2015, the Center for Good Food Purchasing offers a unique model for making school lunch healthier, cheaper, and more sustainable. Partnering with school districts and other local and national organizations, the Center outlines five core values to which schools must commit. Jill Harkins writes, "The big idea driving the work is that large institutions like governments and schools buy a lot of food ... and so they have the power to shift the market toward higher quality, more environmentally-sustainable and fair food." The approach has taken off in LA - can the same happen in Philadelphia?

As colleges and universities across the United States have shifted to online classes and shut down their campuses, not every student simply has the ability to move home. To help support these students, many of whom are low-income or international, the Stay Together Appalachian Youth Project began working with local communities to find housing for displaced students, as well as to provide other support like money or supplies.

Upon seeing a need for educational resources to support the out of school transition due to the COVID-19 outbreak, two high school seniors in the San Jose area stepped up to fill that gap. Sarika Sriram and Uditha Velidandla coordinated 90 volunteers to offer free tutoring in a range of school subjects. So far, over 350 students have benefitted from these comprehensive online learning sessions.

The Cincinnati Zoo has found a way to connect to their community even after temporarily shutting its doors because of COVID19. Using Facebook Live, the zoo hosts daily videos showcasing different animals and educational programming about them. Their first video reached over 4 million views and has shown to be a way to engage their members, even from afar.

A platform that allows students to receive lessons via text message is being used to complement education efforts in Uganda. In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, one such texting platform has partnered with nonprofits to offer a free WhatsApp course "that covers coronavirus facts and health information."

Most states in the U.S. are struggling to effectively and efficiently distribute the COVID-19 vaccine, while "West Virginia became the first state to finish round one of the two-dose vaccine series in nursing homes." The key to the state's success included preemptively preparing a vaccination dissemination plan and partnering with independent and chain pharmacies.

To discourage the spread of misinformation about the Covid vaccine and decrease vaccine hesitancy in minority communities, religious leaders and other influential people in Britain have launched campaigns to dispel concerns. According to a survey about overall willingness to take the vaccine, the efforts – which include posters, sermons, a help line, and WhatsApp chats – have been working.

Garrett County students were able to get back in school quickly because the district built trust with its community by providing families with crucial supplies, carefully planning the reopening, and communicating extensively with parents. When remote learning was required because of COVID-19, the district provided families with computers, tablets, central Wi-Fi hotspots, and delivered meals, which built trust and opened lines of communication. When students were brought back into the classroom, parents trusted the district to prioritize safety and their feedback was incorporated and responded to.

Chicago Connected is a $50 million four-year program that has already provided high-speed broadband to over 40,000 households in need, representing around 64,000 Chicago public school students, and plans to expand. On-the-ground community outreach in multiple languages was key to connecting residents to the program quickly, which was needed as school went virtual due to COVID-19. The public schools helped identify eligible low-income students whose parents were then contacted by outreach workers.

School-based health centers provide free services including flu shots, physicals, contraceptive care and reproductive education, talk therapy and behavioral health care to students. Research has found that these school-based clinics boost vaccination rates, reduce hospital visits, lower rates of teen pregnancy and depression and improve grades and attendance levels, all while reducing disparities and making healthcare more accessible.