The world around us feels like it’s collapsing…the sources we turned to for news and information are seemingly compromised…the services and resources we have relied on disappear overnight…the work of our life’s calling is under attack… 

In the world we’re living in today, you may have been impacted by one or all of the above. It’s so hard not to feel a sense of despair.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve spoken to educators, parents, and people within the social impact community alike. Many of us are trying to make sense of the rapid and chaotic changes taking place.

  • Educators, especially those serving students in need (e.g., at Title I schools and in immigrant communities) are fearing for their students’ safety and wellbeing.
  • Parents are worried about the availability of services their children depend on (e.g., IEPs / 504s and free lunch).
  • Researchers can no longer access databases they relied on to do their work.
  • Our partners in the edtech space have had grants cut midway.
  • Our colleagues in the children’s media community have lost jobs due to budget cuts in an ever-changing media landscape.

I’ve always believed that in times like these, it’s important to look for the silver linings, to seek out those rays of light shining through the darkness. There might be things we can do within our control to instigate change. It may be small, but the ripple effects may be substantial.

During the initial days of the COVID pandemic, Michelle and I had a strong sense of needing to do something to help our fellow parents navigate remote learning. We were in a unique position to source and curate resources that would keep kids engaged and learning.

Over a weekend, building off the lessons learned from our pilot with First Book, we built a brochure site for parents and educators with 50+ resources for remote learning. Through word of mouth, people came to our site and found valuable resources for their kids.

We also wanted to help our edtech colleagues who met the moment by providing free access to their products, but were fighting to survive themselves. We organized weekly community sessions to offer a safe space to vent, commiserate, and brainstorm ideas. These culminated in a summit – Digital Learning for All.

These were small acts, but something within our control, that helped us fight through the darkness.

As changes at the federal level trickle down to real world impacts on families, it will force more parents to search for resources critical for their children’s growth. We will be here to help these parents navigate, and hopefully make things easier for them and for their kids.

— Sadaf