This Information Hub is no longer being updated, our last update was April 2021.
Preschool opportunities are limited in Nevada’s rural high desert, so a local full-service family support nonprofit organization, Community Chest, Inc., has been reaching and teaching 3- and 4-year-olds who would not otherwise have access to a pre-K education. A substantial body of research has established the benefits of preschool education to young children’s ongoing academic learning and development of social and emotional skills. Read more about this highlight here.
Examples of how rural communities and organizations are innovating to help community members during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more on The Rural Information Hub.
What do we do when a global pandemic makes it more dangerous for large groups of adults and kids to stay indoors? Place-based education has always been a powerful approach to learning, but now it’s also a powerful answer to COVID-19.
This booklet is designed to be the starting point for anyone getting ready to take the next step toward doing more PBE. Read more from PEER Associates.
There are 113 ICU beds in rural southern Missouri, with a spike in cases the region is still hosting a Rodeo this week. Read about the dilemma here.
Diane Stephen, a third-grade teacher at SeDoMocha Elementary School in Dover-Foxcroft, has her pickup truck decorated for a parade by teachers and staff through the communities of RSU 68 on Wednesday, June 10, 2020, to say hello and thank you to their pupils who have been taking classes through remote learning since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more about this highlight here.
In northern Maine, where families are heavily reliant on the fishing industry, many families are unemployed and tourism is shut down. The Cobscook TREE (Transforming Rural Experience in Education) initiative, a collaborative, place-based effort that addresses challenges affecting many rural, high-poverty schools, is deploying inventive strategies to continue supporting children and families. For example, TREE is maintaining its focus on fostering community connections by organizing “bedtime stories” for children with school staff and “Microadventure Mondays,” in which students participate in enrichment activities such as basic finger knitting and a t-shirt design contest, among others.
"The response has been huge as parents seem to be looking for learning that is fun and not graded or stressful. The parents have reached out regarding needs for supplies whether it be as simple as paper and markers or internet hotspots and devices. For some families even just assisting in paying for phone data had made the difference."
- Brittany Ray, TREE Director
In addition, TREE is continuing to support students’ mental health needs by having mental health therapists, who usually work on site at schools, provide telehealth services. The initiative is also assisting families with other immediate needs, including access to food. By coordinating with the local food pantry, TREE is helping to supplement school meals for vulnerable families.