School Reopening: Grassroots Leadership Weighs In
As plans for the next school year began to unfold, we checked in with our members who work in education and youth to weigh in. We wanted to learn more about their hopes, concerns, and ongoing plans to reimagine their commitment to the city’s youth.
We heard a resounding commitment to listen to youth voices, reimagine education, and prioritize family health and wellness. Read on to hear what these visionary leaders have to say:
Listen to Youth
“We respect the safe decision to focus on virtual learning. We are also aware that this time is a big shift and will leave many in gaps. In the name of convenience, there have been many deferred conversations about justice and health that must now take place. Those of us that have access must listen. We would like youth to be centered, not systems or subjects. We would like their development and well-being to be paramount and for them to be active participants and decision-makers. Urgent listening is the number one thing we would like to see.
We partner with schools, so as schools figure things out, we are developing tools to be useful by working directly with youth in small cohorts. The young people have expressed many deep-rooted desires they feel compelled towards, such as hands-on skills they never got to learn in schools or within their own families. They have expressed greater mental health needs. DewMore is now processing this listening so we can be responsive.” —
Olu Butterfly Woods, Executive Director, DewMore Baltimore
DewMore Baltimore seeks to foster civic engagement with historically marginalized peoples through innovative art-focused programming and community organizing via purposeful partnerships with community organizations, schools, and governmental agencies that foster empowerment, capacity for change, and community development. They have recently been working on transitioning from a youth-centered to youth-governed organizational structure.
Whitney Ward Birenbaum describes school reopening as “an ever-changing, complex decision that ultimately depends on the city at large”. She shares that whether students are at school or at home, CHARM seeks to enrich students’ lives by helping them develop as writers and amplify their voices. Since the start of COVID-19, CHARM has moved all programming online.
One youth editor, Kris, recently shared that CHARM “has truly been the silver lining throughout quarantine,” adding, “I always admire that we hold true to the original mission of CHARM and continue to provide a safe platform for student voices.”
Whitney Ward Birenbaum, Executive Director, CHARM Lit Mag
CHARM: Voices of Baltimore Youth is a literary arts organization founded on the belief that kids’ voices matter. Their mission is to help young people develop the skills of successful writers, inspire a love of writing, and amplify their own voices. They are currently piloting CHARM in a Box: A Creativity Kit Made By CHARM that students can have sent to their homes.
Reimagine Education
“We have to be innovative and flexible right now. There is nothing normal about people’s lives right now, and school needs to adapt. Parents are trying to work and oversee their children’s learning, children are missing friends and support systems. We have to take this time to look very differently at what young people need, what education means and not try to replicate normal when now more than ever, circumstances require us to be led by the needs of students and families.”
Rebecca Yenawine, Executive Director, Teachers’ Democracy Project
Teachers’ Democracy Project (TDP) supports Baltimore City Public School teachers, families and school communities in building just and sustainable schools. Their team spearheaded a device drive immediately after statewide school closures in mid-March, and have since joined Baltimore’s Digital Equity Coalition to close the digital divide.
"I think that the school’s plan to open remotely is wise and considerate of everyone's safety. As we move forward, it is my hope that safety and care for people's health and humanity remains the priority. Sure there is a lot of work to be done, but it is long overdue that things be done differently. And the unfortunate umbrella of COVID-19 is forcing us all to look at the conditions of our learning, working and living environments very differently, with the issue of equity is at the forefront.
This is monumental for our students. Education through the virtual online world can now connect students and their experiences through media arts around the world. We are in a pivotal place where we can raise global citizens with access to an equitable education."
Vonnya Pettigrew, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, Root Branch Productions & Film Academy
Root Branch Productions & Film Academy is a media production firm and learning academy serving the mid-Atlantic region since 2006. As the global pandemic heightened, they launched Root Branch Virtual to engage students in a high-quality, enrichment media arts program. They have also expanded to serve students beyond Maryland.
“Don’t repurpose education just for virtual content, let’s reimagine it fundamentally.
We’ve always run education the same way — The model of teaching at the front has not changed. We have an opportunity to revisit the role of education and design it to become more forward-thinking,” Rajan says. “How can we approach reopening in a way that pushes for equity at the same time?”
Rajan Patel, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, Dent Education
Dent Education teaches design thinking, making, and entrepreneurship to empower students to discover and develop their innate creative potential to shape the world around them. As schools closed and the global pandemic heightened, the Dent team saw an opportunity to engage students in building personal protective equipment (PPE) at home through their Made@Dent Program. They have since created 15K+ masks and recently concluded their landmark Bet on Baltimore summer program, which took place virtually this year.
Prioritize Family Health
“With things being so grey for so long, it has made it extremely difficult to plan for how to best serve our school communities. We currently are working on a collaborative project called the PLAYCARE Initiative that will allow us to serve during this transitional time and give parents and kids some stability in the coming months. Our kids, now more than ever, need to be considered. And we in this space must find a way through what is before us to support and serve them.
There is a lot that schools, parents, vendors, and the city have to navigate. They are considering what is best and needed for essential teaching and learning, and from there, what supports will need to be in place. We are proactively trying to be a support.”
Kevin Anderson, Founder, NEWFIT
NEWFIT provides consistent, quality holistic wellness and athletic programming year-round for elementary/middle school students across Baltimore City. As a school-based provider of wellness programming, COVID-19 stalled NEWFIT’s operations and accelerated a pivot.
What is the Playcare Initiative? In collaboration with Recs & Parks, Parks & People, Up2Us Sports and the Volo Kids Foundation, NEWFit is working to ensure that wellness and enrichment opportunities are still being provided for Baltimore City youth, regardless of whether or not schools physically reopen in the fall. They intend on supporting Black and Brown families most impacted by COVID-19 by providing daily, supervised and safe virtual education support and wellness programming during a time it is critically needed.
“We continue to focus on ways we can support our young men and their families. With health and wellness being the number one priority, we support BCPS in its decision to open the 2020–2021 school year virtually.
We also understand the frustration that comes directly from our young men who feel that distance learning was ineffective. We empathize with our parents who are trying to balance their own work life and the schoolwork of their children. On the other side of that, there are teachers who are trying to teach 20–25 students online and still maintain their role as a parent.
We are committed to making sure that our boys achieve, regardless of the obstacles that they may face with distance learning. And we will continue to breathe life into them, build them up and support them as we embark on this journey together.”
Tiaira Robinson, Program Manager at I AM MENtality
I Am MENtality Youth Male Empowerment Project is a non-profit organization geared towards uplifting male youth in Baltimore City. COVID-19 pushed the I Am MENtality team to be more intentional with their summer plans. And nowadays, they are working to ensure their youth have the digital tools needed to be completely prepared for a virtual school year.
“As a community-based organization, we are eager for schools to reopen. Personally as a parent, I am just as eager. However, not so eager that students return at the cost of their safety.
We recognize that this is a devastation happening to all involved, not just students, but parents, teachers, families, businesses, and education across the country. We cannot wish or think that time will cause this virus to dissipate. We as an organization stand behind safety beyond anything else, despite its impact.”
Lolita Sheppard, Program Director of LIT at Lydia’s House Southeast, Inc
The Leaders in Transition Program at Lydia’s House assists with transitioning high school students into the workforce, as well as fostering their goals, interests, self-esteem, and ultimate desires for success.
