K-12

“Children are psychologically vulnerable and may develop post-traumatic stress disorder or related symptoms; are physically vulnerable to death, injury, illness, and abuse; and often experience disruptions or delays in their educational progress as a result of disasters.…… In order to promote children’s resilience to disasters, we must improve their access to resources, empower them by encouraging their participation, offer support, and ensure equitable treatment.”

– Lori Peek,Professor in the Department of Sociology and Director of the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder Peek, L., 2008. Children and disasters: Understanding vulnerability, developing capacities, and promoting resilience—An introduction. Children Youth and Environments, 18(1), pp.1-29.

We anticipate that large scale systemic changes will be needed in the future in a post-COVID-19 world due to prolonged disruptions facing students and schools. Combined disasters have a compounding effect, especially on young children, and active engaging pedagogical methods will help in the development of these young minds. We propose developing and disseminating a STEM and literacy program that adopts an accelerated learning intervention method. The education content will include, among others, aspects of disaster management, and the nexus between food, energy, and water.