Back to School in the COVID Pandemic

Supporting Adolescent Development from Six Feet Away (or Further)

Middle and high schools teach more than academics—the social connections that happen in classrooms, hallways, and cafeterias also facilitate the social and emotional learning that’s key to healthy adolescent development. How do we recreate that social energy when students are six feet apart, on staggered schedules, or at home on their computers?

Panelists ​Joanna Lee Williams, PhD, Rutgers University, Latisha Ross, PhD, University of Virginia, and Phyllis L. Fagell, LCPC and author of Middle School Matters, talked to moderator Nancy Deutsch, PhD, University of Virginia, about how to support the social relationships and experiential learning adolescents need to flourish. Co-hosted by Youth-Nex and the Center for the Developing Adolescent.

For more back-to-school resources, visit the Youth-Nex website, or check out their professional development series (mentioned in the webinar), “Returning to School with Equity in Mind,” a professional development series for teachers.