July 17, 2020 A Preliminary Report of the Meeting At mid-summer 2020 the plans for re-opening the nation’s schools in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic remain in a high state of uncertainty, from one state to the next and within states. The challenge to school leadership and faculty is likely to become more acute as opening dates come closer — however and in what fashion their returns takes place. Guidance from the nation’s most respected health and education policy centers — the National Academies, the CDC, the NIH — has continued to unfold and be refined during the months since it became clear that the pandemic was not a short-term phenomenon and would continue on into the fall of 2020. But apart from some reference to time in nature and social and emotional learning (SEL), these recommendations do not mention the array of existing K-12-based wellness programs that have been shown to mitigate the effects of ACEs, stress, trauma and anxiety that are now terribly compounded by COVID; in addition to outdoor learning: school gardens, cognition and social supporting physical activities, nutrition and teaching kitchens and mindfulness. Each of these domains has developed considerable evidence describing positive academic impact. In recent years studies have expanded to describe their positive reinforcement of SEL principals, Whole Child practices and on mental and behavioral health. But these findings and the powerful stories from student and school experiences that illustrate them have not yet found their way into the critical national and state policy discussions now addressing the great difficulties presented by COVID-19. (See our Resources Page. for examples of general and COVID-related research and guidance.) Adding “other learning experiences” As a way to elevate awareness of the track record and potential we convened a Zoom meeting on July 17 that brought together some of the nation’s most experienced school-based whole health program leaders, educators, researchers, pediatricians and policy specialists. The objective is to compile the best practices, learnings and innovations and to include them in the dialog that educators will continue to have for the foreseeable future. This will be an ongoing process, but the highlights that stand-out from July 17: It is past time that the efficacy of these programs become more widely known to educators This the time to focus on their benefits Although educators may respond, “We don’t have time for this,” contemporary reporting suggests they are quite interested in supporting the mental, social and emotional health of their schools Implementing whole health activities may suggest an opportunity to conduct comparative research, such as deploying outdoor classrooms in a school or district Time in nature and outdoor classrooms are starting to be considered as first line tools once campuses re-open The consensus among the participants is that educators should seriously consider devoting more student (and faculty) time to participation in “non-academic” activities during the first weeks and months when schools do re-open their buildings. And to plan for implementation of these options while classes are being conducted online. This approach is reflected in the May 5 and June 25 recommendations from the AAP: “COVID-19 Planning Considerations: Return to In-person Education in Schools” a portion of which reads: In “Education:” “If the academic expectations are unrealistic, school will likely become a source of further distress for students (and educators) at a time when they need additional support. It is also critical to maintain a balanced curriculum with continued physical education and other learning experiences rather than an exclusive emphasis on core subject areas.” In “Mental Health:” “Schools need to incorporate (into planning considerations) academic accommodations and supports for students who may still be having difficulty concentrating or learning new information due to stress associated with the pandemic.” (The AAP guidance is here.) While even the near-term impact of schools’ response to COVID can’t be known, changes and modifications — including the use of online classes and outdoor classrooms — may constitute unprecedented, sustained transitions from which balancing academics and wellbeing becomes a core element of purpose for U.S. K-12 education The nation is fortunate to have in almost every school district access to a cadre of professionals with longstanding and deep experience working alongside, literally, children and faculty in school, delivering these “other learning experiences.” We will continue to refine the outcomes of the July 17 meeting and share them in the weeks ahead. Meanwhile… Follow Us! Sign up for our newsletters in the section below this article and join us: On Twitter: @WholeHealth_ED