How schools have stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic

There’s no denying that the coronavirus pandemic has upended our school system, from the youngest children to those pursing college and career training. But all over Yuma County, teachers and school leaders have gone above and beyond to ensure that their pupils can continue learning.

We’ve been in touch with educators and wanted to share some of the ways they’ve adapted:

• Arizona Western College (AWC) has made a variety of resources available. Their counselors have been in direct contact with students to ensure they know what’s available and have what they need to pursue their studies. AWC equipped their Yuma and San Luis campus parking lots with WiFi access to assist students who can’t access internet in the home. The school also provided hotspots and rented laptops. And courses have been offered in four different formats so students could have a choice on how much physical contact they would experience.

• AWC and NAU-Yuma have a Helios-funded program that provides students with one-on-one help. The Yuma Educational Success (YES) program is helping through mentoring, life-skills workshops, career development and more.

• In Yuma Union High School District, career and technical education teams worked with state and nursing board leaders to ensure that the students pursuing nursing education would be able to complete their training. The district invested in extra lab linens, increased laundering, PPE and more. Extra clinical sites and regular student COVID testing ensured both safety and learning for all. In the end, 35 students passed their Certified Nurse’s Assistant exams. (This was a 95% pass rate, among the state’s best.)

• For Wellton Elementary School District, transitioning to online learning was an enormous undertaking for everyone involved. Thankfully, the district had prioritized in-classroom technology years ago. But when learning transitioned to online, every student in the district needed a Chromebook in order to participate. Many also needed help with internet access, so the district provided hotspots and also worked with a local internet provider to provide services at a discounted rate to students.

We also asked locals how they’re feeling about Yuma-area educators and here’s what they had to say:

• Madeleine Coil, City of Yuma grants administrator, said, “Teachers today are true innovators – developing and implementing new ways of presenting information like never before. It may be overwhelming now but in the future the knowledge, experience and expertise you’ve gained will be so very valuable. Your creativity, patience and flexibility are so very much appreciated.”

• Olivia Zepeda, district governing board member for Arizona Western College, wanted to share that “Teachers, you are the glue that is holding our children and their family together. With your smile you bring them comfort, happiness, a safe place to express themselves.”

• Danny Ortega, APS SW Division Manager Transmission & Distribution, said he “Would like to thank all the educators who rose to the challenge in these unprecedented times. They adapted and kept a strong demeanor to ensure our students continued to learn and achieve.”

The Yuma education advocacy Council is a local collaboration between community leaders and expect more arizona to advance a shared vision for education in Yuma and the state. We all believe that every child deserves an excellent education – every step of the way. Find the Council on Facebook at www.facebook.com/YeaCaZ/. To learn more or get involved with the forums, contact erin eccleston, erineccleston@expectmorearizona.org.