Over the past month, we have welcomed more than 90 students to The W.G. Pearson Learning Center. We have also welcomed our newest member of the Student U team, Ms. Daniela Sanchez, who is The Learning Center Coordinator and is responsible for making sure The Center is a safe, welcoming, and supportive community for young people, 6th grade through college, to access while completing their online learning. Our main goals are to provide:

• Safe and supportive space to complete DPS online learning during school hours.
• Two meals a day and snacks throughout the day to sustain learning.
• Activities and experiences which increase the social and emotional capacity of our young people during this challenging time.

Researchers predict that students who have low-quality or no access to remote instruction will fall nearly a year behind if school schedules remain disrupted through January 2021. Additionally, COVID closures will likely contribute to increased drop-out rates. We can write a different story for Durham. Our whole community must rally to ensure the full ecosystem necessary for remote learning is in place for all DPS students. Watch the video above to learn more about how Student U and Ms. Daniela are supporting our students’ to ensure there is sufficient free access for our students who most need this resource.