For my family, Back to School usually means a final hurrah trip to the beach with my three sons before summer’s end, a parental attempt to readjust their sleep clocks to something reasonable (time to go to bed! time to wake up!), and fresh haircuts to start the first day just right. This year looks a lot different as COVID-19 has continued to keep us all at home and school online.
Like many of you, our house feels a little more crowded as it acts as a school, a workplace, and a home. Some days are easier than others, but you’re not alone. My wife and I have been taking advantage of the incredible resources from educators, institutions, and other learners to help us ensure our boys have the tools they need to succeed in school, despite the challenges distance learning often causes.
On a usual night, the kids use YouTube Kids to watch their favorite Creators play video games or music videos but these days, YouTube and YouTube Kids are providing more than that. Creators are taking the time to share their knowledge and provide support for those learning online or in a hybrid setting. You can find content for all ages from setting up an efficient study space for elementary students to mental and physical wellness videos all the way to SAT prep for high schoolers to help everyone during this time. We’ve found this content useful for our family and we hope it provides help to you too.
YouTube Learning and YouTube Kids are supporting families during this challenging Back to School season in the following ways:
Providing Learning Resources for Families and Students of All Ages
Across three easy to access surfaces, YouTube will feature content designed to support mental wellbeing, to prepare physical spaces, and to provide subject refreshers as students head back to school.
- The Learn at Home with YouTube site provides a one-stop-shop for our back to school resources for children of all ages. In addition to featured back to school content, the site also has daily live streams, Field Trips via Virtual Reality (my personal favorite), and partner resources as you get back to learning either at home, at school or a combination of both.
- The YouTube Kids app features a curated section designed with our younger students in mind. The videos can be found under the ‘Learning’ category. Look for our favorites such as #BackToSchool with NASA Science, Nike Shake-Ups with Sky Brown + Anthony Davis & Dino Yoga with Alo Yoga.
- The YouTube Learning Hub will feature new weekly content for high school students and beyond. My son who is starting 10th grade recently picked up some great study skills from Crash Course and is planning to freshen up on his writing skills with ASU’s Study Hall: Composition playlist for his English class before heading back to school.
Connecting Experts with Parents
All the change this school year is difficult for kids – and difficult for caregivers, too. We asked child psychiatrist Nicole Graham, M.D. and “Permission to Feel” author Marc A. Brackett, Ph.D. to share some advice on getting through the ups and downs. These handouts can be shared easily be shared with your PTA and parenting communities.
- Handout 1, Nicole Graham, M.D.
- Handout 2, Nicole Graham, M.D.
- Handout 3, Mark A. Brackett, Ph.D., Permission to Feel
- Handout 4, Mark A. Brackett, Ph.D., Permission to Feel
Partnering with PTA to Provide Even More Resources
During National PTA Back-to-School Week, we will provide videos, discussion topics, and special content to help you and your family get back into the swing of things.
- For each day of #PTABackToSchoolWeek, we will have a themed YouTube Kids playlist that will focus on students, teachers, and parents.
- Racial equity playlists for kids and corresponding discussion cards will be shared so that your family can start a conversation together.
- A YouTube Kids Parent Workshop, a 20-minute workshop designed to help parents learn how to create the right online video experience for their kids.
- ○ A very special Back to School message created by YouTube Creators and National PTA Teachers from around the country will cap off the week to help spread encouragement for this new school year.
Malik Ducard is the VP of Content Partnerships at YouTube overseeing Learning, Social Impact, Family, Film, TV and Health. Google (YouTube) is a Proud National PTA Sponsor and receives promotional consideration, such as this blog post, as part of their sponsorship benefits. National PTA does not endorse any commercial entity, product, or service. No endorsement of Google or YouTube is implied.
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