Members of the K12 Lab were activated by the devastating news of the world-wide spread of COVID-19, including the daily updates we read about additional school closings. We immediately began wondering what role we as designers could play in ensuring that this interruption to K-12 education did not exacerbate the opportunity gaps in our education system, and thought about where our work could fit in relative to all of the other key players (e.g., teachers, school leaders, students, parents, nonprofit organizations, funders, etc.) who have already sprung to action.

After engaging in an internal process (see memo here), we landed on what we see as three key design questions around which we hope to engage with others. We invite you to join us in this work in one or more of the following ways!

First, please share with us your responses to the questions below and help us pose additional questions we all should be asking.

Second, we invite you to join us for the d.school/K12 Lab’s Virtual Hackathon, to be held April 30-May 1. We will provide tools, structure, and coaching to develop and prototype new, equitable, human-centered solutions to these challenges.

And third, we hope you might engage in your own individual design work around these questions and share back with us what you learn.

#1: How might we build empathy with students?

• What have students been experiencing, feeling, and saying that we might not yet have heard?

• What are the most inspiring examples you’ve seen for how, in a time of physical distancing, individuals and communities are better understanding what students – especially those furthest from opportunity – are facing?

• Are there ways that COVID-19 and societal responses to it are preventing students from thriving?

#2: How might we help educators build connections between one another?

• What factors are leaving some educators isolated and disconnected?

• What are the most inspiring examples you’ve seen for how educators are connecting with one another in meaningful and authentic ways in this time of physical distancing?

• What are the particular opportunities and challenges to connecting facing educators working with students furthest from opportunity?

#3: How might we help families (that are now taking on the role of educators) to provide powerful learning experiences at home?

• What are the most inspiring examples you’ve seen for how families are providing powerful learning experiences, particularly for students furthest from opportunity?

• What would be most helpful in preparing and supporting you in providing educational experiences for the K-12 learners you are helping to educate during this time? What are your *dream resources* that don't exist yet?

• What existing resources have been helpful so far?

If you have responses to any of these questions or want to share what you’ve learned, and/or would like to join the hackathon, please let us know here.

We look forward to working with you to help address these challenges of building empathy, forming connections, and supporting family educators!