Students want flexible school environments post-COVID.

Students want flexible school environments post-COVID. After more than a year of going to school during a pandemic, students’ mental wellness has worsened, with the CDC reporting a 31% increase in mental health crisis visits for 12-17-year-olds from April to October 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. Students are looking for their schools to provide coping mechanisms and flexible environments when they return this fall. Things like opportunities for homework help, retakes, and extensions are top of mind, along with ample study breaks during school. A licensed social worker and director of higher education/student engagement for the Jed Foundation also recommends schools to “treat everyone in the fall as a first-year student,” because everyone will need a little extra help when it comes to fostering relationships with other students. YPulse’s education data shows that 41% of middle and high school students say they “feel nervous about going back to school in person”, and it’s on schools to make the post-COVID school environment as supportive as possible this fall. (Mashable)