cross the nation, and here in California, education leaders are facing extraordinary challenges — and opportunities. The COVID-19 crisis has stretched out further, and cut us more deeply, than most of us imagined.

While so many did the best they could to pivot in the latter weeks of March, the crisis harshly revealed how our educational system is leaving students, families and communities behind. It was becoming more apparent how this system was harming communities of color, even to people who until this point had not understood how our education system is designed with the same structural racism found all through our history and society.

To not only adapt during this time of great disruption but design something new and better, we have to start with an unwavering commitment to creating the conditions where all students are seen, heard and truly belong. For me, an essential piece of that vision is positioning afterschool staff and culture as a critical component of the thriving education ecosystem of the future.

These connections and shared life experiences give program employees informed, firsthand knowledge of students’ needs, which enables them to respond effectively through a personal understanding of children’s day-to-day experiences at home and at school. Particularly in times of stress, positive, trusting relationships in safe environments are the most important factor in supporting students’ resiliency in the face of challenging circumstances.

As a result, afterschool and expanded learning programs naturally are essential partners in thinking about how to support our most vulnerable youth.

Read the full article about supporting learning communities by Michael Funk at The 74.