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LCNV’s Distance Learning Platforms are Providing “Joyous Times”

Written by Shuyang Wang, Communications Coordinator of Literacy Council of Northern Virginia

The Literacy Council of Northern Virginia (LCNV), complying with social distancing policies during this evolving situation created by COVID-19, has replaced in-person classes with Distance Learning programs to continue providing basic English education to students, minimizing the disruption to their learning process. The classes have been reported to be “joyous times” that give both the instructors and students an opportunity to socialize and concentrate on something positive.

LCNV serves 1,500 adult learners annually throughout all of Northern Virginia with its mission to teach the basic skills of reading, writing, speaking, and understanding English so they can access employment and educational opportunities and more fully and equitably participate in the community. LCNV is one of only a few non-profit organizations in Northern Virginia that complies with federal education standards as it serves the most beginning-level adult learner, those that understand English at a 6th grade level or lower. Since April, LCNV has provided instruction tailored to students’ technological and time restrictions. Instruction is provided via various platforms:for students with internet and computer access, LCNV is offering virtual instruction in the form of live classrooms with teacher-led instruction, interaction, and whiteboard capabilities;for those with only cell phone and data access, LCNV offers distance learning instruction through Cell-Ed and USA Learns, two online learning apps approved by the Virginia Department of Education; for those that only have voice capabilities on their phone, instructors are scheduling sessions with students for one-to-one conversations to practice English. So far, a total of 21 classes are running for LCNV’s Beginning English, Family Learning and Destination Workforce programs. Over 75% of LCNV’s students that enrolled in January are benefiting from instruction, with the number increasing each day.

 
LCNC Zoom Screenshot

These outcomes could not have been achieved without LCNV’s dedicated force of 500 volunteers and devoted instructors, who called and helped the learner community to understand and set up online learning technologies one-on-one. “The LCNV team has been heartened to see incredible enthusiasm for our efforts to turn to distance learning by instructors, volunteers, and students,” says Roopal Saran, LCNV’s Executive Director, “Their desire to work hard to make sure instruction and learning is uninterrupted affirms that there is great value in continuing to offer English instruction at this unprecedented time.”

Based on the current situation, LCNV is also exploring future distance learning possibilities and optimizing various platforms. To support the expansion of class offerings, LCNV holds Professional Learning Communities (PLC) virtual sessions each week for teachers to discuss their classes, pain points, and successes. To support the learner community, LCNV also created a resource page on its website for those in need to navigate free learning resources, as well as community information on food banks, financial aid, healthcare and more.

Much is unknown at this time, but one thing we do know is that however hard the current situation is on community residents, it will be even harder on those with limited resources. Many of LCNV students are low income workers who are less likely to have sick leave, have options to telework, and to keep their social distance. They are the essential service workers preparing and delivering your meals, stocking the supermarket shelves, providing patient care, and cleaning up hospitals along with many more who will be out of work because their businesses have had to close. We cannot fully comprehend all the challenges that we will be facing in the coming year, but LCNV understands that the lives and well-being of learners are vastly impacted by their ability to read, write, speak and understand English, especially during this unconventional time.

The current semester has been extended from April 23 to June 30th at no additional cost to students. While the current sessions are for enrolled students, LCNV is working diligently to open registrations to the public starting in the Summer. For more information about upcoming sessions, please call LCNV at 703-237-0866.

Restoring Rock Creek as it Restores Us

Written by Jeanne Braha, Executive Director of Rock Creek Conservancy

There is something magical about running down the middle of a road in the middle of the day, hearing a creek burbling nearby, without having to worry about passing traffic.

As the last several weeks have provided any number of new things to worry about, having a little magic in our days has been a balm to the soul. There is ample data to support the notion that green spaces improve physical and mental health; Dr. Stacy Stryer, a physician with Park Rx America, shared many of these studies at an online virtual discussion hosted by Rock Creek Conservancy last month. She highlighted the ways in which living near a green space is linked to decreased levels of anxiety and depression, and increased resilience, well-being, and rejuvenation.

Photo by Frank Gallagher

Photo by Frank Gallagher

It’s a little harder to quantify that magic – the thrill of hearing the first wood thrush in spring, the delight of seeing your favorite wildflower on a walk, or the joy of sharing all of those things with a child experiencing them for the first time. And, of course, the feeling of being on the sections of Beach Drive closed to vehicles all week long.

Rock Creek Conservancy, through a philanthropic and stewardship partnership with the National Park Service at Rock Creek Park, protects that magic. By restoring the park and the watershed that surrounds it, the Conservancy is ensuring not just that Rock Creek can serve as the lungs for our region, but that the park will be resilient and be able to share its magic for decades to come.

The Conservancy’s model of people-powered restoration engages nearly 5,000 people each year in group events that clear invasive plants or litter from the park. These volunteers leave the park with the motivation and knowledge to serve as stewards of their portion of the watershed – protecting the park from the outside in.

Trout lilies (a spring wildflower)

Trout lilies (a spring wildflower)

Even though the Conservancy can’t host group events right now, park neighbors and friends can still enjoy and protect the park. Socially-distant stewardship is restorative to us as individuals and continues the Conservancy’s important work of removing invasive plants and litter to help restore the streams and parklands of the Rock Creek watershed.

Here are some actions individuals, families, or other household members can take at home, at work, and in our neighborhoods.

Host an individual cleanup. It’s just what it sounds like: you, a pair of gloves, a trash bag, and whatever patch of the Rock Creek watershed means the most to you. Litter many blocks from the park can get swept up by stormwater or wind and find itself floating down Rock Creek. Picking up litter in our own neighborhoods is one way to work stewardship and exercise into our daily routine.

A volunteer cleaning up in Rock Creek Park DC

A volunteer cleaning up in Rock Creek Park DC

Many of us are gardening with our time at home. Whether we’re doing this in a large yard or in planter boxes on a deck or window boxes, our choices impact Rock Creek. Non-native, invasive plant species can spread from our homes or building properties into the natural areas along Rock Creek. There are dozens of plant species that do not grow here naturally, but were brought to the area by people as ornamental plantings or for food.

For example, English ivy is a major threat to the health of the trees around Rock Creek in Montgomery County and the District. Though a common part of many of our landscapes, it spreads rapidly, can damage property, and can harm trees. The Conservancy works to remove English ivy from trees on park lands, but we need help to remove ivy throughout the watershed.

You can free a treetake the Conservancy’s English ivy pledge and trim the ivy from the trees in your yard or your building’s grounds (get permission from the property owner if that’s not you!). Watch this short video to learn the best way to #freeatree.

Removing non-native, invasive plants from your home garden, deck, or common area is the first step to prevent them from spreading into the city’s natural spaces. If you live in an apartment building you can take action by contacting your landlord, management company, or condominium board and asking them to remove invasive plants. Learn about five of Rock Creek Park’s most common invasive plants in this blog.

Planting native species is a great way to beautify your home and provide benefit to the surrounding ecosystem. Native plants often require less maintenance and can provide a habitat for native wildlife. Even greening your balcony with native potted plants can provide food and habitat to pollinators.

Take a moment to read our blog, “Choose This, Not That,“for some inspiration on what to plant in your green space. Or work with your apartment building to encourage choosing native species for plantings.

Remember, every step each of us takes will enable us all to keep enjoying the wonderful resource of Rock Creek, so central to our health and the health of our community.

A family doing a cleanup in Montgomery County.

Community Spotlight: Stream Team Leader Scott Lynch. Stream Team Leaders play a key role inspiring park friends and neighbors to help steward the watershed. One such community leader is Scott Lynch, a father who has been active with the Kensington-Parkwood Green Team. Scott was inspired to get involved when he heard local kids name a large debris dam “Trash Island.” Normally he organizes cleanups along the stretch of Rock Creek upstream of Cedar Lane (near current weekend closures for socially distant recreation!). The area, which is threatened by the proposed Beltway expansion, has a popular stretch of trail, sensitive wetlands, and plenty of stormwater drainage. Thanks to Scott’s socially-distant stewardship, his neighbors reported individual cleanups totaling 62 volunteer hours, with 18 bags of trash removed.

To learn more about the work of Rock Creek Conservancy and its mission to restore Rock Creek and its parklands as a natural oasis for all people to appreciate and protect, you can visit rockcreekconservancy.org and sign up here for regular updates on ways to get involved.

Girls on the Run – DC Goes Beyond the Classroom! #GOTRDCGoesBeyond

Written by Carly Abarbanel and Katie Von Schaumburg of Girls on the Run – DC

During this pandemic, so many aspects of all of our lives have been turned upside down. At Girls on the Run – DC (GOTR-DC), our in-person season was truncated just two weeks into programming, putting our program to the ultimate test: Can GOTR-DC go beyond the classrooms, persist beyond the parks, and empower over distance? The answer: Yes, we can! GOTR-DC developed virtual programming to persevere in our mission to empower girls to be joyful, confident, and healthy.

GOTR at Home has been our solution to get girls (and their families!) up and moving, thinking, and creating while inspiring them with the core values of Girls on the Run.

Girls who registered for the spring season receive two GOTR at Home lessons per week through the end of our regular season. All lessons include instructions for exercise activities and for creative activities, all tying back to the big idea of the lesson; and each lesson has an accompanying video, making it easy for girls to do these activities independently or together with a guardian or sibling.

All of the GOTR at Home lessons focus on Girls on the Run Core Values such as celebrating our commonalities and our differences, standing up for ourselves and others, and tips for identifying our emotions and managing stress. All of the activities are designed to help our girls check in with her brain and body and practice strategies to find calm and be present.

GOTRDC 1
One of our favorite lessons is “Practice Positivity!” This lesson is focused on recognizing positive and negative thoughts and practicing positivity through words, thoughts, and actions. The exercise, or “Get Moving!”, component of this lesson encourages girls to take a lap outside, hold downward dog pose while slowly breathing in and out, spend five minutes doing something they love (e.g. drawing, listening to music, spending time with your pet, dancing, etc.), play their favorite song and have a dance party, or set a timer for one minute and list everything they are thankful for. All of these activities are focused on empowering our girls, physically and mentally.

GOTR-DC recognizes the importance of social interaction, even from a distance, and we therefore brought our girls and coaches together through GOTR Connect. These are optional, 30-minute sessions held once a week by a GOTR coach. Similar to what an in-person lesson would entail, GOTR Connect offers debrief questions for set teams of girls that align with the messages of GOTR at Home. Questions are designed to reach all girls and vary from serious to silly, helping girls continue to find commonality and appreciate difference, even while physically distant. GOTR Connect has been a great way for girls to maintain rapport with their peers and interact with their coaches who continue to act as positive and influential role models.
GOTRDC 3
GOTRDC 2

Beyond the lessons and the virtual check-ins, GOTR-DC values goal-oriented seasons and celebrating the conclusion of our girls’ intellectual, emotional, and physical effort. Therefore, we’re hosting a Spring 5K Virtual Challenge, giving girls, community participants, coaches, and families the opportunity to set goals and feel part of the bigger GOTR-DC movement. Interested in joining our Virtual Challenge from your home or safe outdoor space? Read more and register at gotrdc.org/5k!

While we’re thankful for our team of staff and coaches who have helped make our new virtual programming possible, our work continues to serve more girls with quality, virtual programming; and we look forward to the day when we can safely gather together to empower our girls in school buildings, parks, and recreation centers. While we’re physically apart for the safety of ourselves and our communities, we remain virtually together for our girls.

Caring for Kids in the Time of COVID-19

Written by Laurie Strongin, CEO of Hope for Henry Foundation

Hope for Henry Child Life Specialist Liz crouched in the hallway outside the room of a six-year-old, unaccompanied boy who she has worked with many times in the past and explained over the hospital room intercom that the young boy would have a test to make sure doctors could take the best care of him. He was going to get a nasal swab to test for COVID-19.

No one will tell you that the long swab inserted into a patient’s nose all the way back into their throat, rotated to collect any viral specimens, and pulled out is remotely comfortable. One TikTok user described it as “like being stabbed in the brain.” But Liz explained to the child that she and her friends at the hospital were doing everything they could to keep him safe, that there is a virus traveling around the world, and that he needed a quick test to be sure he was healthy. If he could sit and talk to her while the nurse put something in his nose quickly, the test would be over faster. Then, on the other side of the glass wall of this little boy’s hospital room, he watched through the open blinds as Liz demonstrated the test on her own little patient, a stuffed bear.

Hope for Henry Blog

The proliferation of COVID-19 has disrupted tens of millions of children’s lives. Instead of attending school, participating on sports teams, meeting friends for dinner, or playing in the park, kids across the country are housebound. Aside from the monotony of living in the same limited space for long periods of time, being quarantined can cause feelings of helplessness, anxiety, and fear in both kids and parents.

These feelings are not unfamiliar to chronically ill children whose treatment often necessitates years in and out of hospitals, but COVID-19 has made life far harsher for really sick kids. While otherwise healthy children tend to have milder symptoms than adults who contract COVID-19, the same isn’t true for a particularly high-risk group of pediatric patients — those with compromised immune systems who have had bone-marrow or solid-organ transplants or are being treated for cancer or a blood disorder.

Keeping these vulnerable children safe during this challenging time requires hospitals to make adjustments that exacerbate their isolation from everything they are fighting so hard for — normalcy and connection. To limit exposure, nearly every child is isolated in his or her hospital room. Playrooms and shared spaces are closed. Art and music therapists are no longer in hospitals working directly with kids. Volunteers who previously rocked sick babies or played games with hospitalized kids have been forced to cease their quality-of-life saving work. These kids are left with one caregiver, at best, or none if they have a single parent with other children at home who need supervision. And they are still enduring the difficult, painful medical treatment necessary to save their lives.

When a hospitalized child shows symptoms of COVID-19, frontline staff have to “rule out” the diagnosis. To protect the staff and other patients in their care, the caregivers have to assume that the child is positive for COVID-19 until proven otherwise. Therefore, all medical staff who enter the child’s room must wear PPEs, including a gown, gloves, mask, and face shield. These precautions can be intimidating and frightening — even, and perhaps especially, for kids who have spent months in the hospital for whom this new gear is unfamiliar and an obvious sign that something has changed, and not for the better.

Thankfully, Hope for Henry’s child life specialists like Liz are still in the hospital and have figured out how to support patients during COVID-19 testing while respecting hospital rules that prevent them from entering the patient rooms to limit exposure and use of scarce PPE. The preparation, coping strategies, distraction, and verbal support before, during, and after the test, along with a selection of toys and games that reward patients for coping so well and successfully completing the procedure, make something difficult a little bit easier. It helps build resilience and arms patients for their continued fight to recover. It enables medical staff to provide care faster so they can move on to the next patient. Because during times like these, there is always a next patient.