Drop-In Study Hubs For Kids Are Showing Up In Missoula
If you're a parent, you're probably already aware of the difficulties students have been facing over the last few months of distance learning. And if you're not a parent, it's pretty easy to imagine - just think about your own experience in quarantine, and then imagine having to do schoolwork on top of that. See? It's stressful!
That's why United Way of Missoula County has been hard at work getting an exciting program off the ground called Kids Study Club. Basically, at different spots around Missoula, a limited number of kids will be able to drop in, do their homework with internet access, get some food, have help from adults, and interact with other students. The first one started this week at Burns St. Bistro, and the plan is for two more to pop up in the coming weeks - one in the Franklin to the Fort neighborhood, and another at the YMCA.
And of course, as with everything these days, precautions are being taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Students will require symptom and temperature checks as they enter, and they'll have to register sign in with their info for the purpose of contact tracing.
This is a great idea and one that's been implemented in some form or another throughout the country, so it's great to see it happening in Missoula. Even if only a few students are able to use the study hub at a time, it'll still be a great help that will allow them to get out of the house for a while... which, in 2020, we could all really use.