Exploring a Black-Centered Approach to Online Learning Environments Amid COVID-19

• In Event: COVID-19 and College Access

Abstract

In response to COVID-19, a Black-centered college readiness program engineered the Science Technology Arts Nutrition Dialogue (STAND) model to transform its programming from in-person to online learning. STAND promotes a social justice orientation in education spaces and humanizes Black experiences within the learning paradigm. The STAND model involved daily enriching activities for Black high school students (N=42) to learn a 5-day protocol (M-F) over a 3-week period. Students were given pre/post-program surveys, from which researchers derived three themes that were crucial to successful online facilitation: family, support, and Black identity. This paper highlights the importance of university partnerships with local public school districts to advance education and prepare students for college and beyond.

Authors

• TrVel Lyons, University of California - Los Angeles

• Jeremy A Edwards, University of California - Santa Barbara