Educator Actions to Care for Youth and Families of Color During COVID-19

• In Event: Families, COVID, and Unequal Schooling: Stories and Lessons From the Field

Abstract

youth and families of Color, some of whom are immigrants and refugees, in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Perspective(s) or theoretical framework. This research is part of a larger study that is situated in two research practice partnerships employing participatory methods where low-income youth of Color, their families, and educators have been making sense of COVID-19 and taking action in their everyday lives (Calabrese Barton et al., 2021; Greenberg et al., 2020).

Methods, techniques, or modes of inquiry. Using inductive coding to surface educator actions, we sought to bear witness to and give voice to the experiences of educators throughout the first 12-15 months of the COVID-19 pandemic (Charmaz, 2017; Villenas, 2019).

Data sources, evidence, objects, or materials. 20 educators who represent different identities, including different races, ethnicities, and genders participated. Nine educators were from formal environments and eleven educators were from informal settings with direct service and leadership roles. These educators shared their stories by participating in: (1) Remote interviews at three periods during the pandemic (e.g., phone, video conferencing, text, and other social media platforms), (2) Experience Sampling (Csikszentmihalyi, M., & Larson, 1987) twice a month prompts to share information and reflections remotely.

Results and/or substantiated conclusions or warrants for arguments/point of view. Educators’ early efforts positioned them as front-line workers in the COVID-19 pandemic, caring for youth, families, and communities in ways that expanded their work. All 20 educators reported taking important actions to support youth, families, and each other, including COVID related safety actions, culturally responsive practices to support specific communities, providing direct resources to youth and families, serving as inter-community messengers, and offering assistance and reciprocal support to other educators.
This presentation discusses the experiences of one formal and one informal educator. The cases demonstrate that the welfare of youth, families, and educators is inextricably linked. They attest to the adaptive strategies educators developed to serve youth and families with whom they often had long-lasting relationships. Educators in informal community based organizations seamlessly mobilize support networks for youth and families while feeling well-served and supported by their organizations. Limited resources and the inability to serve every youth and family with needs are cited as challenges. In formal education settings, however, educators often supported youth and families with minimal institutional assistance. Formal educators were more likely to report tensions between the district and school guidance and how to serve families most effectively, which was a source of stress and frustration for them.

Scientific or scholarly significance of the study or work. This research challenges the deficit narratives about failing youth ("the lost generation”) and overwhelmed and ineffectual educators. We offer insights for policies and practices within and across formal and informal education sectors in order to better support youth and families of Color, and the educators who serve them.

Authors

• Francisco Parra Camacho
  Non-Presenting Author

• Leslie R. Herrenkohl, University of Michigan
  Presenting Author

• Angela Calabrese Barton, University of Michigan
  Non-Presenting Author

• Hyeri Mel Yang, University of Michigan
  Presenting Author