Impacts of COVID-19 on Youth Dialogue

There’s no doubt that the spring 2020 school semester was put into disarray when the pandemic shut down schools across the nation. Educators and students had to find new ways to connect since meeting in person was no longer allowed. PCRC pivoted its administered programs like the Central County Prevention Partnership (CCPP) in conjunction with San Mateo County Health Behavioral Health and Recovery Services. CCPP youth participants who advocate for reduced youth access to drugs and alcohol were scheduled to make presentations about their work at a community event. Since the event couldn’t take place and considering the many changes they endured at the end of the school year, they decided to hold a virtual dialogue to address the impacts COVID-19 has had on youth and education providers.

 The virtual dialogue took place June 30th with Juliet Vimahi, PCRC Engaging Communities Associate as moderator. The hour-long discussion was broadcast over Zoom and Facebook Live. The five panelists, two students and three educators, talked about the changes they had to make, how people adjusted or didn’t adjust, and the emotional journey they observed. Juliet notes that mental health was a topic that continued to surface throughout the dialogue. With the graduating class missing out on the senior year experience, no prom, no graduation ceremony, or a chance to say goodbye to friends, and educators overhauling how they do their jobs and feeling as if they’ve abandoned their students, thoughts of hopelessness are understandable.

After the virtual dialogue took place, Juliet received messages of support from the community, especially for the youth presenters. “This pandemic has been hard on everyone, and those stories were great testimonies our community needed to hear,” says Juliet. Watch the playback of the virtual dialogue on our Facebook page for ideas on how to help students and educators navigate the new normal this fall.