What Newark students need now: A student-led event to plan for pandemic recovery

Over the past year, Newark’s high school students have watched their worlds turn upside down.

School buildings shut down for 13 months, and classes moved online. Art and athletic pursuits were put on hold, and socializing was confined to social media. Many teenagers spent the school day looking after younger siblings or earning paychecks to help support their families.

Now, as classrooms slowly come back to life and planning gets underway for the summer and next school year, it’s critical that we take stock of the past year and contemplate what should happen next. And the people best equipped to do that are students.

On May 19, Chalkbeat will co-host a virtual event on Zoom where Newark high school students will come together to discuss the pandemic recovery.

First, students will split into groups to discuss four key issues: mental health, academic recovery, college readiness, and student advocacy. Each group will come up with specific recommendations that can help guide decision-makers as they plan for the months and years ahead.

Immediately after the planning session, students will present their ideas to the public. All community members are invited to attend.

Please join us and help spread the word to Newark high schoolers. RSVP here to attend.

This event is hosted by Chalkbeat Newark, The Newark News and Story Collaborative at WBGO, and Free Press.