Using the Grand Pathways Framework to Identify and Bridge Gaps Post-COVID-19

Use Case 1: Identifying Gaps in Infrastructure as a Result of SARS CoV 2 (COVID-19)

Education is a major driver of social cohesion. During their time in school, children learn critical social skills and integrate within one or more communities—their classmates, their teammates, and others. Education is also a major source of employment (teachers, administrators, maintenance staff, etc.) and enables the economy as educational institutions allow parents to work during the day while their kids attend school.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020 and schools shut down, the education sector was significantly impacted, which exposed major gaps and challenges.

• In terms of safety and security, in the absence of a traditional school day, many students lost their food security, as two of their three daily meals were provided at school.

• Students lost access to the counselors, teachers, and other staff who looked out for their physical and mental health; students who are victims of violence or abuse lost much of their opportunity to be identified and helped.[14] The transition to virtual learning highlighted social inequalities, where students without reliable internet access, a quiet space to work, a caregiver to help with technology or assignments, or a personal computer were unable to participate meaningfully in a virtual educational format.

• There is also the economic impact of parents who need to stay home or find child care as their children learn remotely.[15]

• Ultimately, all of these concerns and more have led to a governance issue. Decision makers and policy makers must navigate the trade space between the safety, security, and health of teachers and school staff and the economic, educational, and social ramifications of school closures.

• New and increased demands on IT and cyberinfrastructure and security emerged, as the majority of students engaged in online learning.[16]

• This shift to remote learning also resulted in a loss of training/workforce preparation. This will have impacts on current or future employment of students, and impacts on employers who are operating to hire staff.

Therein lie the opportunities to identify resilience science and technology capabilities and innovations. For example, in understanding the educational, mental, and behavioral effects of prolonged remote learning, it is possible to develop innovative learning plans that are adaptive to social, economic, and cultural contexts while integrating the latest advancements in remote and in-person learning technologies and research. An additional example could be solutions that improve HVAC systems and airflow in school buildings so they can be reoccupied more safely. Another major gap that could be addressed by resilience science and technology is in broadband access and other innovations that expand internet and computer access to all students.

14 Hawrilenko M, Kroshus E, Tandon P, Christakis D. 2021. “The Association Between School Closures and Child Mental Health During COVID-19.” JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(9):e2124092. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.24092 This article is available on the National Library of Medicine PubMed website at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34477850/

[15] Jackson, J.K., 2022. “Global Economic Effects of COVID-19: Overview,” updated February 14, 2022, Congressional Research Service Report, https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46270.

[16] Government Accountability Office, 2022. “Critical Infrastructure Protection: Additional Federal Coordination Is Needed to Enhance K-12 Cybersecurity.” GAO Report GAO-23-105480 https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-105480.pdf