The start of online-only classes for Minneapolis Public School has presented challenges for several families in our neighborhood, including NHLC members, with parents working from home at the same time they are supervising their children taking online classes. The solution for these families was to set up “learning pods,” where parents take turns supervising a small group of kids—up to 6 children—taking online classes. This frees up time for the other parents and is more engaging for the children.
In August, the Church Council received a request to make a couple of rooms on our lower level available to two “learning pods.” The Council agreed to the use at its September meeting.
Each pod will probably use their room two or three times a week with each session lasting a few hours.
The supervisor of the pod is responsible for making sure the children wear masks and maintain social distancing. They are also responsible for cleaning and sanitizing the room after each session. In addition, the parents of all children will sign waivers releasing NHLC from any liability if their child gets sick.
In order to make this work we need to upgrade our Internet bandwidth. We are expediting this process so that the two pods can get started as soon as possible. If neighbors want to set up additional pods, NHLC will consider these requests on an individual basis.The Council believes making space available to a learning pod is a great opportunity to get to know our neighbors and provide a valuable service to our community!
