Launch of the COVID-19 Public Health and Social Science Research Working Group on Children, Youth and Schools

Learning and Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the urgent need for coordination, collaboration, and information-sharing among researchers worldwide. In May 2020, the GADRRRES group launched the global COVID-19 Public Health and Social Science Research Working Group on Children, Youth and Schools, as part of a wide range of COVID-19 Working Groups for Public Health and Social Sciences Research, under the auspices of the U.S. National Science Foundation-funded, Social Science Extreme Events Research (SSEER) Network, and the CONVERGE facility hosted by the Natural Hazards Center, at the University of Colorado Boulder.

The Working Group focuses on creating a supportive and collaborative environment for research coordination and communication, in order to learn about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the effectiveness of COVID-19 response efforts, on the rights of children and youth. These rights include:

● Safety, Survival and Protection: esp. health, water sanitation and hygiene, child protection and psychosocial impacts and support;

● Education, Learning and Development: educational continuity especially looking at differential impacts and outcomes of variations in education policy and programming, as well as in home-based, distance learning outcomes;

● Participation: engagement of children and youth in safety and recovery.

A Research Agenda was elaborated in order to better exchange knowledge across what were previously siloed efforts. The Research Agenda includes the following ten main Priority Topics:

1. Innovations in Educational Continuity / Teaching and Learning

2. Student, Family and Teacher Well-being

3. Educational Impacts, Learning Acceleration and Measurement

4. Education Sector Governance and School Safety Management

5. Economic Impacts of School Disruption and Resource Allocation

6. Safer School Facilities and WASH

7. Family Safety, Risk Reduction and Resilience Education

8. Participatory Research with Children and Youth

9. Twin-track Interventions for Gender, Disability, Immigrant, Refugee, Homeless: Inclusion and Equity

10. Child and Social Protection (incl. nutrition, recreation, physical exercise, health screening)

The COVID-19 Public Health and Social Science Research Working Group on Children, Youth and Schools was officially launched during an Inauguration Forum organised on 23 March 2021. The recording of the event is available here.

The Research Agenda and the dedicated Working Group page can be accessed here

Access more information about the CONVERGE COVID-19 Working Group on Children, Youth and Schools