iSprowt

Tag: school closure

  • How Parents are Doing During School Closures

    Ask any parent how they are doing during school closures and the answer they provide will likely change depending on the day, the hour, or even the minute, and it absolutely depends on their at-home situation.

    Most families are doing what they can to make it work – trying to find balance between work, school, and family. They might be enjoying family time more now that there is less after school and weekend activity. Without baseball tournaments, robotics club meetings, and scout campouts, there is a lot more time for family bike rides, home movie nights, virtual meetups with friends and family, and assembling puzzles… so many puzzles!

    But, after the kids go to bed, the second shift begins. This is when parents must catch up on their day after spending the day focusing most of their attention on their kids. If they have the privilege of working from home, have a co-parent or another adult in the home, and/or a child who can work independently for any period of time, they might have been able to squeeze in a few work calls during the day or respond to the most important emails, but late night is probably the only time they have to focus on a more intense project.

    Many parents are losing sleep, but the causes are numerous: too much work, not enough work, too much school, not enough school, our mental health, our kid’s mental health, frustration, fear, and worry.

    For some families, this is a nightmare. There is so much to worry about. Parents who are essential workers are struggling to find childcare and may be worried about exposing their loved ones to COVID-19 after stressful workdays or nights. Parents are worried about young children who are struggling with social distance and virtual school and are battling some big emotions. Parents are worried about maintaining social distance while protecting their children’s mental health. Parents are worried about paying the bills when their businesses are closed, they have been furloughed, or the work they typically do just does not exist at this time.

    Surprisingly, some families have found that educating from home has proven to work well for their families. Their children are thriving with a less structured schedule, time to explore interests in-depth, and more quality time with parents and family. These parents have reached out to their current schools to ask about the process of transitioning to traditional homeschool for the 2020-2021 school year and have started researching homeschool curriculums. In some cases, staying at home is improving their family dynamic and they are excited about the possibilities. iSprowt is working toward partnering with homeschool curriculum vendors so families can use school funds to purchase iSprowt kits. If you would like to use school funds to purchase iSprowt kits, contact us so we can partner with your vendor.

    If you are looking for tiny ways to improve your stress, keep your kids busy, or supplement their education, iSprowt is here for you.

    • We are here to help by providing low-cost, high-quality, low-mess, educational gifts for your kids.
    • If you are in a position to help other families during school closures, you can donate iSprowt kits to children in need and help decrease their risk of falling behind during COVID-19 school closures by purchasing a kit here and selecting “donate” at checkout. We are partnering with schools to provide donated iSprowt kits directly to the students who need them most

  • COVID-19 School Closures- How to Keep Children From Falling Behind

    school closures

    Today’s students are facing an unprecedented challenge when it comes to learning science. A recent Los Angeles Times article indicated California students are struggling to meet the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) adopted nationally in 2013. These standards were designed to teach core scientific concepts via hands-on activity. Unfortunately, with limited budgets for scientific materials and space to store materials for multiple classes of up to 40 students, meeting the standards has so far been a challenge. Now, with students completely out of the classroom for the remainder of the school year thanks to COVID-19 upending life as we knew it, limited materials available at home, and parents’ lack of comfort teaching STEM subjects, achieving these standards could be completely out of reach for many students.

    Interestingly, the LA Times article cites a specific example from the fifth-grade test which asks students to engage in “ordering the stages of a plant’s life cycle on a diagram.” This very topic is brought to life through the hands-on activities included in iSprowt’s first kit! In kit 1, kids in kindergarten through fifth-grade sprout herb seeds, plant them in soil, place them in a sunlit window, water them, and track their growth. By kit 4, the fully grown herbs are harvested and the kids learn to make their very own pasta sauce — completing the life cycle of the plant with hands-on activities they will be able to recall when it’s time to take the standardized NGSS test. Activities like this example also help students understand how science applies to them as a regular part of life in their home and their community. 

    With iSprowt’s new Donate the Gift of STEM program, you can help students bring these core scientific concepts to life. iSprowt was designed to help children achieve their highest potential in school and in life through hands-on, fun, STEM kits which include experiments, easy-to-follow instructions, and materials mailed directly to their homes monthly. iSprowt kits get them unplugged and experimenting in exciting ways. 

    Knowing that many families are experiencing serious financial difficulty, we decided to take action. Here’s how you can help support children during this crisis:

    -Donate kits to children in need and help decrease their risk of falling behind during COVID-19 school closures by purchasing a kit via the link below and selecting “donate” at checkout. We are partnering with schools to provide donated iSprowt kits directly to the students who need them most.

    -For every 100 kits donated, iSprowt will donate an additional $500 of iSprowt kits.

    -Help spread the word about iSprowt and our Donate the Gift of STEM program. Email your friends, share on social media, and talk to your family members about this program during your next family video chat – encourage them to donate kits as well! 

    This crisis has shown us just how essential it is to have a future workforce with a passion for STEM. Together, we can spark that passion and build a solid STEM foundation for students all over the country.  

    Educational Gifts for Kids: Donate the Gift of STEM to a child in need, visit the page here.