With the rapid increase in preventative measures to help slow the spread of coronavirus, it appears that virtual learning will be a common practice in public schools for the foreseeable future. No surprise, these safety precautions have left some families in a stressful situation of figuring out how to juggle work and helping their children learn from home. 

At Jackrabbit Class, we genuinely care about the work we do and how it affects our clients. We don’t say your big dreams are our top priority for nothing. When we have the ability to return a sense of normalcy to our clients during a stressful time, we get creative and go all in with new helpful features so that swim, gymnastics, dance and other youth activity programs can continue to thrive. 

So you can’t imagine how inspired we were when we discovered that some of our clients have stepped up to the plate to help return a sense of normalcy to their customers by opening up their doors to provide virtual learning assistance to their students and parents. 

Tips for providing virtual learning assistance at your facility

If you’re interested in helping the families of your program by offering a safe space for students to complete their  eLearning this fall, here are five things you should consider: 

Know what you can and can’t offer

Before you go public with a plan to turn your facility into a place where kids can complete their virtual learning this fall, you need to know if any additional licensing is required. Licensing regulations differ from state-to-state, so before you begin providing a different kind of learning experience for children at your facility, taking this first step is a must.

With a new program comes new policies and operating procedures. For those students who will be completing their distance learning at your facility this fall, are you able to provide families an easy way to obtain and sign this new agreement? 

Outline the kind of assistance you will offer

You’ve attained the proper licensing (if required) to open your facility to students for eLearning this fall. Now it’s time to outline exactly what you will and will not be offering to students at your facility. 

Questions to ask yourself when determining the assistance you will offer: 

• Do you plan to provide wifi and a safe space for students to work at least six feet apart?
• Will you have a faculty member on hand to help answer any questions students may have about their school work? 
• Should students bring their own hand sanitizer or will sanitizing stations be set-up throughout your facility. 
• What will lunch look like – will you provide a refrigerator, will there be a set time for everyone to eat, will lunches be staggered by students, etc.?

This may seem a bit nit-picky, but the more thought out the virtual learning assistance program is, the less questions you will have from concerned parents.

Set a positive mindset 

Virtual learning, eLearning, distance learning- whatever you call it, is a new concept for a majority of students and parents. Try to approach this new offering with the spirit of adventure and be open to doing things differently. 

Integrate other parts of your program 

Regardless of what assistance you provide parents, at the end of the day, you’re still a dance teacher, swim coach or gym coach. Don’t try to segment the passion you have for your sport or art form apart from distance learning program. Combine the two by offering virtual learning in the morning then activity camp in the afternoon! 

Need help setting up classes and camps are your facility? Give Jackrabbit Class a 30-day try then partner with one of our Product Coaches to get your program up and running today!

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Talk to your peers 

Sometimes creative problem solving is easier to accomplish in a group than alone. If you want to provide assistance to families at your facility but you’re struggling to outline your offering, see what others in your industry are doing. 

This is not a time to worry about competition. At the end of the day, it’s about providing a safe and engaging environment for every student to thrive. 

How to communicate virtual learning assistance plan to parents

Host an interest, kick-off meeting

Connecting with parents at your facility is crucial, as they will have many questions regarding your new offering. Holding an in-person or virtual meeting to support their concerns is very important to making them feel heard and putting their fears at ease. 

Email and Parent Portal notifications 

Whether you need to target a select group of students or your entire database, you can easily create and send an email with virtual learning details to any active or inactive student through Jackrabbit. 

If returning families are enrolling for the upcoming season through their Parent Portal, use the notification feature to display a message outlining the details of your new virtual learning assistance program.

Related content:

The ultimate guide to reopening a business after closure

How to restructure classes at your youth activity center for reopening

Jackrabbit Help Center: The road to reopening