Julie Johnson and Dr. Sarah Solley have been working on an initiative to help support faculty, staff, and their families during the COVID pandemic. With the support of the NYSUT, AFT and the People Project, Julie and Sarah co-chair the Buddy Project of St. Lawrence County with Ashlee Downing-Duke of SLU. Through this new initiative, Julie, Sarah, and Ashlee reviewed the survey results from the fall survey that they sent to staff and one that was sent to area school districts. From there, they were able to identify three specific needs of the community:
- Tutoring/Mentoring Support
- Family Support Groups
- Project in a Box: Promoting off-screen time
Currently, they are ready to offer tutoring and mentoring support. If you have a child in your household that could benefit from extra tutoring or mentoring support, please sign up here: Buddy Project Tutoring/Mentoring Form that was created by our fellow co-chair, Ashlee through SLU's Qualtrics platform. In addition, you may see your child's school advertising the same link as well. Please feel free to reach out to Julie (johnsojl@potsdam.edu) or Sarah (solleysa@potsdam.edu) with any questions.
Planning teams are underway to begin family support groups and the Project in a Box. Stay Tuned!