Companies, Ed Tech Organizations Band to Help Families Through Hotline

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 04/16/20

Nearly 90 companies and education technology organizations have joined a growing volunteer effort to help families and teachers affected by school closures. People who call or text (855) 264-2051 can get "concrete help or advice" in any number of areas:

  • Emergency childcare;

  • Finding meals;

  • Financial support;

  • Getting computing devices;

  • Tutoring;

  • Psychological help;

  • Tech support; and

  • Remote learning.

So far, according to SchoolClosures.org co-founder Manisha Snoyer, some 85,000 people have visited the website, and the organization has taken calls from families and teachers "all over the country." Snoyer is also the co-founder of Modulo.App, an "experimental project" that supports parents as they involve themselves in their children's education.

The program has 150 volunteers. Participating organizations include Class Dojo, Donors Choose, Intuit, Khan Academy, Revolution Foods and Salesforce. The hotline is staffed by volunteers with experience in education and social services, according to Snoyer.

Snoyer said the initiative is "growing every day as new volunteers and organizations reach out to see how they can be of support." That's evolving, she noted, "as we learn more about what parents and teachers need and create new projects to support them."

More information is available on the School Closures website.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • computer with a red warning icon on its screen, surrounded by digital grids, glowing neural network patterns, and a holographic brain

    Report Highlights Security Concerns of Open Source AI

    In these days of rampant ransomware and other cybersecurity exploits, security is paramount to both proprietary and open source AI approaches — and here the open source movement might be susceptible to some inherent drawbacks, such as use of possibly insecure code from unknown sources.

  • open digital book with a glowing holographic AI assistant emerging from its pages

    Partnership Brings AI Teaching Assistant to SchoolsPLP Course Library

    SchoolsPLP, a provider of PreK-12 digital curriculum and learning solutions, has partnered with Agilix Labs to integrate the latter's BusyBee AI teaching assistant into its K-12 course library.

  • DreamBox Math

    Discovery Education Announces Accessibility Enhancements for DreamBox Math

    Discovery Education has updated DreamBox Math, an online math program for K–8 students to supplement core instruction, to improve accessibility for K–5 students, according to a news release. DreamBox Math provides personalized instruction by adapting to individual learners’ responses and providing an engaging, dynamic learning environment.

  • A teacher and students gather around a glowing crystal ball containing a miniature school building surrounded by clear AI symbols, including holographic interfaces, neural networks, circuits, and data streams

    2025 Predictions: AI's Impact on Education

    What should schools and districts expect from the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence in the coming year? Here's what the experts told us.