Parabola Project: Free resources bridging education and health for school leaders

The Learning Accelerator is excited to share a newly redesigned website for the Parabola Project, which provides evidence-informed tools to help school leaders identify options for school reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Parabola Project draws on expertise from both the education and health communities with the goal of minimizing health risks to students, staff, and teachers while maximizing learning and wellness for all students. These resources were developed and curated through a partnership between Ariadne Labs and TLA.

The website is organized to make it easier for educators, school leaders, district leaders, and other stakeholders to find the resources they need with dedicated sections covering Health & Safety as well as Teaching & Learning.

The website also allows visitors to browse by topic, enabling users to quickly find resources for major considerations such as Masks & PPE, Air Quality & Ventilation, and In-Person Instruction. Topic pages feature key recommendations based on scientific research and from experts in health and education. These topic pages also share reflection questions, starting point tools, and examples from other schools for teams to consider as they plan for and implement procedures.

As we approach the one-year mark of the widespread school shutdowns brought on last spring, there are many reasons to stay optimistic. What we know about the virus, how it spreads, and how to mitigate that spread has increased significantly. Millions have been vaccinated – and even more will be in the coming months. As vaccination campaigns continue, safety precautions like masking, physical distancing, improved ventilation, and hand-washing will continue to play important roles in bringing students and teachers back to in-person learning more safely throughout this school year and into the next.

We’re working to ensure the Parabola Project resources remain up-to-date, relevant, and reflective of the latest research from health and education, so remember to keep checking back to see the newest resources and tools from our team!

We want to hear from you! If you have in-person learning resources or suggestions for other topics, please reach out to us at parabolaproject@learningaccelerator.org.