Case Study: How a bootstrapping parent-run pod served at-risk students
When the pandemic closed schools in Denver, an enterprising parent with community connections stepped in to meet immediate needs—and paved a new path to supporting students and families in the future.
Key Lessons
- Families across the socioeconomic spectrum self-organized to support their children and one another during the pandemic. This community power presents a strong opportunity for school districts to work in partnership with families and serve students in new ways and outside school buildings beyond the pandemic.
- Preexisting community ties strengthened families’ ability to self-organize and support learning in pods during the pandemic.
- Access to financial and educational resources were critical to elevating the instructional rigor of family-run pods.
- Disconnection from district resources made it more difficult for self-organized pods to fully serve all students—including those who required special education services.
