During COVID-19, how does a trauma-informed school pivot to distance learning?

Antioch Middle School seventh grader Alyssia Garcia was accustomed to scanning the cafeteria during lunch for kids who might need her assistance. “I’d look for kids who looked sad, kids who were sitting alone, kids who looked angry,” says Garcia, a peer advocate at her school.

When she’d spot students sitting alone or looking sad, she’d approach them and ease into conversation. “If it’s a sad person, I’ll try to cheer them up or ask them what the problem is,” she says. “If it’s someone sitting alone, I’ll try to start up a conversation and ask them their name, or what class they have next.”