2020-VULC

VULC (Virtually Unstoppable Leadership Campaign) is a project created to inspire virtual leadership during ‘shelter-in-place’. Minors of all ages have been unable to perform certain activities that they would have been able to before, and their mental and physical health is  compromised. Social distancing has affected  their education as well, especially with families who cannot afford the equipment to adjust to remote learning. Even parents with toddlers and newborns are struggling, with a limited number of ways to keep their children occupied. Issues such as these are the main focus of VULC, and what we at ‘9 Planets Club’ are currently tackling.

Virtually unstoppable proposals:

• We have compiled Science activity kits to keep younger children engaged during this time. Each kit contains more than twenty high quality science lab tools from brands like ‘Corning’ and ‘Fisher Scientific’. We put together a brochure with details on each tool and its uses that students can apply at home. We encourage other local clubs to help in this initiative.
• Platforms such as Zoom, Google Meet, etc. are already being used by teens for remote learning. We are promoting their use for extracurricular activities, science projects  through our club and other local clubs.  We are able to continue our ‘pre-covid’ projects by connecting virtually. 

• Friends and neighbors can significantly help navigate through the troubles of remote learning.

• Creating informal networks of friends through social media sites and connecting with other parents can allow low income families to share resources and tackle any issues together
  

Demographic specific risk details:

COVID-19 risks for Teens

• Teenagers specifically are suffering due to the pandemic in terms of their overall health (lack of socialization, exercise, etc)
• Youths within this age range tend to ignore social distancing orders, which is surprising considering the tremendous risk it poses for them in particular
• It was reported on Sept 28, 2020 by the CDC that teenagers/adolescent youth are twice as susceptible to COVID-19 compared to younger children
• The CDC examined 277,825 specific cases, and 63% of those cases affected minors above the age of 12
• A study by The Rox Institute found that 80% of adolescent girls feel “more lonely and isolated than before”

Education Disadvantages

• The shift to remote learning has caused a massive demand for the necessary equipment (computers, speakers, built-in cameras, etc)
• About 50 million families in the U.S. are considered to be “low income families,” which makes acquiring basic resources such as a strong internet connection, pcs, and tutors challenging
• The income of families with non-clerical jobs has been severely affected by the pandemic, causing their children’s education to be compromised

Younger Children

• A study performed at the end of March showed that 57% of mothers and 32% of fathers reported worsening mental health during the pandemic. 
• Experts in similar fields of research say that situations such as the pandemic will always have a psychological toll, especially on parents who are forced to balance their household, financial and professional responsibilities along with keeping their children occupied.  
• This is especially true for front-line workers, who can’t work remotely like some other parents can. 
• It has also proven to be difficult for parents to find educational and recreational resources for their children.