COVID-19 Notice
Released: 20 March 2020
Please find enclosed a letter from our Executive Director, our official actions related to the management of COVID-19, and resources for South African citizens
An open letter from our Executive Director, Corey Johnson
Dear Imagine Scholar community,
It is with great concern and sympathy that we have watched the spread of COVID-19.
The South African government has been proactive in the prevention and containment of the virus and our community is unaffected at the time of writing. However, we are aware that inadequate health infrastructure and the high instance of immunocompromised individuals in our area are cause to react swiftly and with great care.
As of yesterday, our campus in Nkomazi has closed indefinitely and will remain closed for at least 30 days in the interest of safety for our students and staff.
While remaining cognizant of the severity of COVID-19, we feel it is vital to use this opportunity to strengthen our connection with students and explore innovative approaches to engaging young learners.
At times like this, I am reminded that students don’t come to Imagine Scholar, they are Imagine Scholar. This understanding allows us to decouple our physical space from our ability to enact positive change.
Under circumstances like these, Imagine Scholar will be called upon to be more than just an education program. We will be providing students with crucial sanitary items such as soap, coordinating meal drop-offs in safe and walkable open-air areas that adhere to social distancing protocols, will be giving students 30 days of mobile phone data, and will be transitioning to an accessible digital classroom format hosted via WhatsApp. Students will continue to receive personalized mentorship via weekly phone calls, and we are committed to retaining all of our staff.
Despite the uncertainty that the spread of COVID-19 poses to our community and program, Scholars have exhibited commendable poise and enthusiasm for experimenting with learning in the digital sphere. We move ahead optimistic that these temporary and extraordinary times will only serve to make us stronger.
I would like to express our immense gratitude for your continued support through both the challenges and opportunities that we have encountered on our journey to build a resilient organization.
Regards,
Corey Johnson, Executive Director
Imagine Scholar’s official actions relating to the management of COVID-19
As of Thursday, March 19th, 2020, we announce to our stakeholders today that we are:
1. Canceling the day-to-day on-site sessions of our program, which usually operate Tuesday — Sunday, until further notice. Our campus will be closed for class sessions for at least 1 month but this could be extended based on the reality of the situation.
2. Offering daily academic and personal support to all students via a comprehensive digital learning program. The program facilitates 4–6 hours of curator content that is in line with their normal Imagine Scholar course load. This includes a full academic program, writing groups, online book clubs, health and mindfulness sessions, and more. Each student will also receive weekly one-on-one digital coaching and personal check-ins.
3. Providing students with essential toiletries and school supplies.
4. Coordinating local hubs for the drop-off of supplies and small in-person meetings that honor social distance advisories and do not involve student travel.
5. Suspending work travel until further notice.
6. As the President has issued a travel ban, we are providing facilitators the option to travel home to the United States, if they so choose to be with their families during this time.
7. Maintaining 3 long-term international staff on-site to support our 4 full-time local program staff members.
8. Monitoring the situation closely as it develops in South Africa to ensure we make informed, proactive action in the best interest of our students, staff, and community.
9. Holding all external meetings via online platforms or telephone.
10. Responding to any questions, needs, and ideas from our stakeholder community. Please feel free to contact Caitlin Graaf at caitlin@imaginescholar.org.
Resources for South African citizens
The official National Department of Health COVID-19 support service is providing up-to-date information on COVID-19 in South Africa.
For the latest news follow them on twitter https://twitter.com/HealthZA
WhatsApp users can message +27 60 012 3456 with their questions to access the National Department of Health COVID-19 chatbot.
