“Grades aren’t everything”

June 4, 2021 — Season 1

School was a source of anxiety for many students during the pandemic. Noah and Zion discuss the highs and lows of virtual learning and share a wide range of stories from students across the country about how changes in learning impacted their mental health. This episode includes a conversation with mental health counselor Edith Porter about the youth mental health crisis and tips on how to cope with stress inside and outside of school. Click here for this episode’s transcript.

Stories were produced by Asare from Gwinnett County Public Schools in Duluth, Georgia with help from connected educator Sheri Long; Kennedi from Frederick Douglass High School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland with help from connected educator Patrice Lawrence; both Jackson and Emily from the FV Pankow Center in Clinton Township Michigan with support from connected educator Michael Kaufman; Amina from Early College and Career Center in Elizabethtown, Kentucky with help from connected educator Mary Dunn; Kaitlyn and Jake from Loudon Valley High School in Purcellville, Virginia with help from connected educator Shari Adwers; and Cora and Abigail from Black River Falls High School in Black River Falls, Wisconsin with help from Connected Educator Julie Tiedens. This episode was produced and edited by Student Reporting Labs Associate Youth Media Producer Becky Wandel and Youth Media Producer Briget Ganske with production assistance from Mercedes Ezeji.