Education

Pandemic Spurs A Student's College Plan Pivot

5:22pm May 17, 2020

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Ariadne Quintero, a high school senior in Orlando, Fla., who's chosen to attend community college rather than a four-year university due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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With live ceremonies canceled across the U.S., former President Barack Obama gave graduating seniors a virtual commencement address on Saturday during the virtual event Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020.

Obama, Malala, Jonas Brothers Send Off Class Of 2020 In Virtual Graduation

4:28pm May 17, 2020

by Emma Bowman

In a Saturday broadcast, a star-studded event honored high school seniors who didn't get the traditional graduation because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Seniors line up in cars with their families in the main drive of Webster County High School in Dixon, Ky., waiting to pick up their diplomas outside of the school one at a time. Like almost all schools across the U.S., county high school officials had to

A Kentucky County High School Honors Class Of 2020 With A Drive-Through Ceremony

12:15pm May 17, 2020

by Ashley Westerman

Webster County High School officials couldn't hold the big annual graduation event in the gym this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic — so the idea for a drive-through graduation was born.

Former President Barack Obama talks during a panel with NBA players in Chicago on Feb. 15.

In Virtual Speech To Black Graduates, Obama Says U.S. Lacks Leadership On Coronavirus

10:53am May 17, 2020

by Juana Summers

"This pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they're doing," Obama told students from historically black colleges and universities.

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Education

Colleges Weigh What It Would Take To Reopen Campuses For Fall Semester

9:36am May 17, 2020

by Elissa Nadworny

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County, president Freeman Hrabowski discusses the options with NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro and Elissa Nadworny.

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Shades Of Yale Brings Songs From The Black Diaspora To The Virtual Stage

7:28am May 16, 2020

NPR's Scott Simon speaks to a capella singer and Yale sophomore Gabrielle Barnes about how her group has taken concerts online to celebrate college commencement.

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San Diego State University is among the 23 campuses of the California State University system that will hold their fall semesters online as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Cal State Chancellor Says Virtual Classes Can Still Lead To 'Lifetime Of Opportunity'

1:20pm May 15, 2020

Tuition will not drop for online learning, says Timothy White, chancellor of the largest four-year public college system in the U.S., due to the costs of additional technology and faculty training.

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Education

Researchers Examine Long-Term Effects Of Students Being Out Of School

8:00am May 15, 2020

by David Greene

Teachers describe the challenges their students face learning from home. How much has the pandemic set back children's academic progress, and when schools reopen, will students be ready?

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Here's A Fun Project For Your Kids: Send NPR A Postcard!

7:03am May 15, 2020

We're looking to tell the story of how school and learning have changed around the country. Parents, if you want to help - have your kids create a postcard, and you can send it to us at NPR.

Children in isolation are developing mental health issues.

With School Buildings Closed, Children's Mental Health Is Suffering

4:50pm May 14, 2020

by Anya Kamenetz

A top pediatrician calls for reopening schools as soon as possible because of the negative impact the shutdown is having on students' learning and mental health.

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