Over the past year, the Adagio Health Education team has worked closely with school partners in western Pennsylvania to deliver programming to our students. The Education team was able to navigate and integrate new platforms to make virtual teaching possible. Although it was difficult to foretell a successful outcome during these major changes, one theme emerged that made all of it possible, “everyone was there to help one another.” Regardless of job titles or “regular” tasks -- administrators, institutional leaders, policy makers, and organizations all came together with a universal notion of “support to all” -- which made it possible for people to navigate the isolation and demands of life throughout the pandemic.

During the shut-down, the Education team delivered Social Emotional Learning and sexual health education to our students virtually. The Teen Outreach Program (TOP) continued to provide equitable access to high quality facilitation, but this time with a stronger focus on empathy, developing a positive sense of self, the importance of human relationships, and the importance of connection to attain resiliency amongst students. Students were able to maintain that human interaction and even create new connections with other peers from different counties, as they engaged in meaningful conversations about social and emotional learning on a weekly basis.



With September now upon us, most students and facilitators have begun the 2021-2022 school year, and many of us are together once again. It is important to highlight that the Adagio Health Education team, as well as our community partners, remain just as committed as they were during the last year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensuring the safety of all. This year, most classes are expected to be taught and facilitated in person, and the Education team is eager and looking forward to reuniting with students and welcoming new team members. As the year unfolds, educators and team leaders are simultaneously preparing for any changes that may occur with a sense of confidence that whether virtual or in person, education will be successful.