Marin Considers 'Learning Hubs' To Supplement Distance Learning

MARIN COUNTY, CA — As the school year begins, Marin students who struggle with remote instruction may soon receive a leg up if the county moves to plant "learning hubs" within the community.

The hubs would benefit children in underserved neighborhoods, providing them with access to tutors and support systems to meet with at local libraries, churches and community centers.

Ken Lippi, assistant superintendent for the Marin County Office of Education, told the Marin Independent Journal that the hubs would especially benefit children struggling to learn from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We know the year is going to begin without kids on school campuses,” Lippi told the Marin Independent Journal. “It’s extremely important to set support systems in place for kids who are in families where there are obstacles and challenges with distance learning and who might not have the opportunity of private pods and tutoring.”

Communities in San Francisco have already approved such hubs, and in September will be turning local community centers and recreation facilities into learning hubs where students can visit each day to use computers and receive help from adults, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Starting in September, dozens of recreation facilities, libraries and community centers across the city will be transformed into “learning hubs,” spaces where young students who may struggle with remote instruction can go each day to access their digital classwork and the social interactions that virtual schooling cannot provide.

Bank of Marin has opted to financially back the program in Marin by donating $200,000, which will allow local teachers, government agencies, nonprofits and faith-based partners to launch hub sites around the county.

Read more at the Marin Independent Journal.