Forging Ahead
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been lengthened to allow for teachers to sanitize classroom surfaces and tools before the next class period. Furthermore, administrators and staff have all jumped in to cover dish duty. These scheduling changes have been an adjustment, but will ultimately help keep our community healthy.
Overall, Alzar School is programmatically well equipped to operate in-person in the COVID-19 era. Teachers are accustomed to outdoor instruction, students are naturally segmented into yurt pods, and our 102-acre Idaho campus provides ample learning space and experiential opportunities. Finally, we have the knowledge and resources to conduct our expeditionary programs and spend extended periods of time outdoors and in remote areas. Nonetheless, Alzar School has had to make some programmatic changes. Prior to students’ arrival, staff were asked to restrict their travel and adhere to heightened social distancing protocols in order to warrant that incoming students arrive at a healthy campus. Three rounds of COVID-19 testing were administered to students and staff before and during the first weeks of the semester. During these first few weeks, classes and study periods are being held outdoors with students masked or socially distant. Meals are served in waves and eaten outside. Yet, there are some programmatic challenges Alzar School will continue to face. We are still uncertain whether international travel to Chile will be possible. Time will tell, but we are optimistic that, even if we cannot make our trip to South America, we can offer exciting domestic-based expeditions in new course areas as well as cultural exchange and leadership experiences that will fulfill our mission of building leaders who positively impact the world.
It’s been a communal effort to get ready for this year, with people pitching in to haul concrete, hang curtains, weed whack and sanitize. As an organization, we are not averse to adapting and working hard. In fact, this is the norm. The overwhelming abundance of positivity from our staff as they jumped into help with construction, learn new protocols and adjust programmatically gives us reassurance and hope that we can mitigate the risk of COVID-19 and operate an in-person experience that is equally, if not more, powerful to past semesters. It is clear that we are living in historic times, yet Alzar School is determined to emerge from the current challenge stronger and better than ever.
scheduling is even more complex. Director of Studies, Laura Bechdel, Dean of Students, Michael Ervin, and others have worked particularly hard to arrange student and staff schedules in order to reduce the number of people and time spent in any particular space and accommodate extra precautions all without, to the best of our ability, diminishing the power of social and mentor relationships at Alzar School. For example, this semester the transition time between classes has been lengthened to allow for teachers to sanitize classroom surfaces and tools before the next class period. Furthermore, administrators and staff have all jumped in to cover dish duty to limit the time students spend indoors and in close proximity to each other. These scheduling changes have been an adjustment, but will ultimately help keep our community healthy.