Recently members from our YAM teams across the world convened over zoom to discuss YAM during and after COVID-19. Due to our geographical spread we had to meet up on two separate calls. One with participants from our Australian YAM team and another call with our many Swedish YAM sites, representatives from our Indian and UK teams, and our YAM groups across the USA: from Baltimore in the east, Dallas in the south and Montana in the north. We spent two hours on two separate calls to discuss youth, YAM, and the COVID-19 crisis.
Most of us, and certainly most of the YAM youth have never lived through a worldwide pandemic before. There is no guide, no timeframe, no prior experience. This causes uncertainty, stress, and anxiety. Many have lost family members or community members. Their family members may have lost employment or money may be tight due to wages lost. Some young people may have also lost their financial freedom with the loss of part time employment.
Young people that our YAM teams have talked to have expressed feeling “cooped up” at home, missing friends and extended family members. They describe missed opportunities at school and in their personal life. This includes excursions, productions, birthdays, other celebrations and events. Concern was expressed about the loss of schools as an institution in which students trust and are protected. Schools play an important role in being gatekeepers for safety, health, relationships, structure, and safety of young people.
In Australia, young people were affected first in December and January by the bushfire crisis and then again by COVID-19 in March. Young people across the USA, particularly black youth, are living through both the ripple effects of the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd and police brutality across the United States.
YAM and COVID-19
YAM activities ceased more or less everywhere in the world at the end of March. In most YAM sites across the world, schools are slowly reopening and YAM delivery will resume either before or after the summer (or winter, depending on our geographical location). In most cases, each school will self-assess their readiness for the program. Schools in different countries have tried out hybrid models with smaller classes and YAM teams will have to consider whether doing YAM in these smaller groups is possible. Thus far schools have been, and hopefully will continue to be, willing to engage in open and flexible discussion with YAM coordinators.
The COVID-19 crisis will continue to affect our communities for a long time and the worldwide YAM community is ready to partake in the work to meet the emotional needs of our young people.