Some of the SocEntEDU community came together last Thursday night for a virtual happy hour. We logged into Zoom from Hawaii, California, Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.

Our guiding question: In this age of COVID-19 physical distancing, what might social connection and social solidarity look like?

One participant, a middle school teacher, has had to shift to teaching online. To make that transition, he had invested his energy into designing what he called “meaningful work.” But when teaching online went live he noticed that “My students need me in ways that I didn’t even realize. They want structure and connection.” He described playing a game with 6th graders over videoconference until “class” was over—and then the students asked if they could stay on longer.

Another participant in the SocEntEDU virtual gathering noted that he is observing “Loneliness, fear, uncertainty. People seem to feel like they need to make a choice between themselves and others.”

Someone replied, “We are trying to find out where the aloha is in our response to COVID-19.” She then told the story of her Honolulu neighbors entering one another’s garages, opening freezers, and dropping off fish to ensure that everyone has something to eat.

SocEntEDU stands for Social Entrepreneurship Education—yet, as you can see, not all of the conversation was aimed at “school.”

Rather, we were focused on relationships. Or, as our guiding question put it, “social connection and social solidarity.”

Only once we had take the time to listen to what was on one another’s mind did we address the big questions about education. Two people phrased those questions about post-COVID-19 school best:

• “How intentional will we be about what we keep and what we let go of?” (Implication: this is a design challenge. Who are our users? What do they need to do? How can we design with and for them?)

• “How do we turn a page?” (Implication: we’re still reading the same story, but the plot is evolving. Are we keeping up with that shifting narrative?)

Those questions are seeds that are beginning to gestate. And we are planting them in the soil of our relationships.

How are you tilling, watering, fertilizing, and providing sunlight to that soil?

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