We Are Also Superheroes

In early January, 2020, the United States braced for the Coronavirus's inevitable arrival. By the end of the month, the first cases were confirmed in Washington state. Two months later, on March 11, the World Health Organization declarred the novel coronavirus a global pandemic. Following a wave of "Shelter in Place" or "Safer at Home" orders from their respective governors, school districts and universities across the country transitioned to online or remote learning. What was initially thought to be a temporary change quickly became the new normal for the rest of the school year.

This exhibit will highlight how schools, teachers, and students responded to the Coronavirus. It documents how the shift to only not only was difficult for students who now had no planned schedule, but also for teachers who miss the rush of being with their students. Through the items collected here, we see how students and teachers worked to balance the way their roles as parents, students, and professionals now overlapped at home, and struggled with the sense of loss that came with the move online. While the quarantine has led to a loss of hope, however, teachers have nevertheless worked to raise spirits high.