March 17, 2020
ImpactTulsa Partners and Community Members,
As an education community, we have faced many challenges and know that by coming together collectively, we can get through not only COVID-19, but anything. This belief in collective impact – people coming together to solve social problems with a targeted strategy – is what drives us at ImpactTulsa. As our region, state and country grapple with the uncertainty of this time, we remain steadfast in our commitment to keep our community at the heart of what we do.
Many of you may have heard the news that in an effort to keep students, families and our community’s health and well-being first, Oklahoma’s State Board of Education voted yesterday to close all public, charter and virtual schools across the state until at least April 6. To ensure that we can best serve you as a convenor and partner, our staff operations have moved remotely and I’m proud to say that our operations continue to be strong.
As we closely monitor this situation, we want to share an update on ways that we are working to support you:
Foster Collaboration
Within the next week, ImpactTulsa will host a virtual video conference call for our 20 school district partner leaders and the nonprofit community with the following intended results:
- To share resources that are available to serve families
- To identify additional needs that have not been met
- To learn from other communities in Tulsa County and share best practices and plans to support our school communities
Hub for current information
We are listening to experts and staying on top of guidance from the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and others tasked with keeping us all safe. ImpactTulsa will provide daily updates on all social media platforms for access to the latest news, support, and resources available during the COVID-19 epidemic. In addition, ImpactTulsa will provide a weekly email blast with news updates and resources for parents, partners, and schools. Make sure you are following ImpactTulsa on Facebook and Twitter and have signed up to receive our emails.
Capacity Building Support
ImpactTulsa exists to bring partners together across sectors to support students by solving challenges facing our community. We are prepared to adapt to the needs of our partners in this season and request that you reach out to us to share any assistance you or your organization needs during this time.
Additionally, for the safety of our community, we have postponed all in-person events. We know how important it is for us to come together to problem-solve and collaboratively develop solutions. Therefore, ImpactTulsa will provide a host of virtual professional development offerings and events that will be included in the weekly blast.
Together, we will make it through this challenging time by exhibiting the compassion and unity the Tulsa region is known for. Thank you for working to keep yourself, your family, and our community safe.
Sincerely,
Carlisha Williams Bradley
Executive Director