Schools up and down the Peninsula have partnered with the Silicon Valley YMCA’s Project Cornerstone to use stories that give students tools and strategies to deal with difficult socioemotional situations. Every month parent volunteers read the same book across all grade levels, covering topics such as bullying, teasing, and sad and angry feelings, followed by interactive projects. They also become one of the adults students recognize as someone who cares about them. While all teachers are well-versed in social-emotional learning, Project Cornerstone provides a common theme to each month, teaching students to be kind and calm.

During this challenging year volunteers have had to be creative, but they are still working with classes. Some are able to meet students live on Zoom while others are helping teachers create asynchronous activities for Wednesdays. They look forward to a time when we are all together again!