Our Communities After COVID-19
Creating a more sustainable future after the pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way of life of nearly all Washingtonians. While some of these changes are temporary, others are going to stay with us for a long time.
Our buildings, public spaces, homes, and communities are designed for our pre-COVID-19 world, but we anticipate that we will need to maintain some level of social distancing in our communities and buildings for several years in the future.
We want to figure out how we can create a healthy, sustainable future that keeps our communities connected.
Help the state imagine how we could redesign our buildings, public spaces, homes, and/or communities to allow for both social distancing and community connections.
How can we help Washington build back from the pandemic in a healthier, more resilient, and more sustainable way?
What the community has to say:
To take on this challenge, you can choose from one of the following problem-solving prompts, or create one of your own using the following themes:
Housing
As we plan for the future - what are some strategies cities or towns could pursue to ensure everyone has a safe place to live?
Background information
$98 million allocated to Washington state for homeless protections against coronavirus - KING 🎥
A colorful ‘tiny house village’ for youth is opening in Oakland - The Oaklandside
COVID-19 outbreak among three affiliated homeless service sites - CDC
Seattle fast-tracks tiny house village for homeless amid coronavirus outbreak - KING 🎥
Tiny house village inside old Kmart could shelter 200 people - Minnesota Reformer
Urban Centers
How would you design an urban center that serves the needs of our communities after COVID-19?
Background information
Redesigning Schools
How would you redesign a classroom, school, or educational experience (e.g. school day schedule, method of learning delivery -- virtual, online, etc.) to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infection and maximize effective learning for students?
Background Information
6 classroom layouts to maintain social distancing - Fanning Howey
Enrollment is dropping in public schools around the country - NPR
Parents gamble on virtual schools amid coronavirus closures - Seattle Times
Reopening American: Strategies for safer schools - American Institute of Architects
Washington aims for improved virtual learning as classes begin - MyNorthwest
What back to school might look like in the age of COVID-19 - NY Times
Will coronavirus prevention have positive long-term impact on classroom design? - Education Dive
Worker Safety and Safe Factories
Imagine you were in charge of a manufacturing business in your community. How would you keep workers safe while ensuring operations continued smoothly?
Look at manufacturing businesses in your community for examples
Background Information
COVID-19 guidance for the manufacturing industry workforce - OSHA
COVID-19: How to reimagine work for factories and distribution centers - EY
Manufacturers strive to stop spread of coronavirus while staying at work - Lincoln Journal Star
Phase 2 manufacturing facility COVID-19 requirements - WA State
Tracking coronavirus closures at food and beverage factories - Food Dive 📊
Washington’s largest meat-packing plant, hard-hit by COVID-19, to reopen - Seattle Time
Climate Change and Wildfires
Design a community to lower the risk that people, homes, and businesses face from wildfires. How would you plan your community?
Background Information
5 digital technologies to help fight wildfires - Orange Business
How coronavirus decimated the restaurant industry overnight - CNBC 🎥
How Silicon Valley companies are thinking about the future of work - Business Insider
Information on Wildfires in WA State - WA State Department of Natural Resources
Remote towns evacuated as California wildfire grows - Spokesman Review
WA can't contain epic wildfires without state, federal help - Crosscut
Working from home is erasing carbon emissions - but for how long? - Grist
Tools to help you implement this challenge case:
Get Instructional Guide
Use this guide to support your lesson/activity planning. Contains challenge case background research to share with youth and suggested activities.
Getting Started Guide
Use this checklist to help you plan your engagement with the challenge.
Submission Guidelines
The most creative solutions submitted will be recognized in Spring 2021. Take a look at the list of criteria, and learn how to submit.
Engage with Industry
Learn directly from industry leaders who work on them every day. Visit our schedule page to see the next engagement opportunity, and learn how to register.
Explore Future Pathways
Find information you can share with the youth you serve about college, Career Launch, apprenticeships, or postsecondary training in these fields.
Share on Lesson Bank
Share your lesson and activity plans with other teachers/program leaders statewide, and see what they are using with their students