2020 Annual Report

VAI helps bring the classroom
to everyone
EDUCATION
Classrooms have the power to transform lives. They serve as the epicenter of society’s
collective efforts to develop and encourage young minds to thrive in an increasingly fastpaced
world. When the pandemic struck, it challenged traditional classroom learning and required
education to happen nearly everywhere besides the classroom: the dinner table, the kitchen
counter, the spare room-turned-home office.
Van Andel Institute for Education was uniquely poised to meet this challenge head-on. The Institute
provided exceptional support to educators and families in a deeply stressful and uncertain
environment. Our sharp, nimble staff of expert educators quickly responded and adapted to
shifting trends in K–12 education. Learning couldn’t miss a beat, and we amped up our work.
Teachers who had spent precious time mapping out in-person lesson plans needed new material
for the world of distance learning. From the outset, VAI buckled down and transitioned our
programs to virtual and, when necessary, a hybrid format for virtual and in-person settings. VAI’s
educators also created “Keep Curiosity Alive,” a carefully curated and continually updated list of
online lessons and science experiments.
Student summer camps moved online, and in order to combat “Zoom fatigue,” the Institute
incorporated elements that would get students up, moving and away from the computer.
Afterschool Cohort, one of our most popular student programs, also moved to a fully
online format.
The Institute launched a series of webinars where teachers could connect with our expert
educators as well as each other to discuss best practices in new learning environments, and VAI’s
Flex PD teacher professional development programs went virtual with great success. The Institute
created online and hybrid versions of Blue Apple project-based learning units, so teachers could
use them in whatever environment best suited their needs. We also offered new Customized
Virtual Science Experiences, giving parents and teachers crucial access to on-demand
science lessons.
So many of society’s most cherished institutions — our schools included — were significantly
impacted by the pandemic. It challenged teachers, parents and students to rethink what a learning
environment looks like. Van Andel Institute for Education’s pivot to virtual made sure they were
supported when they needed it most.
DIRECTOR & CHIEF EDUCATION OFFICER TERRA TARANGO
VAN ANDEL INSTITUTE ANNUAL REPORT 2020 | 27