Last spring, when the pandemic forced school districts nationwide to shift to virtual learning, many students found themselves in an online wilderness where they struggled to survive academically. At the North Side Learning Center—which provides tutoring and other services for members of the resettled refugee and immigrant community—students faced immense challenges.
Through his work at the center, Brice Nordquist, associate professor of writing and rhetoric and Dean’s Professor of Community Engagement in the College of Arts and Sciences , shared the North Side staff’s concerns about getting students through the semester, especially those who were close to graduation. “How are we going to keep them from falling off the map?” he wondered.