Case Study 1: Where in My County Could Children be at Risk for Being Left out of Remote Education? The COVID- 19 pandemic significantly disrupted elementary, high school, and university students’ ability to receive their education in a traditional classroom setting. With social distancing requirements in place, to keep providing instruction, educational institutions had to quickly pivot to delivering their content online and later through hybrid in-person and virtual models. However, while remote education may provide continuity and minimize the impact of disruptions on schooling, not all students can participate in online learning equally. Without access to a computing device, like a laptop or smartphone, and a reliable and fast internet connection, many vulnerable students across the country were at risk of being left out of remote education. Local governments, organizations, and schools responded to this challenge and began providing devices to students and installing wi-fi hotspots. As an Extension professional, you may have participated in similar efforts. Perhaps you partnered with university researchers and staff to conduct outreach and distribute computing devices or were asked to report on areas of need. You may have relied on the wealth of knowledge you already have about the community you serve to provide your partners with information. How could you have supported your response with data? Computers and the internet are one of the topics that the ACS covers. This case study will guide you through how to use ACS data to learn where in your county children may be unable to participate in remote education because they lack the tools to do so. We will walk step by step through how to answer this question with a map.
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