Teens have different stressors during the pandemic

Of all the new school years you’ve lived through – whether as a student or a parent or just an observer – it’s a safe bet the phrase “back to school” has never meant quite what it means now as America’s K-12 schools struggle to resume in-person instruction while the coronavirus pandemic stubbornly sticks around.

This year “back to school” means parents, educators, students and others have much more to worry about than new school clothes and school supplies. This year is about helping students cope with stress and anxiety, as explained by Leah M. Lessard, a postdoctoral fellow at the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University of Connecticut, who surveyed how the pandemic is affecting adolescents. It is also a time when educators and others want to know what schools are doing to keep students, staff and teachers safe from the more contagious delta variant, which is spreading just as schools prepare to resume in-person instruction. Brandon Guthrie, an assistant professor of global health and epidemiology at the University of Washington, explains why some preventive strategies that schools have tried or might continue are not worth the effort.

We also have stories on a new college admission form that takes the needs of trans students into account; a series of helpful tips on how to make the most of a college library; and much more.