The Cope & Hope Photo Project documented how students, families, and schools across the state experienced the impacts of school closures and distance learning due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Black Lives Matter Los Angeles artist Foremost shaped this project with the intent to uplift the resilience of teachers and students, and their ability to cope in a time of distress — To “come together” virtually and envision how they hope their schools will transform in the future. 

Teaching and learning remotely presents significant challenges for creating authentic human connections. Compounding this, are the underlying issues of inequity in Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and lower-income communities, which are responsible for the impact of the pandemic to be felt disproportionately across our country. 

For students experiencing ongoing stress or trauma, the arts can provide a valuable means of non-verbal communication. Research shows that creative experiences build positive emotions and resiliency to help us cope in difficult times. 

Below, the video (left) shares highlights from our partner school submissions and the slideshow (right) includes all submissions from our schools across the state.