How Can Schools Increase Students’ Hopefulness Following the Pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the academic progress and wellbeing of many students, resulting in a greater sense of hopelessness and despair. These consequences are particularly devastating for many children living in urban communities, where poverty and a lack of resources prevent them from accessing high-quality learning, health care, and social programs. To understand the enormity of the problems associated with the growing hopelessness of our school-aged children, this article describes the factors affecting hope, how schools can foster hope, the skills and mindsets educators need to instill hope, and the positive outcomes of producing more hopeful students.