N.J. childcare program helping kids, parents tackle virtual school – NJ.com

While school districts across the Garden State are opting to begin the academic year with remote learning, the Lightbridge Academy is helping students — and their parents who are not home during the day — adjust to the virtual experience.

The early education childcare program serves as a daycare center in the summer for kids up to age 12, and has 50 locations, 37 of which are in New Jersey among 11 counties. The other 13 are scattered across New York City, New York State, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

It now serves as a center for students in kindergarten through fifth grade to log in with their respective district electronically and work hands on with the staff.

Gigi Schweikert, chief operating officer and president of Lightbridge Academy, said the program brings value to families.

“We’re considered a solution for working parents in a crazy and chaotic time,” she said. “We help the kids with the schoolwork and homework assignments they have while the parents go about their business. The children enjoy the company of other children in a small, safe setting as well.”

Schweikert noted the lack of physical interaction with teachers and large groups of students as a challenge for young kids learning remotely. In-person exploration and socializing are two skills students develop in elementary and middle school.

Another hurdle is technology, although Lightbridge Academy aspires to help the kids progress with electronics.

“Virtual learning is hard for some kids,” Schweikert said. “We make sure they have the opportunity to take breaks, go outside, play games and enjoy the company of other kids. It’s funny because before COVID-19, I was someone who felt kids should have less screen time, but we have been more lenient with it now, obviously.

“The best way to learn something is hands on, so at Lightbridge Academy, we’re hoping to take virtual learning and make it more concrete,” she added. “We want to do science experiments and play games with them as if they are in school. That is what will help them learn easier.”

The Lightbridge Academy feedback among parents has been positive, despite what Schweikert considered to be a difficult start to 2020 due to the heavy impact the coronavirus had on the Northeast.

Maha Dutt has a 2-year-old son, Vikram, who attends the program’s site in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. Although she had her concerns about sending Vikram to the facility, her worries went away quickly thanks to the Lightbridge staff’s handling of the children and how well they communicated with the parents.

“We registered Vikram with Lightbridge before the lockdown and we were nervous when they reopened,” Dutt said. “But, they really went out of their way to get all the returning parents comfortable. Their communication on social media has gone a long way in making us parents comfortable from a safety standpoint. Vikram is slow with talking, but he’s starting to prompt more alphabets, numbers and songs. He also gets out of the car and walks to the front door on his own, which is a huge relief because no one wants to drop off a distraught child.”

Schweikert and the rest of the Lightbridge Academy team want parents to feel safe leaving their children there, though they additionally take pride in maintaining a clean work environment.

Schweikert went into detail regarding the steps the company takes to minimize the number of people in the building and make sure those on hand are healthy.

“Safety has always been our top concern and right now, it’s even more heightened,” she said. “Everyone gets a temperature check before they go in and only staff members and children are allowed in the facilities. We have a system called Parent View that includes cameras throughout our buildings, where parents can log onto a device and check on their kid. We want to reduce the amount of contamination and germ spread as much as possible, but we still want parents to be able to watch their kid learn.”

Each location is equipped with an air scrubber that kills viruses and bacteria, she added. “Unlike some types of filters, it continuously runs even if your HVAC system isn’t on. It’s something that as a program we are very proud of.”

Lightbridge Academy opened its newest location in East Brunswick late last month and hopes to continue growing across the state.

For more information, visit the program’s website.

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Ryan Patti may be reached at rpatti@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.