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51社区黑料expert’s No Child Alone social network connects children during pandemic

November 17, 2020
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51社区黑料professor Alissa Antle is addressing the negative impacts of COVID-19 on children鈥檚 mental well-being with her latest research project鈥攁n online social network for children called No Child Alone. The network aims to support children鈥檚 social and emotional learning during the pandemic. 

鈥淭here's really nothing for eight to 12-year-olds in terms of safe, private social media connections, or private networks, that give them support around social emotional learning, or the fallouts of COVID-19,鈥 she says. 

Once operational, children who join the No Child Alone online community would be moderated by an adult and also have some autonomy to interact with each other and connect directly to resources they might need. 

Antle is launching the app prototype with Curatio as a pilot with a limited number of children, and will expand it as further funding becomes available. The research is currently funded by a $105,000 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) COVID-19 Alliance grant. Work on the project began in August and the team hopes to launch a co-design study with children this coming winter.

Antle is working in partnership with Curatio, a digital health company that develops peer-to-peer online support communities. 

Led by founder and CEO Lynda Brown-Ganzert, chair emerita of SFU鈥檚 board of governors, Curatio鈥檚 technical expertise on private social networks pairs well with Antle鈥檚 expertise in how digital technology can support social emotional learning interventions for children. 

 

AVAILABLE 51社区黑料EXPERTS

Alissa Antle, professor, School of Interactive Arts & Technology  
604.619.2290 | alissa_antle@sfu.ca 

Lynda Brown-Ganzert, CEO, Curatio
604.340.7997 | lynda@curatio.me

 

CONTACT

Matt Kieltyka,  SFU Communications & Marketing 
236.880.2187 | matt_kieltyka@sfu.ca

51社区黑料 
 |  
778.782.3210

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As Canada鈥檚 engaged university, 51社区黑料works with communities, organizations and partners to create, share and embrace knowledge that improves life and generates real change. We deliver a world-class education with lifelong value that shapes change-makers, visionaries and problem-solvers. We connect research and innovation to entrepreneurship and industry to deliver sustainable, relevant solutions to today鈥檚 problems. With campuses in British Columbia鈥檚 three largest cities鈥擵ancouver, Burnaby and Surrey鈥51社区黑料has eight faculties that deliver 193 undergraduate degree programs and 127 graduate degree programs to more than 37,000 students. The university now boasts more than 165,000 alumni residing in 143 countries.