In the wake of Hurricane Helene, the Christian Science Monitor looked at how climate disasters disrupt student learning — and what communities can do to prepare. Sara Hinkley was quoted on both the cumulative harm of school closures and a practical framework for climate resilience planning.

“Those kinds of small disruptions of a few days of school closed here and there compound that problem,” Hinkley told the Monitor. “They disrupt the habit of going to school. They disrupt some of the extracurricular activities that keep kids coming to school.” …

Dr. Hinkley suggests communities prepare for catastrophic weather events by taking stock of all available facilities. Which buildings could be quickly converted to makeshift learning hubs if schools are damaged? Conversely, could other structures serve as command centers to free up schools for students’ return?

“How can we get some facilities up and running quickly to be able to give students … a place to learn, even if it’s a place to go to be doing hybrid or remote learning?” she says.