???? Supporting Students During Climate Disasters

By Edward Montalvo -Director, Educator Network

Early in the summer of 1998, I sat in the way, way back of the family station wagon and watched from the rear window as Nova Road spit out like water from a hose. The expansive pine savannas along the two-lane road connecting Osceola and Brevard counties were a familiar landscape. But on this trip, an orange haze blanketed the sky.

The Florida Firestorm had been raging for weeks, and we were heading to the Canaveral shoreline to visit family. My mother tuned into the local NPR station for the latest news, and over the horizon, I watched a behemoth of an airplane run parallel to our forever-running back road. My aunt, riding shotgun, told us it was “one of them fire planes,” destined to dump thousands of gallons of water over the hellish landscape I observed passing by.

I was 12. While I don’t remember why exactly we were going to the shoreline, I remember a summer of ash on the soccer fields, smoky air burning my eyes and lungs, and the massive disruption to our daily lives by banning Fourth of July fireworks and shutting down over 100 miles of I-95. Thousands of responders descended onto the scorched Sunshine State. While the extent of property damage was small, I remember reports saying more than 100,000 were evacuated, and the fires burned over 500,000 acres.

I know the fear of a natural disaster firsthand. I’ve been through dozens of hurricanes and organized my students into hallways during tornado warnings. I’m now thinking about my friends and colleagues in the greater Los Angeles area experiencing so much trauma, anxiety, and uncertainty for their communities.

Our hearts go out to all the families and communities enduring the multiple destructive fires.

May you receive all the support you need posthaste. Let’s also remember those impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the catastrophic flooding that literally washed away Appalachian communities, and the disruptive winter storms we’ve encountered these past two weeks. These events caused schools to shut down, keeping students from socially, academically, and emotionally engaging with others.

When calamities strike, schools and educators all over the U.S. do everything possible to support their students and families. With homes lost, families displaced, and a pervasive anxiety about what comes next, natural disasters underscore the very real and human consequences of our changing climate. However, the economic burden and psychological impact of these events on students and schools require educators to become significantly more proactive, more prepared, and more adaptable to situations we cannot control.

The fires that consumed Florida when I was a child were rare. However, since the early 2000s, the annual amount of acres burned across the US has more than doubled, predominantly in western states. Even when adjusting for inflation, we cannot deny the rising number of billion-dollar weather disasters over the last two decades. Research shows that even less costly natural disasters result in discernable learning losses and considerable declines in postsecondary enrollment, individual lifetime earnings, and a region's economic stability over time.

Natural disasters are complex, and their effects on students vary in impact, recovery, and duration. But the last thing we want is for these disasters to wash away the collective progress of our education system.

?? Why This Matters

Disasters like the LA fires don’t just demolish buildings; they can also erode our collective sense of security and belonging. High schoolers, in particular, may struggle to cope with repeated disruptions to their academic routines and social networks. Let’s not forget this particular generation of high schoolers has already experienced the Covid pandemic—one of the most disruptive events in recent history—and so many teens are grappling with mental health issues.

Educators are on the front lines of supporting students during and after such events. This support goes beyond high-impact tutoring or making up lost school days. Responsive schools recognize that young people need caring, trusting relationships to feel safe. They need adults who see them not just as students but as individuals dealing with trauma—some of it visible, some of it not.

?? What We Can Do

Schools often face intense pressure to “catch up” students academically after unplanned closures. While that instinct is understandable, it’s vital to remember that teens need emotional stability to re-engage fully in learning. Rushing back to normal might overlook the psychological toll weather-related disasters can have, especially on students experiencing displacement or more severe forms of loss.

Across our XQ network, schools are finding ways to maintain consistency and offer reassurance when natural disasters hit—including fires, hurricanes, and floods. Some strategies include:

?? Open Communication

Schools that use clear communication channels—like text alerts, social media updates, and phone calls—allow families to stay connected and informed. Even a short message can bring clarity in chaotic times and help families prepare.

?? Trauma-Informed Teaching

Training educators in trauma-responsive practices can ensure that classrooms remain supportive spaces for students dealing with stress or loss. Simple shifts—such as class check-ins, discussing behaviors and choices, and taking an interest in students’ lives—can help young people feel seen and heard.

?? Re-establishing Routines

When students do return to school, whether virtually or in person, another strategy is reintroducing a familiar daily structure. A sense of normalcy—regular class schedules, student-led projects, or group discussions—can go a long way in helping teens find emotional footing while re-engaging with their social networks.

?? Community Partnerships

Collaborating with local organizations, relief shelters, and neighboring districts can bolster resources, help connect students with their community, and engage them socially. Students thrive when they are active and feel a sense of connectedness. Whether participating in food and clothing drives or helping to rebuild in the wake of disasters, tapping into broader community networks empowers schools to serve as support hubs and gives students a sense of purpose. In some cases, these collaborations may even inspire a community to improve its education system. A flood in Iowa City led to the creative high school program Iowa BIG.

Schools are more than just buildings for academic instruction—they’re foundational to community resilience. When educators nurture empathy and trust in difficult times, they set an example of collaboration and care that extends beyond campus walls. High school students and their teachers often mobilize to help their neighbors—leading donation drives, volunteering at shelters, or advocating for environmental policies that can prevent more disasters.

When teens feel closely connected to their community, they often get more excited and engaged in their studies, especially if they see a connection to the real world. For example, Iowa BIG wasn’t only created in response to a flood—its students responded to another devastating storm by finding artists to create sculptures from fallen trees. This project taught them about organizing, obtaining permits, and publicizing an auction to raise money for a public-private partnership to “re-leaf” the damaged tree canopy. Creating a caring community of students and educators means helping everyone reach their fullest potential in good times and bad.

Learn more about trauma-informed teaching and how to bring effective strategies to your school through the link below.

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Stories About Rethinking High School

???? Schools across the LA region are trying to restore a sense of community in response to the fires. The Associated Press reports how some organize get-togethers and field trips to keep kids engaged in activities and with each other as they look for new space.

?? In other news, our friends at The 74 report on how schools and communities routinely boast of making great efforts to better connect students with real work opportunities—but these efforts rarely go beyond career exposure events like career days or job shadows.

Share With Us:

Has your school or district experienced a natural disaster? Do you have any tips on how to help teens build resilience during a crisis? Have you tried trauma-informed teaching strategies? We’d love to hear about your experiences and share your ideas.

Contribute your stories and insights about transforming the high school experience on social @XQAmerica using #RethinkHighSchool, and we will include them in a later edition of the Xtra.

?? Or send us a message directly at [email protected]

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