An audio-visual platform

The science, emotions & economics behind COVID-19

Quarantine

with

Kavya

an audio-visual platform

chapters

1

The Science of COVID-19

Kavya meets COVID-19 and understand how to stay safe from the virus. 

2

The Emotions of COVID-19

Kavya gains skills on how to stay emotionally healthy in the comfort of her own home. 

3

The Economics of COVID-19

Kavya learns how finances are impacted by COVID-19.

characters

a note for parents

Amidst the uncertainty of COVID-19, I often keep the news running in my family room, even if I am turned away from the TV.  Hearing a constant reel of news coverage reminds me: my fears are not unique, I am not alone, the world is in this together.

Children can’t access this source comfort at a push of a remote button. Yet, their physical and mental well-beings are at stake just the same. They too experience a “new normal” – iPad screens substitute classrooms and opportunities to play in person with friends are limited. Who can children turn to for a voice of comfort and knowledge? A voice they can identify with, understand and feel less alone.

Education is a strong weapon for combatting fear, and two major trends dominate search results for child-friendly COVID-19 education materials. First, a large proportion of webpages are dedicated to teaching parents how to educate their child, rather than creating material for children themselves. Second, the PDF material that is published for children is clogged with text. Children aren't interested in chunks of words from a static document. Instead, they want to visit a website made specifically for them and, like adults listening to news, feel comforted by a voice in which they can identify, a voice that echoes similar fears.

​

Our solution for this gap in child-accessible education is the creation of a digital platform with audio by children for children. This story is about a South Asian girl in New York named Kavya. The read-aloud videos will follow Kavya's life through this pandemic, projecting her questions, frustrations and worries while cooped up at home. 

Listeners, children ages 6-10, will learn about COVID-19 from a biological, psychological and economic perspective through the voice of a peer.

meet the team

Special Advisor

Infectious Disease Specialist

@ Texas Health Dallas

Ahmad Raza, M.D., Ph.D.

Special Advisor

Professor in the Department of Psychiatry

@ UT Southwestern Medical School

Supported by the Pechet Fellowship, 

Lowell House @ Harvard College