When the class of 2020 convened on January 29, we could not have imagined that the challenge of their year would include confronting a global pandemic. This year’s class experienced three in person sessions with their last day in Annapolis at the state house on the day before it closed to the public. For the next month and a half the class convened weekly on Zoom and though they were still learning and deepening their connections, they were missing the program’s hallmark experiences. So, on May 28th, the classed entered what we call Pandemic Adaptation Mode. Through the summer, staff created additional virtual experiences to enable class members to continue to build relationships with one another and maintain momentum.
Our hope is for the class of 2020 to convene together one day to resume their full experience though that date is well into next year. For now, connections and substantive dialogue continue to bond this class in an experience that has made history.