Kids often absorb information around them without question, but how they interpret what they hear is a different story.
Jenny Lau, a Richmond resident and mother, wanted to understand what her daughter and other children thought about the pandemic rather than what they could recite from the media.
“The kids hear about (the pandemic) from the adults, social media and the news, but what we really should do is to listen to what they think about it and how they process the information and react to it,” said Lau.
Kids Power Society, a Richmond-based non-profit organization, is hosting a four-week virtual conference for kids of all ages from May 29 to June 19.
“The conference was created as an open platform for kids to communicate with others their age, but with a focus on the idea that the pandemic is a big issue and not many generations actually experience this,” said Lau.
She told the Richmond News that they are finishing up their first four-week conference with great results and are excited to open up their next conference at the end of the month.
During the discussions, the kids talked about the virus and how it links to people living on the planet. Topics included human nature, Earth Day and if the pandemic is an opportunity or crisis.
Nine-year-old Alia Kong, Lau’s daughter, who help started the Richmond-based society, lead the discussions during the gatherings.
“The conference gave me and other kids a time to talk and voice out what we think from what we hear in the news about the pandemic,” said Kong.
“From the discussions, it was good to hear what other kids think about the virus like how I thought coronavirus didn’t sound scary at all … and all it looked like was a fuzzy ball with antennas.”
Conferences are held every Friday for one and a half hours with a five-minute break in between. There is no specific age-range, however, young children are encouraged to have a parent with them to better understand the discussions.
For more information or to register, visit http://tiny.cc/se8yoz
