Summary of the work

The Philippines remained to be the last country in the world with classrooms shuttered by Covid-19. Amid waves of infection and slow vaccine rollout, the widely-criticized distance learning system continued for the 2nd year in a row. McDonald’s recognized that distance education is a challenge for both teachers and students . It was not only the internet connection that was inadequate, but also the space. Cramped conditions at home were far from ideal, and the quality of learning has greatly suffered. And as companies and private citizens raised funds for gadgets and portable WiFi kits, we knew that McDonald’s could do more, not just as a brand, but even more so as a member of the community. We had the space, the Wi-Fi connection, and most importantly, we had the scale. Upholding our responsibility to the community, McDonald’s transformed our empty party rooms (unused since 2020 due to lockdown restrictions) into McDonald’s Classrooms : work areas for teachers and students who needed quiet, sanitized spaces for virtual learning. (add communication relations/ recruitment part.) After registration, stable Wi-Fi and free snacks welcomed them. Fun virtual backgrounds, character appearances and even celebrity greetings added a much-needed boost to what would’ve otherwise been dreary hours of screen-time. What began as a pilot for teachers in 2020, was expanded to include students in 2021, with classrooms in 249 locations all over the country open for a total of 86,648 hours. Sources: https://asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Life/Philippine-children-are-left-behind-by-poor-distance-learning2 https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/school-opening-during-pandemic-philippines-2021-2022/ https://www.facebook.com/OnePBEd/photos/a.496453697069337/4470237686357565/