LOFT’s COVID-19 Response

DEAR FAMILIES OF LOFT 2020 APPLICANTS:

We’re sure that you’re concerned about sending yourself or your teen off to LOFT this summer. We are, too.

There are just too many questions about how to make LOFT a safe and healthy experience while we’re all still working through the unexpected impacts of the pandemic. After consulting with our leadership, we’ve concluded it would be best to structure a different experience for our teens this summer. While all LOFTees accepted in 2020 will automatically be invited back to attend LOFT in DC in 2021, we cannot let this year go by without providing a memorable LOFT experience and giving teens the chance to learn more about themselves, their peers, and strategies and resources that could be useful in the year ahead.

We will hold two virtual LOFT Sessions this summer on July 27th and 28th. Teens will be invited to attend both days, totaling six hours of valuable face-to-face time with LOFT counselors and teens.

While we will miss meeting you in person this summer, there are a lot of things we can work on together online that can be helpful to you during the coming school year. We will come together in the summer of 2021 with an enriched sense of who we are and how our talents can help ourselves and others.

Through this virtual experience, you will:

  • Meet other teens like you who have had many experiences similar to yours;

  • Learn about technology that can be useful, especially during these challenging times, where face masks and social distancing are the norm;

  • Learn how to advocate for your needs in various situations;

  • Learn leadership skills through team activities; and

  • Meet adult role models from around the country who can share strategies for success.

All of what we do focuses on three goals: o who you are is unique and wonderful; o you are not alone; and o there are resources and a network of people who can help you face challenges.

There will be two sessions of LOFT this summer. Session 1 will include teens from the Eastern and Central part of the U.S., and Session 2 will include teens from the Western part of the U.S. and Asia. Here’s the schedule for July 27 and 28:

  • 10:00am – 1:00pm Eastern Daylight Time - Session 1

  • 11:00am – 2:00pm Pacific Daylight Time – Session 2

AG Bell staff will send you information on your specific Session, and give you a little advance “homework” to make the sessions most productive.

Attendance at the virtual sessions will be required to be invited to participate in LOFT in the summer of 2021. High school seniors who graduate this year will still be invited in 2021 even though they will no longer be in high school.

I am looking forward to meeting everyone this coming July. Friendships will be made, you’ll find people who immediately understand you, and you’ll feel empowered to be yourself. This is just the beginning of a circle of support that will last a lifetime.  

Best always,

Ken Levinson, LOFT Co-Founder and Lead Counselor