Our Mission
The Safely Opening Schools (SOS) mission is to keep schools safer by supporting COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and education for students and education workers in California School Districts. Continued testing—as new variants spread and vaccination hesitancy continues to be present—remains an important step to reduce community transmission and to keep children, school staff, and families including those at highest risk, safer.
COVID-19 Resources and Support
SOS PILOT
Safely Opening Schools (SOS) was originally thought out as an 8-week rapid antigen testing project for 10 pilot districts across California to introduce a safer reopening. The SOS project team has played an important role in helping districts throughout the state set up their COVID-19 testing protocols with rapid antigen testing.
To learn more about the SOS Pilot, click the button below.
Our Promise
Commitment to Racial and Health Equity
SOS is committed to advancing racial equity in health and education across California, and will prioritize pilots where reopening is most urgent, i.e. schools serving: large numbers of children of essential workers; predominantly Black and Latinx communities hardest hit by COVID-19; students requiring special education and other special needs; and those not doing well with remote learning.
Our Team
SOS Team
Zack Kaldveer, M.A.
Health Equity Communications Manager
Sana Ahmad, MPH
Project Coordinator, COVID Outreach and Community Engagemnet
Samar Hadrous, CDM, CFPP
Associate Testing Strategist
Lynn Silver, MD, MPH, FAAP
Director
Ana Vasudeo, MRP
Managing Director
Nicole Maderas, MPH
Outreach and Engagement Manager
Our Partners
