NBC Debuts “Kids Under Pressure” A Week-Long Series Highlighting Impact of Pandemic on Student’s Mental Health, Education & Well-Being

NBC News’ week-long series, “Kids Under Pressure,” debuts today, revealing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on student well-being and academic engagement.

All this week, TODAY co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, along with a team of NBC News anchors and correspondents, will explore the toll of the pandemic on high school students. The reporting will air across TODAY, NBC Nightly News, MSNBC,NBCNews.com, NBC News NOW and StayTuned.

“Kids Under Pressure” is a network-wide initiative driven by original reporting and new data from a groundbreaking study NBC News conducted in partnership with Challenge Success, a nonprofit of the Stanford Graduate School of Education. Surveying over 10,000 students across a range of high schools throughout the country, it’s one of the largest national research studies shedding light on student connection, engagement and mental health during the pandemic. Click here for a comprehensive look at the study.

This morning, NBCNews.com released an in-depth look at the differences between online-only students and those who’ve spent time in school during the pandemic.

Other programming highlights throughout the week include:

• Savannah Guthrie will speak with high school students from her own alma mater in Tucson, Ariz. and in other schools about their school-related stress and mental health, while unveiling key insights from the study. Additionally, Guthrie will host a roundtable with female students about the stress they’re experiencing as girls are more impacted than boys, according to the study. Her multiple reports for TODAY and NBC Nightly News will culminate in a 1 hour special for NBC News NOW airing Feb. 24.

• NBC News senior national correspondent Kate Snow will spotlight a school in Texas that is helping to alleviate schoolwork, a key source of stress according to the study. Additionally, she will speak with moms and daughters about how parents can better help their kids through these challenging times.

• NBC News correspondent Gadi Schwartz will look at minority communities in crisis, focusing on the rising stress levels among Hispanic and Latino students. Schwartz will also explore how the pandemic is impacting how much students are sleeping.

• NBC News chief education correspondent Rehema Ellis reports on a group of high school students, following them since the start of the school year, who say they are more stressed and less engaged with their schoolwork, friends and teachers.

• NBC News correspondent Morgan Chesky will focus on the digital divide – how internet access has widened the academic gap between those that can afford internet connectivity and those that can’t.

• NBC News business and tech correspondent Jo Ling Kent will report on how diagnosis and prescriptions for ADHD have increased to help kids stay focused in online classes.