In 2016, the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities was overwhelmed with urgent requests from schools after incidents of bias, bullying, and discrimination. A significant number of these incidents were connected to the 2016 Presidential election cycle: students repeating statements they had heard from politicians, educators and parents not knowing how to respond to major events in the news, and a pressing concern about the decline of civility in public discourse. An important lesson from eight years ago was the importance of intentional, proactive planning.

VCIC developed a “Day After Election Guide” for K-12 schools in 2020, which was accessed by thousands of educators across Virginia and nationally. Many other institutions, including colleges and universities, businesses, and houses of worship, requested a comparable resource. In 2024, VCIC is providing Guides for each of those groups.