Monday, August 30, 2021

On "Save the Children" branding in a rural Arkansas school: Is use of this phrase a signal to QAnon followers?

In a blog post back in January, I mentioned the possibly misleading use of the "Save the Children" slogan at an event in my hometown, Jasper, Arkansas.   Here's an excerpt from what I wrote there: 

[A] strange association that seems to exist between "Save the Children" and QAnon.  Here's a report on the topic from the New York Times' Kevin Roose back in September, under the headline, "How ‘Save the Children’ Is Keeping QAnon Alive."  I've always known Save the Children as an international charity aimed at helping underprivileged children around the world, and I see it is one with a good ranking.  I've therefore been puzzled at how it has come to be associated with QAnon.  Turns out, the "Save the Children" associated with Q Anon is not the charity.

I noted that a literacy event had been held at a park in Jasper and that

one of the items distributed was "hand soap from Save the Children's first Gift in Kind donation to the community."  I looked up "gift in kind" on the Save the Children charity website and found no results.  Also, there is a caption [in the Newton County Times story] that reads "Save the Children Program Coordinator Kelsey Engle and Jasper Elementary student Henry Martin distribute resources to families driving through the Parables in the Park event." 

None of this made any sense, and I wondered if the use of "Save the Children" language was signaling a link to Q-Anon. 

Now I see the "Save the Children" language is back in fall school preparation and inexplicably used in relation to the elementary school library.  This is in an August 11, 2021 story headlined, "Jasper district prepares for opening day of school with COVID-19 still present."  What grabbed my attention is the caption for the accompanying photo of a woman with stacks of books.  The caption says, "Barbara Hefley, Jasper Elementary/Save the Children after school program teacher, begins sorting and rearranging learning materials in preparation for the first day of school."  (emphasis added)  Nothing in the accompanying story mentions "Save the Children," so the reference is entirely opaque.  I can only speculate that someone has for some reason rhetorically linked the Jasper after-school program to "Save the Children."  But is the link to the charity or to QAnon?  Everyone is in favor of literally saving children, of course, but does the use of this phrase, by extension, link the state-funded school program to the QAnon conspiracy?

Postscript/correction:  In looking for a link to the Newton County Times story mentioned in the prior paragraph, I found this story, titled "After school childcare program secured for Jasper," from June, 2020, explaining the school's link to Save the Children International, the charity.
Jasper Mayor Jan Larson connected with the Jasper School District, State Sen. Breanna Davis and US Sen. Tom Cotton's office to tackle this problem faced by working parents in Jasper and surrounding communities.They have been relying mostly on day care providers within their families or transporting their children to childcare centers in Harrison or other towns in which the parents work.

With the assistance of legislators and the school district, the Jasper Elementary School was able to secure a program through the international Save the Children program.

Jasper School District's assistant superintendent Dr. Candra Brasel explained how the literacy-based program was found and how it will work.

Dr. Brasel said she created and distributed a survey to get feedback from area residents. When Sen. Cotton's staff and Sen. Davis visited, Mayor Larson brought the information to their attention and asked for their assistance. "Sen. Davis is the one who actually got the information about Save the Children and forwarded it on to us."

A team from the Save the Children organization recently came to Jasper and visited with Dr. Brasel and elementary principal Kim Liggett. The organization provides a similar after school program at Mountain View. "They could tell we were on board and committed to provide literacy focusing on reading and to provide a safe place after school," Dr. Brasel said.

Jasper will offer the after school program for children in kindergarten through 6th grade. The Jasper School District Board of Education elected Michelle Martin and transferred certified staff member Kelsey Engle to be the coordinators for the Save the Children and Early Steps to School Success programs.

The Early Steps to School coordinator will work with children ages birth to 5, and provide assistance in the home focusing on literacy including giving the family books to read aloud.

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