How Angelina Jolie and Her Kids Are Navigating Home Schooling During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Angelina Jolie is focusing on how to best help children around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic — including her own.
All of Jolie’s six children are at home, including her oldest son Maddox, 18, who returned to the U.S. after his semester at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea was canceled due to the coronavirus. She also has Pax, 16, Zahara, 15, Shiloh, 13, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 11.
With Maddox home and focused on his Korean and Russian studies until his school opens up again, Jolie is helping her five other kids stay on a routine by waking them up early every day and getting them started on their school tasks shortly after, PEOPLE has learned.
While the Oscar winner and activist, 44, spends her own time on her international work during the day, she also wants to keep her kids on a school schedule.
RELATED: Angelina Jolie Donates $1 Million to Charity That Provides Meals to Kids Who Rely on School Lunches
Earlier this month, Jolie opened up about recent “medical challenges” both Zahara and Shiloh faced in an essay for Time titled, “Why Girls Deserve Love and Respect on International Women’s Day.“
“I have spent the last two months in and out of surgeries with my eldest daughter, and days ago watched her younger sister go under the knife for a hip surgery,” Jolie wrote.
“They know that I am writing this, because I respect their privacy and we discussed it together and they encouraged me to write,” she added. “They understand that going through medical challenges and fighting to survive and heal is something to be proud of.”
Zahara and Shiloh are also focusing on their recovery during this time.
WATCH: Angelina Jolie Travels to Jordan with Daughters Shiloh and Zahara to Meet with Syrian Refugees
Angelina Jolie Travels to Jordan with Daughters Shiloh and Zahara to Meet with Syrian Refugees
Angelina Jolie is passing on her passion for humanitarian work to the next generation of her family
As Jolie attends to her children and her own work, she has made efforts to help other children in need. The mother of six recently donated $1 million to No Kid Hungry, an organization distributing meals to children who relied on school lunches.
“As of this week, over a billion children are out of school worldwide because of closures linked to coronavirus,” Jolie said in a statement. “Many children depend on the care and nutrition they receive during school hours, including nearly 22 million children in America who rely on food support. No Kid Hungry is making resolute efforts to reach as many of those children as possible.”
RELATED: Angelina Jolie’s Son Maddox Rejoins Family as His College Classes Are Cancelled Due to Coronavirus
According to a press release, the charity has already distributed $2 million to 78 organizations in 30 states across the country and issued new emergency grants to school districts, food banks and community organizations feeding kids nationwide.
Jolie also made a donation to the UN Refugee Agency and sent support to the schools she funds in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Kenya and Namibia to help ensure they can continue teaching and learning through the pandemic.
On a worldwide scale, Jolie is working with UNESCO on the establishment of a Global Education Coalition to help children access distance learning during the period of school closures.
Parents and caregivers in select states seeking meals for children can text the word “FOOD” (or “COMIDA”) to 877-877 to find emergency food distribution sites in their neighborhoods. More states will be added on a rolling basis.
As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments and visit our coronavirus hub.
