This South Jersey church learning pod is so popular, there's a wait list

WOODSTOWN, New Jersey (WPVI) -- With many students learning from home virtually, and many parents scrambling to find solutions, a Salem County, New Jersey church created what's become a popular option: turning its space into a learning pod. It's having such success, they already have a waiting list.

Woodstown Presbyterian Church just opened their learning pod Monday and families are clamoring to enroll their Pre-K through 5th graders.

This kind of option has been popular with working parents and those looking for more socialization and support for their kids.

The pastor there was inspired by her own experience.

"We saw a need," says Eryn Mera, the pastor of Woodstown Presbyterian Church.

"Families that have parents who need to go back to work and children who need a place to do schooling needed help, so we reached out to the school to see if we could be of help. I am not only a pastor here, I am a mother of four. Two of them are school-aged and we both work, so I was experiencing it firsthand."

The kids bring their own materials and attend virtual classes in the Woodstown-Pilesgrove Regional School District.

The proctors are there to help with everything from technical to educational support.

It's not a formal program from the school, but a lot of families were looking for help with the virtual school days.

The church is also not as busy during the pandemic and considers itself a true community space. Mera says this felt like the right way to serve the people.

It's been so popular, they're now looking for a second proctor to start a second pod.