We’ve found the light at the end of the tunnel.

After one of the most challenging years in memory, the word “normal” now feels real. Perhaps no industry has been uprooted by COVID-19 like education, with virtual or socially distanced classrooms being implemented on a dime with little to no runway.

There was no playbook for what educators and students faced in 2020, but brighter days are ahead. The upcoming school year is ripe with excitement, catalyzed by the comfort of the way things used to be.

One universal truth emerged about work in 2020: the purpose and function of the office has changed.

Whether that’s a permanent change remains to be seen, but the immediate future of a once-constant presence in our working lives is cloudy at best. A flexible, hybrid workforce has made its voice loud and clear in support of a model that puts less focus on in-office work and more focus on choice.