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2022 ACSA Every Student Succeeding Sponsorship

I was lucky enough to represent STS EDUCATION at the Bowers Museum on Friday, March 18, at the ACSA Every Student Succeeding Breakfast and Awards. STS has sponsored a Chromebook for each of these award recipients for many years and 2022 was no different.

The ACSA awards honor students that have overcome extreme adversity in order to achieve academically- some examples included a single teenage mother who’d recently completed her degree, and a young hearing impaired individual that emigrated to the US from Colombia after teaching himself ASL via YouTube to maintain a 3.5 GPA at his school. There were also students who’d overcome severe mental and physical limitations to achieve academically- this was their chance to be recognized, and to have their support teams stand and be recognized also.

I’ve mentioned before that I used to work as a teacher and I feel privileged to be able to bring that experience to the Marketing department at a company that has students at the center of its Golden Circle– it felt really great to get out from behind my computer and actually meet some of the students- in person, faces uncovered- that this company provides solutions and services for.

The Bowers Musuem is a wonderful venue in Santa Ana, a town filled with wonderful little venues– they host free family festivals all the time, make it a point to attend! It was a breautiful Southern Californa morning and the French Toast and orange juice were flowing.

I got to be one of the two sponsors that handed the prize recipients their goodie bags and gave them congratulations after they came off the stage, and they were elated.

The students and their sponsors didn’t know they’d be receiving Chromebooks as prizes- the emcee announced that all the bags had a $100 gift card for Boomers and the crowed oooooohed and then they announced the inclusion of the Chromebooks and the crowd OOOOOOHEEED. It was a spine tingling moment, connecting with students that viscerally. I also got approached during the picture session after the ceremony by a teacher who told me that one of the honorees could barely contain himself, as he was so excited to receive a Chromebook.

It was a wonderful morning and helped me reconnect with the core of our mission at STS- Students!

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STS is proud to roll into 2022 as one of Inc. 5000’s Fastest Growing Companies in the Pacific Region

STS EDUCATION has recently been named as #125 on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies in the Pacific region! STS and its peer companies had an average growth rate of close to 200%- these organizaions represent the most successful private companies in the Pacific Region when it comes to generating jobs and growth. Combined, they added $5.1 billion and over ten thousand jobs to the region’s economy.

At STS, we’ve been specializing exculsively in education technology solutions for more than 11 years. We’ve evolved from a refurbished PC provider in to a full-service , high touch, full spectrum service provider for educators. From equipment to consulting to professional development, STS has got you covered- we acquired two companies in 2021 to serve you better! We look forward to hearing from you soon and partnering to create a dyamic learning environment at your school!

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As Schools evolve into centers of Community Wellness, K-12 Wellness Rooms offer students a place to recharge

In another life, I was a middle and high school teacher. I taught in and around Metro Detroit at the turn of the century. I had a very diverse, predominantly high-risk set of students throughout my five-year career, which was spent in a mix of both public and charter schools. Many of these schools lacked the resources for professional counselors and, in many cases, didn’t even employ a nurse for student health issues. Intervention with students who needed it and a calm place to recover from the rigors of the academic day weren’t something that we ever had the luxury of thinking about. I can remember many times when a troubled student’s best option was simply to wait it out in class or call their parents and punitively sit in the office until they could be picked up. I’d wish for a better way.

Well, I’m excited to see my wish coming true and tell you about the positive changes happening in education. School officials have recognized the needs and are starting to take steps in the right direction. As schools evolve into community wellness centers, students and their parents are starting to expect a hub of education and attention for the community.  The concept of It Takes A Village is as valid as it ever was. Part of the larger discussion that’s happening in communities now is around student and staff wellness- not just physical wellbeing, but mental health.

Let’s face it, the last two years have been rough on students- and educators, also. It’s a lot to ask to go from being on a Zoom call in pajamas with classmates listening to presentations for a few hours and then working independently, back to 6 or 7 periods a day of 40 minutes of sitting still, paying attention, and getting back into the routine of learning. It’s natural that some students- especially those in K-6 grades- are having some trouble adjusting. Many of them haven’t been in the classroom long enough to develop coping skills that would allow them to quickly get back to “normal”- whatever that is.

Enter STS EDUCATION Wellness Rooms. Picture spaces with soft, indirect, natural lighting and neutral tones on the walls. The furniture is soft-sided, includes sound-defeating insulation for privacy, and is available for students to use in several different orientations and postures. Whether they’re having a face-to-face conversation with a counselor at a table, or they are simply laying down on their back, an arm over their eyes, the students get the agency to choose. These spaces can also incorporate more modern biophilic designs and actual living plants- even animals such as fish tanks- to create a relaxing atmosphere as a respite from the somewhat more rigid traditional learning experience.

These spaces can also function as secondary “employee lounges”- adults need time to refocus and rejuvenate attention as well. Incorporating relaxation techniques such as deep breathing and meditation with the use of VR headsets and headphones could also be an option for a person requiring more of an active way to screen out stimuli. The space doesn’t have to be huge or hugely expensive- but it should be an oasis of calm that helps students and learners reorient themselves to the task at hand.

AT STS, we have many working educators on staff, keeping current with all the pedagogical trends and products to help meet the diverse needs of students, both mainstream and neurodiverse. We’ve done installations of wellness rooms such as the ones pictured all over the country, in large and small spaces of all types. We’d love the opportunity to help you create an oasis of calm at the center of your bustling district with student and staff Wellness Rooms.

 

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