Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

LumAware ClearGuard Desk Guard Shields Students in the Classroom

  • By Matt Jones
  • 02/25/21

One of the primary concerns in reopening schools is being able to ensure proper social distancing between students. Classrooms may be too small or laid out such that fitting in a certain number of students with 6 feet between each of them simply isn’t feasible. Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests setting up physical barriers like partitions and sneeze guards in areas where spacing people out remains impractical. Building off of that idea, LumAware recently released a series of desk guards customized for use in the classroom.

The LumAware ClearGuard Desk Guard was designed with teacher input for maximum effectiveness. Company founder Zach Green commented, “We figured teachers knew best how to design these corrugated plastic dividers to keep their students safe. We took foldable box panels to them and asked how to best configure the dual-panel barriers for their classrooms.”

The product consists of two lightweight sheets of hard, transparent plastic framed in a simple white border. Like a sheet of paper folded in half, the two panels fold open and closed to a width that can fit any desk, cafeteria table, or library cubicle. Teachers have commented that students can decorate the border with crayons, markers, stickers to give the guard a personal touch. The product serves as a personal barrier that students can carry with them from class to class throughout the school day.

According to Jan Wilkins, the business manager of Wyoming City Schools in Ohio, “We chose ClearGuard’s Desk Guards because they provide an extra layer of protection for students. The portability means they take them from class to the cafeteria and back to class. Sanitizing stationary guards between periods just isn’t feasible.”

The guards also come equipped with carrying handles, and they’re sold in packs of one, five, 10, 25, or 100. No assembly is required.

“This has been a game-changer for school districts teetering on whether to open, open part-time, or keep children home through distance learning,” Green said. “This could assist school districts in that decision.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Johns Hopkins Starts Construction on New Residence Hall, Dining Facility

    The Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., recently began construction on a new residence hall and dining facility, according to university news. The work involves demolishing the existing Alumni Memorial Residence Hall I, which was built in 1923, to make room for the new facility.

  • How a Portable Sink Helped an Art Classroom Run More Smoothly

    Classroom design decisions can have outsized effects on instructional time and safety at schools juggling mismatched infrastructure, strict budgets, and crowded schedules — particularly in the arts. Between spilled paint and dirty brushes, art classes run smoother with a sink in the studio. But many schools don’t have a sink in every art classroom.

  • Big Horn Academy

    Big Horn Academy

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Big Horn Academy has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Announces Acquisition of JJCA

    Wold Architects & Engineers, based in Minneapolis, Minn., recently announced that it has acquired JJCA, an architecture firm based in Nashville, Tenn., according to a press release. JJCA specializes in healthcare and education design; the partnership allows both firms to expand their presence across the country while building on existing strengths.