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

  • University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Launches New Emergency Communications System

    The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) recently deployed a new emergency notification and incident management system for its campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with 911Cellular to launch Safe@UTC, a smartphone app allowing university officials to communicate and respond during emergency situations.

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part II

    As education leaders look toward 2026, the design of K–12 and higher education facilities is being reshaped by powerful, converging forces. Survey respondents point to the rapid growth of Career and Technical Education, deeper alignment with workforce and industry needs, and the accelerating influence of AI and emerging technologies.

  • University of Arizona Approves New Residence Hall

    The Arizona Board of Regents recently approved plans for a new residence hall at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., according to a news release. The new facility is scheduled to open in fall 2028 and have the capacity for more than 1,200 students, enforcing a new university expectation that all first-year students live on campus.

  • 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.