LumAware ClearGuard Desk Guard Shields Students in the Classroom

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

  • Houston-Area High School Receives Best Project Award from ENR

    Tomball West High School near Houston, Texas, recently received a K–12 Education Best Project Award in Engineering News-Record’s 2026 Texas & Southeast Best Projects Awards, according to a press release. The new facility was completed in May and opened its doors to students for the fall 2026 semester.

  • Charles R. Drew University Opens Health Professions Education Building

    Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) has officially opened its new Health Professions Education Building (HPEB) in South Los Angeles.

  • Texas A&M Opens First Building at Fort Worth Campus, Breaks Ground on Research Facility

    The Texas A&M University System marked a major milestone in the development of its Fort Worth campus by opening its first completed academic building and breaking ground on a second facility designed to expand research and industry collaboration.