Challenge

When Samuel Wyatt began planning a new elementary school in the small West Texas town of Rankin, his top priority was to provide students with a state-of-the-art facility. The school district superintendent searched across the country for creative approaches that enhanced the learning environment, such as a two-story indoor slide in an Atlanta school. 

Much to the delight of students and teachers, a similar slide now resides inside the recently opened Gossett Elementary. Students earn the opportunity to go down the “slide to success” for good behavior and other achievements.

With the heightened focus on health and safety, Wyatt was also looking for innovative methods to reduce the spread of illness and keep students and teachers in school. He was especially interested in finding a better approach to hand hygiene.

Solution

At a trade show for the American Association of School Administrators, Vaask’s hand sanitizing fixture caught Wyatt’s eye. After a quick demonstration, Wyatt knew he had found his answer. 

He immediately saw how Vaask’s touchless fixture was far superior to the plastic dispensers he was looking to avoid. 

“As soon as I saw how well the dispensers were designed and functioned, I knew we needed to install them into the new school,” Wyatt said.

The fixtures are customized with the school’s Red Devil mascot and colors, fitting right in with the building decor.

Once the fixtures were installed, the Gossett Elementary students, who range from grades 1-5, quickly developed a habit of sanitizing their hands at every opportunity.  

“The kids were very enthusiastic about using them from the beginning,” Gossett Elementary Vice Principal Lisa Williams said. “Every time a student came across one, they would put their hand in there for a squirt.”

A huge plus has been how easy the units have been to maintain. The LED lights on the front panel serve a helpful maintenance function, showing when sanitizer levels are low or empty. With 14 units in the school, this feature saves a lot of time, Williams said. 

Maintenance staffers no longer have to replace batteries, and the large-capacity tank goes longer between refills.

The sensor also retracts the sanitizer gel if someone quickly pulls their hand back after activating the sensor, which the younger kids are more prone to do. This feature helps keep the floors free of spills and eliminates the risk of slippage.

Made from cast aluminum, the fixtures will still be around long after the youngest students have moved on to the high school across the street. 

“They look sleek, are super functional and cut down on plastic waste,” Williams said. “We are very glad to have them.”

Click here to see Vaask in action.