San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
VOLUNTEERS BUILD, DONATE 102 DESKS FOR STUDENTS
Rotary Club of Escondido organizes effort to help tackle virtual learning
After seeing students struggling with virtual learning, a group of Escondido volunteers set up socially distanced Santa’s workshops, and built desks to help them out.
In November, the Rotary Club of Escondido constructed 102 portable, collapsible student desks for students in the Escondido Union School District, and delivered them to the district for distribution to kids who need them.
“The realization came out that kids’ grades are dropping, and one of the reasons might be because they don’t have a dedicated place at home that they call school,” said Rotary member Keith Richenbacher. “So they end up working at the kitchen table or counter, and find it difficult to learn.”
Rotary member Ron Smith suggested the idea after a friend called
his attention to Dreambuilders, a Maryland organization that had developed the project.
“She knew that I was gathering tools in my garage and building a woodshop, and she said I think you need something to make,” Smith said.
Smith, a retired principal of Central Elementary School in Escondido, knew that many students in the district have limited space at home and often share it with siblings and other family members. He thought the desk designed by Dreambuilders would be a good fit for those tight quarters.
“I liked the desk design a lot,” he said. “It was small enough that it could be carried around, it had handles in it, it could fold and fit in a closet or under a bed. I used to work for EUSD and knew some of the families are challenged in space and furniture.”
He requested a copy of the design from the organization, and received a detailed brochure with plans for the desks, as well as guidelines on how to organize production. Rotary members requested donations, and also sought support from local businesses, including J & W Redwood, Saroyan Hardwoods, Gearhart Cabinets, Home Depot and Equity Builders Company.
To make efficient use of time, volunteers with the right skills and tools cut parts at home or in company workshops, he said. Others prepared and installed nylon web handles, and Gearhart Cabinets cut the desktops. So when the time came to assemble them, the parts were ready to go.
About 50 volunteers gathered over two weekends in November at Aelott Air Conditioning, where a large, open warehouse provided sufficient space and ventilation to accommodate them all safely.
“It had a lot of workspaces and had fresh air and big rollup garage doors, so it had plenty of air circulation, so we could place people away from each other,” Smith said. “We were trying to be as Covid-disciplined as we could.”
Each assembly station was a self-contained unit, where volunteers fitted the pieces together and then clamped and screwed them into place. The assembly process allowed skilled volunteers to take the lead on assembly, and enabled those without woodworking expertise to contribute as well, Smith said. If someone wasn’t adept with power tools, he said, they could glue, sand surfaces or carry parts. With more than 400 hours of total labor and $4,813 in supplies, the group completed 102 desks.
Volunteers delivered those to the school district headquarters, where officials worked with staff at elementary school campuses to get desks to the students most in need. School social workers and parent liaisons had been making visits to families of students who were falling behind, so they knew which children would benefit from the desks, said Deputy Superintendent Leila Sackfield.
Students in virtual learning need a place to put their ipads so they can engage in Zoom classes, and a spot to do written classwork, Sackfield said. The lightweight, movable desk design makes them useful in tight spaces, she said.
“The cool thing about it is they’re very portable,” she said. “They’re almost like a TV tray. They can be stored easily.”
For students working at home in improvised conditions, the desks can provide the cues that say, “this is school, it’s time to get started,” Smith said. Drawing on his own experience as an educator, he said that can make the difference to help students stay motivated and on task.
“The message the desk sends is that school is important, this is mine, I’m going to do my best work here,” he said.