Re-opening Education

Providing technology solutions, strategies and services to create safe, healthy indoor environments at schools, colleges and universities across America.

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We can help

Let’s get back to class!

Siemens can help you navigate the latest CDC Recommendations for Ventilation and how to leverage Federal funding that’s available now. As an expert in ASHRAE® standards, we can help you create a plan and then, recommend the right technology solutions and strategies for your school, district or campus. Let’s get back to learning!
Reopening Education - K-12 - white paper image

K-12 Schools

Download Guidelines for K12 Schools Flyer

Download the educational white paper for K12

 

Helping re-open schools safely

Learn how Memphis Scholars implemented an indoor air quality solution to bring students and educators back.
 

Download the case study to discover more

Reopening Education - Colleges and Universities white paper image of cover

Colleges and Universities

Download Guidelines for Colleges and Universities Flyer

 

Download the educational white paper for colleges and universities

 

Getting students back on campus
Learn how Molloy College re-opened their dormitories for students.
 

Listen in to the podcast with Molloy College President Dr. James Lentini

young man in classroom with other students during covid pandemic

In the spotlight

Why investing in ventilation could pay dividends for learning

 

With the spotlight on the importance of ventilation in the ongoing fight against COVID variants, learn why indoor air quality (IAQ) is so important to learning and why improvements you make now go far beyond today.

Learn more

 

Resources you need now

How do I know what’s right for my school, district, or campus?

Picture of an elementary school girl in the hallway with her friends, smiling and social distancing wth masks

Where do I start?

Each building is unique, but the primary strategies are to help mitigate virus spread and improve the air quality in our indoor learning and living  environments. To help ensure this, a combination of innovative technology solutions, strategies and services can be leveraged depending on your specific needs, age of the buildings, etc.

 

That’s why it’s important to have a partner who is experienced and knowledgeable with ASHRAE standards, as well as having the latest toolset of proven technology solutions and strategies in-hand.

 

Download Guidelines for K12 Schools Flyer

Download Guidelines for Colleges and Universities Flyer

 

Need help now?

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Federal Relief for Education

The American Rescue Plan includes nearly $170 billion for education. This is in addition to the two previous pieces of legislation passed in 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA).
 

The Department of Education emphasize the importance of proper school ventilation in their report.

 
Links to apply for this funding from the Department of Education can be found below:

Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER II) Fund

Higher Education Emergency Relief (HEERF II) Fund

Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER II) Fund

College students social distancing on campus while studying

Here's the latest

Given new evidence on the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant, the CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. Children should return to full-time in-person learning in the fall with layered prevention strategies in place. This is in agreement with the latest recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics which urges in-person learning, but with updated masking. The latest recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics urges in-person learning, but with updated masking for schools.

 

Find the American College Health Association Considerations for Reopening IHE for Fall 2021.


CDC Recommendations and Resources

Updated Guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools

CDC Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Mitigation

CDC Resources for Higher Education

CDC Guidelines for Ventilation in Buildings

 

ASHRAE

ASHRAE Recommendations

According to the U.S. Green Building’s Council IAQ Schools Survey and Report (Released April 29, 2021), "As schools re-open and develop health and safety plans to mitigate airborne transmission of COVID-19, many are prioritizing and upgrading current HVAC systems to provide the highest indoor air quality for building occupants," said Corey Metzger, ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force Schools team lead. "We know that improved indoor air quality has a positive impact on student performance and general well-being and I’m hopeful that more schools will consider and implement the guidance provided by ASHRAE."

 

ASHRAE Guidance
Preparation in the Pandemic: How Schools Implemented Air Quality Measures to Protect Occupants from COVID-19

Core Recommendations for Reducing Airborne Infectious Aerosol Exposure

ASHRAE Guidance for Building Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

ASHRAE: Guidelines for Schools and Universities

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Cooperative Purchasing Contracts with Sourcewell

Even with allocated federal funding now available for education, using a Sourcewell Purchasing Contract can accelerate this process. This vehicle allows schools, colleges and universities to purchase solutions, equipment and services through a pre-negotiated contract vehicle, saving time and eliminating the RFP process. This applies to planned or actionable projects due to the pandemic that can improve the health and safety of your institutions.  

Learn more about Sourcewell contracts

The technology to reopen education

The Optimistic Outlook with Barbara Humpton

Barbara Humpton, USA President and CEO, looks at what it takes to bring back in-person learning across schools, colleges and universities.
The Optimistic Outlook with Barbara Humpton: The Technology to Reopen Education

Focus on higher education 

Molloy College President Dr. James Lentini joins the podcast alongside Siemens’ Fred James and David Santo to talk about the air purification and technology partnership helping Molloy College expand in-person learning with confidence this spring.

The Optimistic Outlook: Part 2 with Jon Stonier, Augusta School Department Director of Building and Grounds

Focus on K-12 schools 

Barbara turns her focus to K-12 schools, highlighting the reopening story of public schools in Augusta, ME. Jon Stonier, Augusta School Department Director of Building and Grounds, and Siemens’ Erik Matzell, Senior Sales Executive, join the show to talk about the school system’s focus on technology and infrastructure.

The Optimistic Outlook podcast: Part 3: The technology to reopen education

What does the future hold?

Is this a generational opportunity? For the last episode of the series, Barbara talks to John Macomber, a Harvard Business School lecturer and co-author of “Healthy Buildings: How Indoor Spaces Drive Performance and Productivity,” to explore how addressing the immediate need to reopen schools nationwide could actually benefit students, teachers and administrators for many years to come. 

Be in the know

Webinars and Virtual Events

Reopen Education: What congressional COVID funding means for Higher Ed

As the pandemic shut down campuses across the country, higher education institutions have faced unprecedented financial strain. Now with billions in federal funding available to colleges and universities to promote student health and academic success, administrators are making tough decisions on how best to balance these resources with the tremendous need across all areas.

How you can leverage your existing HVAC system and control strategies to optimize indoor air quality

As education returns to facilities, navigating decisions on building operations has proven to be extremely challenging. Learn how to implement the latest ASHRAE & CDC recommendations to your HVAC control sequences and help ensure systems are functioning properly without extensive building commissioning; leverage machine learning to create healthier indoor environments without compromising occupant comfort, and how to continue to get value from these strategies moving forward.

Classrooms after COVID-19: Unpacking the safe return to school

The debate over reopening America's classrooms has picked up steam, with concerned educators, parents, and policymakers all navigating how to safely return to in-person learning. The CDC recently announced their recommendation on school re-openings and making decisions based on community transmission rates. 

 

Why it matters: From air circulation and temperature testing to how the government is supporting these efforts, learn about the safety protocols are being implemented and how.

Strategies for Funding: 2021 & Beyond — Smart Infrastructure & Deferred Maintenance

Learn about creative financing strategies trending nationally in Higher Ed to plan and execute campus improvements. Adaptive financing approaches make projects feasible and can reframe strategic planning and budgeting long-term to combat significant deferred maintenance backlogs that strain equipment and staff, impair building comfort, and prevent campus modernization.

Resources for your re-opening

Infographics

Create a safe, healthy environment for learning

For both K-12 schools and Higher Education campuses, we take a holistic approach to creating safe and healthy environments for students and educators.
Infographic: Come back with confidence to safe, healthy school environments
Download the infographic
Infographic: Come back with confidence to safe, healthy school environments
Download the infographic
Smart Infrastructure for Education

Learn more about our solutions for schools and campuses

Every school has a story, and the learning environment is an important part of that story. We can create a quality learning environment for both K-12 and Higher Education facilities in which students, teachers and administrators are comfortable, safe and secure. Choose your market below to learn about our smart infrastructure solutions.
K-12

K-12

As your students tackle complex subjects, your facility faces challenges of its own. But when you create a safe, secure, and comfortable learning environment, students can do their best learning and apply it to the world around them.

HIgher Ed

Higher Education

The right environment for learning can lead to great things. Students focus on learning and exploring their future

Contact Us

Getting back to in-person learning is on your mind!

Contact us for assistance in navigating the best practices, available funding for your institution, and the right technology solutions and strategies to help you resume in-person learning safely.