New “Standing” Desk Created to Improve Students’ Academic Achievement and Physical Fitness
Wis. Company’s Innovation Fulfills Teacher’s Vision; Launches Line of Ergonomic Products for K-12 Students
CENTURIA, Wis. (June 16, 2008) – When Abby Brown, a Minnesota teacher of more than 22 years, speaks about possibilities, those around her listen. Brown has a vision of what student learning and productivity looks like, and now students at Marine Elementary are reaping the benefits of a joint effort between Brown and Wisconsin-based Sunway Inc.
Launching the first of its Stand Up for Learning ergonomic products, Sunway has introduced the AlphaBetter™ Student Desk, an adjustable-height desk that allows students to stand while completing their school work. The AlphaBetter Student Desk was designed specifically at Brown’s request, and its effects on academic achievement and physical fitness are being studied by Education Minnesota/Ypsilon Associates and researchers from the University of Minnesota.
“Confining students to one position throughout the entire school day—day after day—isn’t in their best interest academically or physically,” said Brown, a sixth-grade teacher who has taught at Marine Elementary for 19 years. “Research shows us that attention to task, physical well-being—perhaps even self-esteem—can be improved by offering students the option to complete their work standing.”
When Brown glimpsed media coverage about a “classroom of the future,” she was inspired to seek classroom improvements that could benefit her own students. Last spring, she contacted Sunway to solicit a standing desk.
“Sunway has been receptive to my recommendations and insights,” says Brown. “The attention to detail, from the moveable footrest to the added weight of the stool (to keep it from tipping), has been exceptional.”
“Abby was very specific about her request, and with almost two decades of ergonomics experience in office furniture we knew how to achieve it,” says Tim Skiba, president of Sunway. “Combining our experience with Abby’s 22 years in the classroom, the AlphaBetter desk is one of the strongest education furniture products available.”
Using grants solicited from local sources, Brown has now filled four classrooms in her school district with the AlphaBetter Student Desk. She has also enlisted Education Minnesota/Ypsilon Associates to identify potential improvements in academic achievement, while University of Minnesota researchers are studying the impact on students’ caloric expenditure and physical fitness.
Brown continues to solicit additional financial support and raise awareness of the AlphaBetter Student Desk and its benefits within the Midwest. She regularly attends Rotary Club meetings and completes grant applications, hoping to increase the number of school districts using the unique standing desk. In particular, she points out the benefits to students with ADHD and other special needs.
Currently, the Stand Up for Learning products include:
• AlphaBetter Student Desk — A high-end, quality school product, the AlphaBetter Student Desk is an adjustable-height desk designed to fit most students from third to 12th grade. Supporting legs adjust from 26 to 42 inches providing the best-fit option for individual students, and steel frame construction allows for long-lasting durability and stability. The AlphaBetter Student Desk is assembled in Sunway’s Centuria, Wis.-based manufacturing plant, with metalwork supplied by Midwest metal suppliers. A patent-pending product made exclusively in the United States, the AlphaBetter Student Desk retails at $280.
An added feature of the AlphaBetter Student Desk is the patent-pending Pendulum Footrest, which comes standard on all AlphaBetter desks. The footrest naturally corrects a student’s body position and ergonomic posture while providing lower back stress relief.
• Adjustable-Height Stool — An adjustable-height stool, weighing 19 pounds and featuring steel “tip-resistant” legs for added stability, this Sunway product allows for height variation between 21 and nearly 36 inches. A 13-inch wide square seat increases the seating surface over that of standard circular stools. Sunway’s adjustable-height stool retails for $169.
About Sunway Inc.
Wisconsin-based Sunway Inc. engineers and manufactures high-end ergonomic office and home office furniture. Established in 1990, Sunway provides custom and private-label products including ergonomic keyboard arms and trays, workstations, adjustable-height work tables, laptop systems and arm/wrist supports. The Stand Up for Learning product line is the newest line of products from Sunway. Its AlphaBetter Student Desk is the highest quality, U.S.-made, adjustable-height desk for teachers and students interested in the benefits of a standing desk option. For more information about Sunway and its AlphaBetter Student Desk, please contact Sunway at 877.408.5396 or visit www.standupforlearning.com
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