Case Study

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School

K-12 Education

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School: Empowering Flexible Learning with Omnicharge Solutions

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School is a private K-12 institution with three campuses serving over 1,200 students. Spread across a five-mile radius, the campuses include buildings that date back to the early 1900s, presenting both historic charm and modern challenges. The school's commitment to academic excellence includes a robust one-to-one technology program for students.

The Challenge

As part of its technology-forward curriculum, the school's one-to-one program equips all middle and high school students with laptops. However, the limitations of aging buildings posed significant hurdles:

Limited Power Access:
Many classrooms and libraries lacked adequate power outlets, a reflection of building codes from decades past.

Charging Habits:
Despite policies requiring students to bring fully charged devices to school, students frequently forgot, disrupting lessons and activities.

Omnicharge Power Station on a library counter

Teacher Frustration:
Uncharged devices derailed planned lessons, forcing teachers to pivot or find workarounds for unprepared students.

High Demand for Loaner Devices:
Loaning out additional laptops to address power shortages was both costly and unsustainable.

The school needed a flexible, cost-effective solution to ensure students could fully participate in their educational experience, regardless of where they worked or the availability of outlets.

Taking an Omni Mobile Power Bank from a Power Station

The Omnicharge Solution

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes implemented Omnicharge Power Stations in their high school and middle school libraries. Each station includes 10 Omni Mobile Power Banks, which are:

Portable: Students can take a power bank to any workspace, enabling flexibility and mobility.
Fast-Charging: Power banks recharge student devices quickly, often restoring enough battery life for the rest of the school day within a single class period.
Efficiently Managed: The libraries oversee checkouts using their existing library systems, ensuring easy integration with school operations.

Additionally, the librarians have played a critical role in ensuring power banks are returned promptly, minimizing losses.

Student picking up a power bank from a Power Station

Students working at a table with a power bank

Impact

The introduction of Omnicharge Power Stations delivered immediate and measurable benefits:

Improved Learning Environment

Teachers no longer face disruptions due to uncharged devices, allowing lessons to proceed smoothly. Students can now fully engage with technology-integrated curricula.

Enhanced Student Experience

Students and teachers greatly appreciate the freedom to work anywhere in the library or classroom without being tethered to a wall outlet.

Cost Savings

The availability of fast-charging power banks reduced the need for additional loaner laptops, saving money while still meeting student needs.

Scalability and Usage

The school reports high usage rates for the Power Stations, with power banks constantly checked out and returned throughout the day. Encouraged by this success, they are exploring adding additional Power Stations.

"It's incredibly frustrating for a teacher to have a classroom activity ready to go and then find students unable to participate because their devices aren't charged. Omnicharge has beautifully addressed this problem."

Colleen McNeil

Why Omnicharge Stood Out

Omnicharge Power Station with labelled power banks in the library

The school explored other options, including traditional charging carts and other portable solutions. However, Omnicharge stood out for its:

Charging Speed: Devices charged faster, ensuring quick turnover and availability for multiple users.

Ease of Use: Existing library systems were sufficient to manage checkouts, eliminating the need for additional software or infrastructure.

Reliability: The robust design and capacity of Omnicharge Power Banks met the high demands of the school environment.

Conclusion

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School exemplifies how schools can overcome the challenges of integrating technology into legacy infrastructure, with Omnicharge Power Stations ensuring students stay charged and engaged. The partnership highlights Omnicharge's ability to deliver practical, scalable solutions tailored to the evolving needs of modern education.