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Donated desks help Chandler students stand in class

Posted at 8:11 AM, Aug 08, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-08 12:04:40-04
The term “take your seats” looks a bit different in some classrooms these days. 
 
ABC15 Mornings Anchor Danielle Lerner went to Shumway Elementary Leadership Academy in Chandler to see how standing is helping kids focus on their physical and mental health.
 
In Keri Flynn’s fifth-grade classroom, students have several options when choosing how and where they sit. Now, they can choose where they stand too.
 
“It helps them focus, re-energizes them a little bit, any of us when we are sitting too long become sleepy, less focused, start to daydream,” said Principal Dr. Korry Brenner.
 
It is an opportunity many schools can only dream about, adjustable standing desks to keep students moving and engaged.
 
“I remember as a little boy, oh it was the worst thing,” said Drew de Weerd, CEO of MultiTable.com. “It’s not that I wasn’t a good student, it’s just that I could not sit still.”
 
So with some help from ABC15, de Weerd’s company donated several desks so students could experience some of the overall health benefits.
 
“Posture is a big one,” de Weerd said. “Then there’s digestion, you just digest better when you’re standing.”
 
With cash-strapped districts doing so much with so little, Principal Brenner is hoping this gift is just the beginning.
 
“It’s not something the school budget can accommodate and so to have them donate, gives us a great start,” Brenner said.
 
The standing desks start at $300 each.