From Plumbing to Programming: Water Station Must-Haves for Modern Trade Schools

Running a great trade school starts with a great curriculum. Teaching students skills that they can immediately apply in the real world is the core function of this type of education. 

But students need more on your campus than just great lessons. They also need to be supported so they are ready to focus on education and prepare for their exciting new careers. This is why things like water service are so important. Keeping students hydrated is crucial to academic success, and this can be easily accomplished when you partner with InReach. 

We have experience helping all kinds of schools, businesses, and organizations create or upgrade water stations. Call today to get started!

Hydration Fuels Education

There is no debating the value of hydration for students. Proper hydration has been proven to improve focus, memory, and cognitive performance. According to the National Library of Medicine, dehydration can make adults feel tired and dizzy, among many other symptoms. Whether students are trying to pay attention to a lecture or are working on building physical skills, hydration is critical. 

Getting plenty of water will not only lead to more effective learning, but it will also help to keep students safe. Dehydration can be dangerous in a workshop setting where even a momentary lapse in focus could have very serious consequences. 

Prioritize These Important Features

There is certainly drinking water already available on your campus. It might be in the form of a standard office water dispenser or even just a drinking fountain. 

However, what you are currently providing might not serve the needs of your students as well as a proper hydration station. Look for the following features as you go through this process to make sure everyone gets exactly what they need:

• Filtered Water: This is a fundamental starting point. You want to offer filtered water, so students know the water they are drinking is clean and safe. As an added bonus, filtered water will taste better, meaning more people will be likely to drink more of it. 
• Touchless Dispensing: It’s important to do what you can to limit the spread of germs on a busy campus. Enabling students to get water without physically touching anything is a step in the right direction. 
• Bottle Filling Capabilities: Many students today carry their own reusable water bottles. Having a place to easily fill these bottles is a logical inclusion in your water station project. 

Strategic Placement Is Important

Even the best water station will be largely ignored if it is not placed in the right spot. Offering fresh, filtered water is one half of the equation, but making it convenient is the other component.

Fortunately, there are likely to be plenty of spots around campus that see regular foot traffic. It might be as simple as placing a hydration station in a busy hallway between classrooms, or you could add this feature to a student lounge or break area. Likewise, if your campus has a main entryway or reception area, that would also be a logical choice. 

Spend some time monitoring movement patterns around campus to see which areas would be a good fit. You may also wish to conduct a quick poll among students to determine where they would like water to be available. 

Give Your Students an Edge

It’s easy to overlook the importance of hydration in the classroom. Students might not be working hard physically, but they are working hard mentally, and dehydration can quickly degrade their performance. Make quality, accessible water stations available on your campus through the reliable water delivery service InReach can provide. 

Proudly part of Sodexo, InReach offers global reach, customized attention, and a large, growing buying network that keeps food costs low and quality high. Contact us today to learn more.