Classroom Furniture that’s Fostering Focus
In October of 2024 the doors opened, welcoming neighbors, volunteers, donors and community partners to tour the newly renovated DeSoto County Dream Center (DCDC) facility. So much thought and dreaming, intentionality and heart went into the planning around the relationships that are cultivated in this building. DCDC staff and volunteers researched cutting edge facilities and strategies on how to create environments that help support youth strengthen focus and concentration, promote positive behavior and boost creativity and innovation. The end result of all of this prayer, research, intentionality and construction was a classroom layout and large gathering space designed with each of the students enrolled in our Elementary Education and Leadership programming.
Thanks to the support of generous individuals and businesses in the community who have partnered with DCDC through their sponsorship of 8 of the 12 newly renovated classrooms. These sponsorships have made it possible to outfit each classroom with furniture and other resources to better meet the educational, emotional, spiritual and physical needs of students.
Since students entered the renovated facility for education programming in October 2024, staff and volunteers have seen first-hand the positive impact that these new environments are having on the quality of experiences students have. Teachers used to have to negotiate with fifth grade student CJ, in order to get him to sit and engage in an hour of small groups every Tuesday and Thursday evening. Once he was able to sit in the specially designed chairs that allow him to get energy out, while safely seated, negotiations stopped, and CJ is able to focus and engage for the duration of programming.
As one of our core pillars of service, DCDC is committed to specifically coming alongside students and families enrolled in the 14 different Title 1 schools within DeSoto County. These are public schools that receive federal funding to support the 40% or more of students at or below the poverty line. All of our educational programming aims to holistically support students and families who may not have access to some of these innovative resources we are now using to foster more dynamic and inclusive educational experiences thanks to the outfitted classrooms. One specific example is that for many students with attention deficit disorders, the classroom seating that allows slight movement, as well as the movable and modular desk and furniture designs create opportunities for easy classroom reconfigurations in order to accommodate different teaching methods and both independent and collaborative work. The calming colors and aesthetics in these new classrooms are proven to influence mood, can reduce stress and enhance concentration- not to mention the inherent dignity that is affirmed when students are welcomed into bright and clean spaces!
We are so encouraged by the ways that students are benefitting from these renovated classrooms. Last year we saw 73% of students enrolled in our educational programming improve in their reading grades while 54% saw improvement in their math grades. At the heart of these positive outcomes are the loving and long-term relationships that DCDC staff and volunteers have with students and families, but the intentionality in these classroom designs are a tangible reflection of Christ’s love for the youth.
As we seek to outfit the remaining four classrooms in this way, would you or your company consider becoming a sponsor and partnering with the DeSoto County Dream Center in providing quality educational assistance for the under-served in DeSoto County? Contact Terri Sparkman for more information about ways to get involved in this ongoing work.