News

Free school kiosk can sense gunshots, call police, post prom photos

The Coachella Valley (California) Unified School District is installing six-foot touchscreen kiosks, an updated version of campus bulletin boards, in east valley schools.

December 2, 2014

The Coachella Valley (California) Unified School District is installing six-foot touchscreen kiosks, an updated version of campus bulletin boards, in east valley schools, according to an article on the Riverside County (California) Office of Education website.

The school district partnered with technology startup SkoolLive, a company installing touchscreen kiosks in schools nationwide. Coachella Valley schools plan to install about 90 of the kiosks in December. For every 100 students, middle and high schools will receive one kiosk, with elementary schools receiving one each. Because the devices generate advertising revenue, a portion of which is shared with the kiosks' host school, SkoolLive is offering them for free.  

The stations will primarily display school information, including maps, schedules and events, that enable students to swipe through with a fingertip. Additionally, schools can highlight events by posting prom photos and sports videos, as well as sell campus apparel. The kiosks are also designed to increase campus security by automatically calling police if the machines' sensors detect a gunshot. Schools can connect the kiosks to existing alarm systems for sending automated alerts. 

The Coachella district first became interested in the kiosks after seeing them at an educational conference in September 2014.

"First of all, the fact that they were absolutely free was the number one appeal," said Antonio Raymo, the district's chief business officer. "That immediately got me interested. And then the security features really struck me."

The Coachella district estimates the kiosks will generate a yearly revenue of close to $50,000, according to Raymo. The company only sells "prosocial, positive brands" advertising space, such as Nike and Adidas and rejects ads from fast food and soda companies. Ultimately, individual schools have the authority to veto any ads, the article said.

SkoolLive is on the brink of its first major roll out after starting the program a year ago, with about 500 schools scheduled for installation between December and January. Another 1,500 are in the works before the next school year, the article said. SkoolLive is also in talks with the Palm Springs Unified School District.

"It's going to be a game-changer," said George Kuhn, director of business development for SkoolLive, in the article. "Kids are very technology driven nowadays, and we think this is going to fit in with what they are already using on a daily basis."