Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Rita Lewis' fourth-grade class wrote essays to address loud hand dryers across the hall from their classroom.
- The essays led a local business to donate quieter hand dryers to the school.
- The initiative inspired adults to reassess building standards for noise levels.
PLEASANT GROVE — Rita Lewis' fourth-grade class recently wrote essays to enact change at Central Elementary School. The hand dryers in the bathroom across the hall made learning difficult, and the students were ready to speak up.
For years, the unusually loud bathroom hand dryers had interrupted classes and affected students' learning abilities.
"They could be really distracting to other kids. When people are teaching and they are right next to the hand dryers and their door is open, sometimes it makes it so they can't hear each other when they are telling stories," said one of Lewis' fourth-grade students.
The students' research showed that the hand dryers also affected test taking and students with special needs around them.
"Our special needs kids are afraid to go to the bathroom because it is so loud," one student explained.
With encouragement from their teacher, the students wrote essays to various companies around Utah asking them to donate quieter hand dryers to the school.
Their large yellow envelope reached Chariot Plumbing Supply and Design in Salt Lake City. Business owner Jon Aird and operations manager Chantel Gough read through the students' essays and felt inspired to help.
"When we got the letter, we knew we had to help," Aird said.
The Chariot Plumbing team headed to the elementary school to assess the situation and meet the students. The class was ecstatic to have gotten a response.
The company interviewed the class, asking questions for about 45 minutes, and quickly realized how much of a problem the hand dryers were. The loud noises continually interrupted students and made it nearly impossible for them to hear each other. Still, Chariot was impressed by the students' articulate nature and reasoning for needing new hand dryers.
"They are a really bright class. You can tell Mrs. Lewis is a really great teacher who really cares about them and letting them use their voice. They executed it perfectly," shared Gough.
After their interview, Chariot went to work researching the current decibel levels of the hand dryers and finding quieter hand dryers to donate. Throughout every contact point, the students were in charge of speaking to them and learning to advocate for their needs. Every email, phone call and conversation was student-led.
"We were a little nervous at the start. But I think we are excited now when we get calls because we want to use our voice," one of the students said.
The students learned that their thoughts are powerful and can make a change. They shared that they are "changing history" for all future classes near the restrooms.
"We are so small, yet we found out that we have a big voice. We know that people will hear it," a student expressed.
Through their efforts, the students have enacted change beyond their school.
"These kids have inspired adults to look at their standards for buildings and schools to see if they are appropriate or not," said Lewis.
The new hand dryers will be installed before the end of the school year, and the students expressed gratitude to everyone who listened to their voices.
