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| Avigilon end-to-end solution secures the facility and ensures student safety |
The American University School of Kuwait (AUS) is a co-educational private school located in the free trade zone in the Middle East for elementary student’s pre-kindergarten to fifth grade. From its inception, the founders of AUS desired a unique facility to prepare students to engage in the dynamic challenges of the 21st century. To support their mission, the curriculum offers the latest educational materials and technology. Combining digital media and traditional student-centred learning practices, students interact with others in multiple languages, developing the skills and instincts they will use to thrive as future global leaders.
In September 2013, AUS opened the elementary school. A separate middle school for grades 6-8 debuted for the 2014-2015 academic year. Eventually, the school plans to expand to a fully accredited high school for grades 9-12. When expansion is complete, the 624,000-square foot facility will serve 2,200 students. The building is designed with children in mind: large corridors, wide doorways, splashes of colour, and collaborative areas that promote creativity and interaction. The playground is a wonderland for students to explore the world around them. Kinetic learners will flourish among the rock climbing walls, swimming pools, bicycle lanes, a sensory path, soccer and basketball courts, and the plant and water features that render excellent study environments.
Avigilon Control Centre software
The American United School’s six-person security staff monitors classes as well as public and secure areas using the Avigilon Control Centre (ACC) software with High Definition Stream Management (HDSM) technology. The 30 Avigilon HD 3 MP and 5 MP cameras offer exceptional high resolution details for real-time review of all school activities, classrooms, common areas and entrances. The school stores at least 30 days of continuous surveillance footage on an Avigilon Network Video Recorder (NVR), and is able to leverage existing network infrastructure using a special virtual local area network (VLAN). The school’s administration can monitor the system remotely during off-hours using the ACC Mobile app, and parents of kindergarten and pre-kindergarten students can also login remotely using their home computer or mobile devices to see what their children are up to in class.
The lean and flexible security team at AUS can quickly view, review, and pinpoint active or potential security issues with the Avigilon HD solution |
The lean and flexible security team at AUS can quickly view, review, and pinpoint active or potential security issues with the Avigilon HD solution. With the help of the user-friendly software, the school’s security staff is now able to search footage for events more than 10 times faster than other schools nearby that still use standard analogue systems now rendered obsolete. The clarity and wide viewing range of the Avigilon HD high resolution cameras helps the team watch over multiple areas without the need for additional cameras and security staff.
Remote monitoring
The school chose the Avigilon end-to-end solution to secure the facility and ensure student safety. As an added benefit, Avigilon HD cameras are used in a unique way: parents can view their child’s classroom activities. AUS Chief Information Officer Rusty Bruns explains, “From the parents’ perspective, sitting at home, shopping, dining, or at work, their child can be seen from their smart phones. This has a significant appeal to the current parents, as well as those of prospective students.”
Parents receive texts every day as children come and go from school grounds, and can view their children at any time using Avigilon’s ACC software. Knowing their children are monitored and safe, and seeing their progress in the classroom offers parents familiarity with their child’s tasks and experiences. This innovative opportunity for parents to stay better informed is a winner for all concerned.
Self-learning analytics
The security director and five security guards monitor all classes, as well as public and secure areas, using 30 Avigilon HD cameras with exceptional high resolution and self-learning analytics to monitor all classrooms, common areas, and entrances. These offer an interdependent and comprehensive overview of what is happening anywhere and everywhere on campus.
“We wanted it to be easy for parents to gain and use viewing access,” Bruns notes. “With a standard analogue security system, allowing twenty parents to view their child at the same time would be a significant challenge, but Avigilon’s ground-breaking system negated the issue.” According to Bruns, Avigilon’s friendly and knowledgeable sales support was there every step of the way to help AUS identify its current and future needs.
“From the parents’ perspective, sitting at home, shopping, dining, or at work, their child can be seen from their smart phones” |
For the American United School of Kuwait and the families it serves, the future looks bright. Since the school opened a little over a year ago, the students declare AUS an enormous success. Kim Cunningham, Elementary School Principal at AUS, is excited about a model for learning that creates tech-savvy and confident students from the beginning. “In a 21st century classroom, students practice critical thinking and problem solving and participate in authentic learning opportunities that are connected to the real world.”
Fifth-grader Ashley typifies student enthusiasm about new models for education: “All the technology at this school is awesome and all the teachers, computers and games make learning fun!”
Promoting a digital environment in the classroom
AUS is moving to a flipped classroom model where children work one-to-one in a digital environment. Tuition includes a Lenovo Think Pad Tablet for all students pre-loaded with the core curriculum apps suggested by teachers. The tablet serves as a vehicle that enables teachers to plan powerful lessons, and frees up time in the classroom for more collaborative work and activities that engage students in higher-order thinking.
Students have access to current technology with specialty software. TRIUMPH Multi-touch Interactive Boards with 2D and 3D Reallusion animation software allow students to draw and explore with colours and designs. While working, students view colourful, high definition presentations from the teacher on a 20” LCD screen. High-speed Internet service and network switches ensure all students work without experiencing slow-downs whether they are accessing online or local network resources.
