Safety First: National Heritage Academies Sets Schools Up for Success with Mobile Phone App

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Nov 03, 2020, 09:00 ET

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Nov. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- While safety has continuously been a top priority for all National Heritage Academies (NHA) schools, the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic created the need for enhancements to the pre-existing safety practices and procedures.

To best support school leaders, NHA provided a variety of tools and resources to ensure a safe school environment was provided to students and staff. A game-changing tool was the phone app NHA launched, which serves as a one-stop-shop for all things COVID-19-related. This includes housing parent and staff letters, answering frequently asked questions, and more, to allow for convenience and accessibility to school leaders.

Staff at the Service Center, NHA's headquarters, worked with a service-driven mind and heart to provide schools with the tools and resources needed to provide a safe learning environment. This allowed for NHA to focus on ensuring safety measures were implemented and taken, so teachers and school leaders could concentrate on educating students and supporting staff.

"The phone app was and continues to be a great resource for our team," said Kelly Osterhout, principal at Quest Charter Academy. "As leaders, we are always on the move and the app provides a resource at your fingertips. We use the app several times a week to check our decisions before reaching out to our director of school quality."

NHA believes the well-being of children comes first and, that young people, like adults, learn best when they are happy, safe, and cared for properly.

"Safety skills learned in the school and work environment are applicable everywhere. It's impressive to see what our schools and Service Center are doing amidst the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the health and safety of our scholars," said Brian Gard, director of safety and health at NHA.

One crucial resource found on the app is the Decision Tree, a tool created by the NHA Safety team, which aimed to help school leaders navigate the situations they encounter due to COVID-19.

With 90 schools, it's no small feat, but a challenge that has been approached with care, thoughtfulness, and teamwork.

About National Heritage Academies:
National Heritage Academies is a network of 90 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 60,000 students in kindergarten through eighth-grade. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.

SOURCE National Heritage Academies