If you’re like most people, when you think of digital signage at school, you likely see it as a modern way to communicate upcoming events to the community. And while this is certainly true, it can also do so much more.
Whether you opt for a large eye-catching outdoor LED sign at the main entrance, full HD commercial grade LCD panels internally, or a combination of the two, a well-planned content strategy will help you get the most from your digital signage. From sharing achievements and school news, to educating, informing and inspiring students, staff and their families, the display possibilities are vast.
Bright and vibrant digital displays sharing relevant content allow you to connect and build strong ties with your school community. It also attracts attention from others outside your school, providing a fantastic opportunity to promote your strengths and image, boosting enrollments and growing your school.
So, if you’re wondering how it could work best for you, in this article we share simple yet innovative ways digital signage can benefit your school.
Celebrate achievements
Digital signage is a fantastic way to share and celebrate individual, group, school-wide and community achievements. This could include school sports results, academic achievements, artistic performances, community activities, environmental awards and more, and can be shown on internal screens in the office foyer or on your main external signage. Adding a LED or LCD screen in the assembly hall is a fantastic way to highlight achievements in front of the school students and parents, with the digital screen adding visual interest which increases engagement and interaction with the audience.
Showcase student work and stories
The eye-catching and vivid screens of LCD digital signage is the ideal place to share student work and stories. With the ability to display images, videos and text, it’s the perfect platform to inspire further creativity and recognise the efforts of students. The ease of use of the cloud software also allows you to regularly change the display from a central location, so it’s easy to keep it fresh and current. When you position signage in the office foyer or other meeting points, students, families and teachers can view while they wait, and feel proud of the amazing efforts happening every day at school.
Display what’s on and upcoming events
When it comes to communicating important dates and upcoming events, digital signage beats static and traditional methods in a range of key areas. In particular, the ability to easily and instantly update information if circumstances change (which they often do these days) is a big benefit. For example, if an excursion or activity is cancelled at the last minute due to weather or illness, displaying a message on the external LED sign at the main entrance will alert most families as they arrive. Digital signage also provides an opportunity to make the message more engaging and fun with the ability to use colours, images and other effects. Installing LCD screens in the office foyer, staff room and walkways is a popular and highly effective way to share the daily and weekly timetable with students and staff. In addition, the ability to make changes instantly if a teacher is absent or a class is moved to another time or room, makes it possible to keep it current at all times.
Promote your school’s strengths
Many schools have areas where they excel or place a particular focus on, and digital signage can be used to share the latest news, activities and achievements in this area. For some schools this may be academic results or special programs, for others success in a particular sport. It could also be that your school has a special interest in promoting sustainability, encouraging creativity, or providing an inclusive environment for all. From after school activities or special interest camps or excursions, to on-campus events such as cooking days or kitchen garden harvests, sharing these happenings on internal and external digital signage allows you to highlight and promote your focus areas and values to the school and wider community.
Share fun and motivational messages
There’s no doubt that school can be a high pressure environment at times, so breaking up your informative content with some short motivational quotes and fun facts can be a great way to inspire your students and teachers and make them smile. Well-chosen quotes, good news, thoughts of the day and interesting facts can be shown in between other content to capture attention and promote a sense of care and wellbeing that can assist in motivating students to be their best.
Make your canteen menu pop
Many schools are finding the addition of LCD menu boards in the canteen can really help to promote seasonal products, healthy choices and daily specials. The ease of use of the software means menu items and prices can be changed and updated as frequently as needed, allowing you to communicate real-time information, for example if something sells out or is otherwise unavailable, or if a new and exciting menu option has arrived.
