The pandemic has overwhelmed the U.S. for more than a year, and it continues to drag on as the first vaccinations hit the market worldwide. Millions of businesses have been searching for ways to provide an exceptional experience for their clientele while keeping their employees safe. Schools, particularly those in higher education, found themselves reimagining and restructuring the classroom and how students learn. Thankfully, the government provides us with much-needed resources to enrich our lives and operations.
The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) act provides millions of businesses with financial relief, and opportunities abound in an uncertain post-COVID world. The funding schools have received and will continue to receive through the bill can help improve the virtual classroom. It can also provide much-needed funding to reopen school doors and help maintain financial protection.
You may find yourself trying to consider the best way to use your CARES act funds to benefit your institution and its students. Applied Global Technologies can assist. Check out our mindful suggestions below.
Quick Links
- Enhance Learning Environments
- Invest in Your Business
- Invest in Education Through Distance Learning
- Revamp Your Lobby
- Splurge on a Remodel
Enhance Learning Environments
The first thing on the long list of ways to spend CARES act funds is to use them for urgent expenses. Throughout the past year, many students have been engaging in distance learning from the comfort of their homes. As academic institutions start to reopen, you may need to invest in more ways to keep students safe, like ramping up your cleaning protocol, restructuring classroom audio, and visual solutions, or adopting other educational technologies.
These changes can make all the difference in the overall learning experience. To ensure your learning environment is as effective as possible and properly used, you may want to dedicate funds to hiring an AV integrator. These experts can update classrooms and even company training facilities with the latest technology like interactive touchscreens and digital whiteboards.
Invest in Your Business
Small businesses and schools suffered the most financial casualties in 2020. Many had to reimagine their business model and face the immense challenges of keeping a company afloat. The CARES act has provided relief in many ways for businesses and higher education alike.
However, as the dust settles, we have found that one of the best ways to use CARES act funds is to invest in your business a little bit further. It is an excellent opportunity to consider upgrading your computer hardware and systems or investing in new audio and visual equipment to help you outshine the competition.
Invest in Education Through Distance Learning
There was one significant benefit to COVID-19’s stay-at-home requirements: the uptick in online education. This wasn’t just for children either. The initial transition was difficult because schools and families didn’t have the necessary equipment to facilitate distance learning. Yet, once we remedied these problems, distance learning became convenient and quite popular.
Even as schools begin their return to post-pandemic conditions, they continue to implement virtual learning in extreme circumstances. Snow days are no longer free days to stay indoors. Now, schools can switch to virtual learning when inclement weather, pandemic, or otherwise arise. For the educational sector, this is an excellent way to use CARES act funds.
Distance learning has ushered in a renewed interest in continued education for adults as well. With limited time to go outdoors, most adults have turned to the internet to fill their days, making this the perfect time to invest in distance learning and learn at previously inaccessible institutions.
The best way to provide an exceptional virtual experience for students is to use CARES act funds for equipment, installation, and maintenance. If you are looking to invest in distance learning technology, Applied Global Technologies can assist you with system design and implementation. For more information about our services and how we can help you, contact our team.
Revamp Your Lobby
Visitors to your campus must have an extraordinary experience from the moment they set foot on the property. The same is true for businesses with potential clients visiting your office. Making a great first impression is integral to a successful partnership. You can put your best foot forward by using CARES act funds to revamp your lobby.
We believe incorporating forward-thinking audio-visual solutions such as large-format video walls and interacting maps or signage is the perfect way to stand out. They can reflect important details like your company’s branding, institution’s history, or culture — all of which can kickstart a long-lasting relationship.
Splurge on a Remodel
Paying bills and investing in routine maintenance at your office or academic institution are both suitable ways to use CARES act funds. But what about doing something fresh and fun to enhance your conference room or huddle spaces? Take this as a sign to upgrade your space and the equipment that goes within.
If you haven’t leveraged the power of huddle rooms, we highly recommend you do so. They are small, user-friendly rooms that accommodate impromptu and informal meetings. Huddle rooms are excellent for small group collaborations, increasing productivity, and serving as a potential breeding ground for your next big idea. A sampling of technology and systems that you buy with CARES act funds include:
- Small-format displays
- Wired and wireless presentation capabilities
- USB plug and play cameras and audio devices
- Small-format interactive touchscreen displays
When it comes to your conference room, there are also plenty of remodeling possibilities at your fingertips. From day-to-day operations to spearheading crucial plans for business growth, conference rooms are at the center of it all. It only makes sense to invest in upgrades like dedicated room-based HD video conferencing systems with content sharing and full room audio coverage.
Using CARES act funds to upgrade your higher education equipment has its benefits, too. It can improve productivity, engagement, and, surprisingly, attendance! The best part about all the ideas we’ve shared is that you can lean on Applied Global Technologies to help you design, install, and maintain your new equipment. Contact our team and change the way you do business or conduct distance learning.
