This is a sponsored blog post with EVOLV
Ever since Brody’s first day of school over 10 years ago I had that ever-present pit in my mothering stomach of all of the things that could go wrong during his time away from home. Would he get nervous and cry? Would a classmate be mean to him? Would his anxious mornings full of tears be a constant or will they go away after the first week? Oh, if only hindsight was 20/20. If only I knew that those worries were so minute in comparison to the ones we would face as parents of school-aged children a decade later.
Don’t even make me say it – I can barely type it. The rate in which violence is occurring in schools across our country these days is beyond alarming to me. It makes that ever-present pit I had as a preschool mom feel like a grain of sand. Now, the worry feels more like an elephant on my chest that makes me question so much.
This is a conversation sparked by technology I came across and immediately thought – how do we get Evolv Technology into schools across America tomorrow? Evolv Express® is an advanced weapons detection technology that stadiums, theme parks and now schools are using instead of traditional metal detectors to add a new layer of safety in a respectful and efficient way. Honestly, you guys – I read and read about this technology and immediately wanted to email my boys schools to see what can be done to have this at our entrances. I am so unbelievably sick and tired of our children having to worry about their safety in a place where they should feel nothing but comfortable and excited to learn and be with their peers.
It actually surfaced a memory of when I attended high school –
I’ll never forget when I told a friend who attended private school in high school that my public school had metal detectors. The look of shock/horror that took over their expressions in disbelief made me immediately regret mentioning it. I think they assumed that my school must be “so dangerous!” When in fact, our school felt so safe because of that technology. Looking back, it’s wild to know that my school had that system in place during a time when violent acts were practically unheard of.
Fast forward to today, as a mother to a highschooler, middle schooler and elementary student I would feel so much peace of mind if there was the technology in place that helped to detect weapons from crossing the threshold of my children’s schools. The fact that my kids have to practice drills, and discuss action plans in case of an emergency is already unsettling. And it makes me wonder how we’ve gone so many years not questioning (as parents) what we can do today that will alleviate some of the anxiety our children are experiencing in today’s climate.
So, here are my ever-growing thoughts on this stomach pit of a problem our schools are facing. There is A LOT to fix. A LOT to address. And a heck of a lot more to handle before solutions can come to fruition. I think Evolv Express® is a brilliant tool that would add a layer to help make our schools safer for our kids. Change happens one step at a time, and I love to see technology progress that has a key focus in creating safer places for people to gather.
