Building inspector and carpenter, Mitchell Couch, was looking for an inexpensive solution for his kids to have some space to work while doing their distance learning at home. He made a quick and easy design to build them wooden desks where they could stash their school supplies and get their work done.
When he posted the final product on social media he was inundated with requests for the blueprints from other parents with children who are also learning virtually.
A tidier household and being able to compartmentalize school from other activities are important for students to achieve optimal success while learning from home.
"We heard from teachers that the kids who have their own space to learn do so much better with distance learning," Couch told CNN, recalling what he’d taken away from a parent-teacher conference. "It's so much easier to separate home and school life that way. When you're done with school, you can leave the desk and come eat at the kitchen table."
Couch posted a tutorial on his YouTube channel explaining how to put together the desk along with the materials needed. The video exploded and among the video's fans were Karin and David McKinney who own and operate a local Grocery Outlet. The McKinneys offered to purchase materials for 35 desks if Couch would agree to build them. He enthusiastically agreed to build the desks which will be distributed to children in the community that need a place to get their schoolwork done.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to purchase even more supplies to keep the project going. But Couch says his true motivation is to reinforce a sense of community in his town.
"I'm hoping [people] look closer at their community and realize the most positive change happens in your community," he said. "It can be making desks or even helping a neighbor across the street with their yard."