Streamwood High School receives security tech upgrade donated by Hoffman Estates company
A team of 400 volunteers from Hoffman Estates-based Convergint descended on Streamwood High School Friday for a daylong upgrade to the campus’ security technology and overall safety.
The estimated monetary equivalent of the donated improvements is $450,000, Convergint officials said.
The event combined the company’s annual Social Responsibility Day and the awarding of its STEP (Secure, Train, Educate and Protect) Up for Schools grant program to help strengthen school security.
“What we’re about is making the world a safer place,” Convergint Chief Marketing Officer Julie Roehm said. “We’re a tech-enabled security systems integrator.”
The company — now headquartered at Bell Works Chicagoland after 24 years in neighboring Schaumburg — isn’t affiliated with any particular manufacturers and can thus apply a more objective perspective in designing security systems for its clients, she added.
Friday saw the installation of nearly 100 new security cameras to modernize the school’s technology and eliminate unsafe blind spots across the grounds. A related updating of the landscaping and cleaning of outdoor structures was based on the practical aspects of the mission in addition to beautifying the campus.
“We want them to feel spectacular, that this was a real gift,” Roehm said. “We leave it more modern and better than we found it.”
Similar events have been held as far away as India, and Roehm herself accompanied one in Denver where she saw how much impact such a day can have on a school’s appearance.
“It’s drastic,” she said. “It’s fresh-looking. It feels like a makeover.”
Elgin Area School District U-46 Assistant Director of Planning and Systems Casey Reichenbach said she learned of the opportunity to apply for the grant in March. After her fellow officials agreed Streamwood High School was the campus to pursue it for, the grant was awarded in April.
Assistant Superintendent of Operations Sheila Downs said while technology upgrades have been consistently pursued across U-46, Streamwood was still using about 70 of the older cameras.
“They seemed like a great candidate for this kind of opportunity,” Downs said. “This is on par with what we’re trying to do throughout the district. Obviously, this grant is going to be a big opportunity.”
Convergint implemented air-quality safety protocols during Friday’s event that included advising outdoor volunteers to wear KN95 masks and limit their shifts to 30-minute increments.