Decatur, Ga.— This year, Georgia students and faculty at seven schools returned to dynamic media centers, music rooms, workspaces and other inspired education interiors with a new look and new energy thanks to Mohawk Group and Georgia United Foundation’s School Crashers program.
Since the first “crashes” six years ago, Mohawk Group and the Foundation, part of Georgia United Credit Union, have worked together to renovate and refresh select public schools and foster much-needed renovations.
“We know that a student’s environment plays an important role in their school experience,” said David Dembowitz, senior vice president of education and government for Mohawk Group. “That’s why we felt it was important to participate again in this year’s program to improve and enhance these learning spaces for both students and faculty. School Crashers creates a meaningful opportunity and perfect partnership for Mohawk to serve the communities where we live, work and play, while also using our expertise and understanding of the specific needs of education interiors.”
This year’s grand prize winner was Toney Elementary School in Decatur, Ga., which received a donation of Living Product commercial carpet planks from Mohawk Group’s Nutopia and Lichen collections for installation in the media center, faculty lounge and principal’s office. Notably, Lichen’s Living Product Challenge Petal certification was achieved in part through its water conservation strategy at Morehouse College just down the street in neighboring Atlanta, where Mohawk Group donated 140 water-saving showerheads.
With the help of more than 150 volunteers, the school received a new outdoor classroom, a STEM garden with native vegetation, parking lot enhancements, new landscaping and custom murals. In addition to the new Mohawk Group carpeting inside the school, the facility upgrade also included an updated computer lab, fresh paint, new furniture and a mural of the school mascot, a tiger, to greet guests at the main entrance.
As the official flooring partner in this year’s School Crashers program, Mohawk Group also provided grants in the form of commercial carpet tile and adhesive donations for a combination of media centers and music rooms in six other Georgia schools: Beaverdale Elementary, Dalton; Cohutta Elementary, Cohutta; Briar Vista Elementary, Atlanta; East Laurens Elementary, Dublin; Stone Mountain Elementary, Stone Mountain; and Cousins Middle, Covington. All renovations were completed in time for the beginning of the 2019–20 school year.
