An elementary school in Jacksonville, Illinois, is busting through walls—literally—to improve student learning, attendance, and wellbeing by adding some daylight to the depressing classrooms.
American schools, especially those designed in the 60s and 70s, were built without windows because people erroneously believed they would be a distraction to learning. But that thinking would today earn them an F grade.
One study by the Eneref Institute focused some incredible light on the topic by finding that students with the most daylight in their classrooms progressed 20% faster on math tests and 26% faster on reading tests in one year.
The study confirmed that abundant daylight can actually eliminate classroom distractions and help students focus.
More recently a 2024 study showed that students in daylight-rich classrooms score higher on tests and stay more engaged when there is natural light in the school.
Knowing the impact that can be created, Windex has transformed the school, Eisenhower Elementary, from a drab environment by adding 70 new windows.
Since then, the school has seen multiple positive effects from the new windows.
A new survey of teachers revealed 84% reported that student mood and overall wellbeing improved after the installation, while 93% reported a positive impact on their own mood and wellbeing. Additionally, 67% of teachers saw improved student participation. The results are also visually stunning. (See the cool video below…)
After seeing these results, Windex is continuing to explore ways it can expand its ‘Windows of Opportunity’ program to other potential communities or schools in need.
Windex hopes that sharing the story of Eisenhower Elementary’s transformation will highlight the importance of natural light in classrooms—like another often-cited study from University College London in 2022 that showed students experiencing more wellbeing with the addition of sunlight.
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“Out of all design parameters in school, including air temperature, acoustics, and CO2 concentration, daylight has the highest impact on overall student progress,” said one of the authors.
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