Elementary gym teachers at Des Moines Public Schools were in search of creative ways to engage students in physical education. In a city known for innovation, it took just one teacher’s advocacy for projection technology to revitalize the district’s elementary physical education program. In need of an extra-large display that ensures every student can see and interact with content, projection was the most flexible and cost-effective solution. With a strong partnership already in place, the district turned to Epson and has installed Pro Series large venue laser projectors in 27 gymnasiums to date. Each gym being different than the other, Epson’s wide range of projector lenses has been critical in this project making installation easier with the ability to mount them virtually anywhere.

After seeing videos of interactive games in educational environments, Zack Cole, the physical education teacher at Willard Elementary School, was inspired to use projection with his classes as well. “I brought up the idea with school leaders because I wanted to create more engaging activities for my students,” said Cole. “During remote learning, I would play videos for students that got them moving at home and they really enjoyed those activities. Now with the ability to do this every day in person and at a much larger scale, my students remain highly engaged and excited to participate.”

Des Moines Public Schools has educated the students of Iowa’s capital city for more than 100 years. It is the largest provider of public education in the state, serving more than 30,000 students and employing nearly 5,000 staff members that span across 60 schools throughout the community. In 2020, district staff were able to efficiently complete routine maintenance work in unoccupied buildings. This included a massive review of all devices and classroom technologies, making it the ideal time to install the first round of Pro L1490 projectors in four elementary school gymnasiums.

An Ideal Solution for Class Activities

Offering state-of-the-art, large-venue laser projection technology, the Pro Series was an ideal choice to meet the school district’s display needs across various school gyms, delivering extra-large, crisp, bright images. Designed with ease in mind, the Pro Series touts a virtually maintenance-free laser light engine and electrostatic air filter to provide essentially maintenance-free operation for up to 20,000 hours,1 with no lamps to worry about. The projectors also feature a full range of inputs, making it a great solution for gymnasiums, auditoriums and live events.

Since installing the Epson projectors, the district has seen more immersive and interactive learning in the gymnasiums. “The Pro L1490 projector has been great – it’s bright and easy for my students to see, even with open windows and LED lights on,” added Cole. “Students play various games and activities throughout class with the projector. Duck Hunt, which was one of my favorite games growing up, involves throwing a dodgeball at the screen. It really encourages the students to get involved. It’s been great bringing it back and seeing students enjoy playing it as much as I did as a kid.”

Beyond games, Cole uses the projector to teach skills, such as throwing, catching, kicking, and dribbling. In one game, by projecting a soccer goal, students can practice their aim, or by projecting GIFs on the screen, students can see repeated demonstrations. “GIFs are really helpful for visual learners,” said Cole. “For example, explaining opposite foot to kindergartners can be tricky, but having the visual aid really helps every student understand what I’m teaching.” Cole also uses it on assessment days to show the standards and grading scale as students move through different stations.

"Integrating projector technology into gymnasiums has a unique way of transforming traditional physical education into an interactive adventure,” said Ramzi Shakra, senior product manager, Epson America, Inc. "Stories like Zack’s are the driving forces behind Epson’s commitment to delivering top-quality projector solutions that inspire kids to move, engage, and learn like never before."

In addition to using projectors in physical education classes, the schools have been able to utilize the projectors in the gymnasiums for various after-school activities and events, including movie nights and video game tournaments. Starting with just four schools, the district experienced great success, leading to 11 Pro L1490 and 16 EB-PU1008W projector installations in 27 schools so far, with plans to equip all 41 elementary school gymnasiums with large venue projectors.