Creating Phone Free Spaces with Graham Dugoni Transformative Principal 608

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  • Vital in an education setting to experience what life is like without a phone
  • How you develop character through whether you’re using a phone or not. 
  • How to help teachers not be phone police.
  • Support throughout the whole process
  • Common complaints about schools
  • Resetting expectations about structures
  • School taking a constructive approach to support student growth and development
  • How to do a rollout. 
  • Classroom vs. School phone free spaces. 
  • Tier 1 support worked better, but needs more communication.
  • Accompanied by a strong and clear policy and then following through. 
  • More and more students are open to the idea of being phone free. 
  • Kids are aware that being connected all the time may not be beneficial.
  • Yes, you can teach, but they need to actually do. 
  • Clarity and community buy-in. 

Graham Dugoni is the founder and CEO of Yondr. Since starting the company in 2014,
he has been a leading voice in the emerging conversation about the effects of phones
on society and mental health. Graham coined the terms “phone-free spaces” and
“phone-free schools.” He is the product designer of the Yondr pouch and the Home
Tray. His mission-driven mindset keeps the company focused on meaningful ways to
help educators, artists, and organizations worldwide create distraction-free
environments where focus and creativity can flourish without technology. Graham is a
former professional soccer player and a graduate of Duke University.

Please add questions that we would ask here, and you can add anything that you would like to add as well. 

  • How did you come up with the idea?
  • How did you convert this idea into a business?
  • How many schools/students use Yondr, and in how many countries?
  • Was there any particular moment which stood out to you early on,  when it became very clear that phone-free spaces would become incredibly important in the future?
  • Tell us about the different spaces that Yondr makes phone-free.
  • Why do you think phone-free schools are important?
  • What do you say to people who say that banning phones in schools does not teach young people how to become responsible digital citizens?
  • Yondr is a program and not a product. Why is this an important distinction, and can you explain how this works?
  • What do students say about Yondr?
Creating Phone Free Spaces with Graham  Dugoni Transformative Principal 608