Episode Details

Graham Dugoni is the founder and CEO of Yondr. Founded in 2014, Yondr is the pioneer of "phone-free spaces." The company helps educators, artists, and organizations around the world create distraction-free environments where focus and creativity can flourish in the absence of technology.

Show Highlights

• Phone-free spaces and its benefits for students and teachers.

• Reduction in behavioral issues and increased student engagement.

• Steps to implement phone-free policies in schools, starting with leadership commitment.

• Clear communication of the benefits and policy details to all stakeholders.

• Addressing student resistance and creative attempts to bypass new policies.

• Importance of clear consequences and consistent enforcement.

• Positive changes in school culture and student interactions.

• Support from Yonder in policy implementation and community engagement.

"I started the company in 2014 with young people in mind. And ir started from the point of view that smartphones and social media were radically new and there were going to be a lot of unintended consequences, basically, especially for young people. And I thought that it was my generation's responsibility to give them a sense and the experience of what life is like for at least 8 hours a day without that, so they could get perspective on them.

-Graham Dugoni i

"It always starts with leadership, with someone who says,'I see this problem and how phones and social media are affecting my students and the way they're developing and their focus in the classroom and the way it affects my teachers and their ability to get to feel effective in their environment.' What we do is we come and say, 'Okay, here's how the honor product works. Here's how our program works.' But the most important thing is for you to get the commitment of your community. And that's what we always start with. We start with helping principals or superintendents to get that commitment from their community. That's the community, parents, that's very important, but also teachers and administrators in the school."

-Graham Dugoni i

Get the episode transcript here!

Graham's Resources & Contact Info:

• Yondr

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