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Creating a School Students Can See Themselves In
Student Voice
School Culture
Visibility
Engagement
At Hackensack Middle School in Hackensack, NJ, the walls of the building have become more than decoration. They have become part of the learning experience.
Using PSI’s ecolor+ poster printer, students and staff create visual displays, stair stickers, banners, safety signage, and interactive learning experiences that shape how students move through and experience the school each day.
For STEM teacher Dee Kalman, the impact of bringing student-created work into physical spaces is essential.
“As a technology teacher, I think the pendulum has swung too far with tech, and creating and sharing only digitally doesn't work anymore. We need to switch to paper so students can see, touch, and feel it. The leap to paper is essential in hitting home the messaging.”
What began during COVID as a way to improve morale and communicate safety protocols quickly evolved into something much bigger: a way to build culture, celebrate identity, and make student creativity visible throughout the building.
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From Digital Creation to Visible Impact
One of the biggest shifts at Hackensack Middle School has been the ability to take student-created digital work and bring it to life throughout the school.
Students design stair stickers, posters, banners, and posters using Canva Pro, then see those creations displayed across hallways, classrooms, and shared spaces.
That visibility changes the experience.
Before state testing, students designed motivational “Hype Posters” for the building. According to Kalman, the opportunity to see their work printed and displayed created a completely different level of engagement.
“The students were extra motivated because we were printing them on the poster printer.”
The work became something students could actually see, touch, and experience, not simply another digital assignment submitted online.
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But the goal extends beyond visual decoration.
“The idea is to surround the students with excellence as they navigate the building.”
That intentional visibility helps students see achievement, representation, and creativity reflected in the spaces they move through every day.
More Than Posters on the Wall
The impact of the printer reaches nearly every aspect of the building.
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Schoolwide messaging
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Safety reminders and directional signage
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Teacher and staff celebrations
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Building themes and banners
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Bell schedules
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Student recognition displays
Large-format “Pride, Passion, Purpose” wall graphics printed on Charlie Adhesive vinyl have remained displayed throughout the school for more than two years without fading or losing adhesion.
For Kalman, the value goes beyond convenience or aesthetics.
“The printer applies to every aspect of our building.”
Hackensack Middle School uses the ecolor+ poster printer for:
When Students See Themselves Reflected in the Building
Middle school is a time when students are actively forming identity, confidence, and connection.
At Hackensack Middle School, the work students create does not disappear
when class ends. It becomes part of the environment they experience every day.
Students see their ideas displayed across staircases, hallways, doors, classrooms, and shared spaces.
They see school values, celebrations, and representation reflected back to them in visible ways.
That kind of visibility creates something deeper than school decoration. It helps students
feel connected to the building, invested in the culture, and proud of the spaces they help create.