CINCINNATI, Ohio — With little to no mask options available for children returning to school, Cincinnati-native and business owner C.J. MacConnell was on a mission to come up with a solution.
“We figured for schools they’re not like hospitals,” said MacConnell, Protect Education (ProtectEd) President. “They were going to need a more holistic and consultative approach so we brought medical professionals and educational professionals in order to create Protect Education.”
ProtectEd, which was founded in May, is a company specializing in PPE and masks for pre-kindergarten to sixth grade-age students.
“Not all masks fit all faces,” said MacConnell. “And our goal is to dispel the rumor that kids can’t wear masks. We just need to give them the necessary tools and the correct fitting equipment.”
So MacConnell and his team came up with what they believe is the best option for children.
“They are shorter in length and width,” he said. “But they also have shorter ear loops so you don’t have to double or triple loop it around the children’s ears, which is really important and also there’s a triangular heat meld which actually conforms the masks to the little kid’s faces.”
Despite Gov. Mike DeWine’s mask mandate that doesn’t require children 10 years and younger to wear masks, MacConnell believes it’s still important that they wear them.
“One is so they don’t fidget with the masks,” said MacConnell. “We know we don’t want kid’s hands in their faces. Number two: they need to be fit to their faces so that they’re comfortable and can wear them for extended amounts of time. Then the third reason for that is that if they don’t fit then the kids aren’t safe.”
ProtectED has partnered with more than 50 schools across the nation and looks to expand even more in the future.
“We knew that there was a need,” he said. “We knew that there was a big need and we knew we had the team to address it. So we’re anticipating the need, we’re anticipating for kids to go back to school. It was just important we found every solution they would need to mitigate the spread of the virus.”
For more information on these masks, click here.
