What was the biggest challenge before you used Orah at your school?
Our biggest challenge was simply getting students to sign out or check-in with the dorm parents on duty when they were leaving campus.
What was the process of getting started with Orah like?
It was incredibly easy and straightforward to get started with Orah. After a quick video conversation with the success team we had been given a tour and had an account. From there it was an easy sell to the team on my end.
What has the success/support team at Orah been like to work with?
The support team at Orah has been incredible to work with. We keep in consistent communication and I always feel like our feedback is not only heard but welcome.
What was it like to get the rest of your team up and running with Orah?
We had a Orah representative come to our annual ResLife Staff Retreat and spend an hour going over the program and how it would fit our specific school's needs. That combined with multiple online training session for me made it easy to answer my team's questions and keep everyone up to speed.
What has allowed you to be so successful with Orah?
We knew going into it that, as with anything, there would be resistance. So we implemented it as part of our dorm olympic challenges to make signing out part of our competition. We find that making it a habit and making it fun right from the start have helped us be successful. It's also easily accessed on any device with an internet connection so the ability to sign out is as easy and intuitive as scrolling through a social media feed.
Has there been a particular Orah feature that has helped you the most?
The upgraded Kiosk function has been invaluable to our campus. It allows us to not only see sign-outs in real time at live locations, but also made it even easier for our students to sign out without feeling like they have to use their personal device.
What would you say to other schools looking to implement Orah at their school?
With safety as one of our highest priorities in the boarding world, I don't think you can look a parent in the eye and say "we are doing everything we can" if you don't have Orah on your campus. There is no better way to keep track of students on and off campus in our modern age.
What made you choose Orah over the other options out there?
The other options are limited, and don't feel like they were made with boarding programs in mind. Orah listens to the feedback from the schools and implements changes accordingly. It's made for boarding programs by people who know boarding programs.
