A.D. Henderson’s Vivi Revolution: Saying Goodbye to Hidden Fees, Hello to Unified Campus Communications

Executive Summary

A.D. Henderson University School is a National Blue Ribbon School, twice over. Affiliated with Florida Atlantic University, it’s a K–12 institution where students can enter in kindergarten and stay through college. It runs on the culture of what staff call “the Henderson Way.” And like most lab schools and university-affiliated charters, it operates with a K-12 school budget while carrying the expectations of something far larger. 

Director of Technology Dr. Derrick Marsh needed every dollar to work. 

A $7,500 investment in 25 competing wireless display devices, plus $6,000 in mandatory add-on software, produced two weeks of troubleshooting and no working system.  

Marsh cut his losses, got a refund, and found Vivi. A single platform that provided all of the functionality he needed at an affordable price and with no hidden fees. 

At A.D. Henderson University School, Vivi delivers a campus operating system that: 

• Unifies campus communications for daily operations and special events 
• Powers instructional impact & access 
• Cuts costs while boosting functionality 
• Offers efficient IT management, perfect for small teams 

How Vivi Delivered Everything the Competition Couldn’t (Without the Nickel-and-Diming) 

Marsh was looking for a way to manage 25 displays across campus: show student work, run announcements, control content from a central location. A university-recommended wireless display product came in at $1,000 per device. That math didn’t work. 

“My university recommended their product, which was too expensive. It was a thousand dollars — I can’t do that because we’ve got about 25 of them. That’s just not going to happen.”  ~ Dr. Derrick Marsh, Director of Technology 

So, Marsh went with another wireless display provider. At $300 a unit, 25 devices seemed reasonable. Then, the hidden costs started. 

“When I went to control the displays from my office, I could not. They said, ‘Well, you have to buy this piece of software.’ I bought it — but all it allowed me to do was see them. To manage them, I had to buy another piece of software. Now I’m another $6,000 in — and I still can’t do what I need to do.” 

Two weeks into the school year, Marsh had enough of the extra fees and lack of basic capabilities. He requested a refund and switched to Vivi.

“I turned around and purchased all the Vivi’s. With Vivi I’m able to display and manage everything from anywhere — not just in my office. I could be at home, on the road, at a doctor’s appointment, and log in and get to work.”

Today, every screen at A.D. Henderson runs on Vivi: classrooms, hallways, the front office, the STEAM lab, the cafeteria the auditorium. Student work is on display around the clock. Donors and tour groups see a school alive with learning without stepping into a single classroom. Marsh can manage all of it remotely. 

Vivi required no add-on software, no hidden tiers, and no surprises. One platform that did exactly what it said it would do. 

One Platform, Every Format, Zero Surprises

Managing content across 25 displays in classrooms, common spaces, and event venues used to mean being physically present or hoping a system worked. With Vivi, Marsh runs the whole campus from wherever he is. 

“People send me stuff in the middle of the night — hey, I need this up by 8 o’clock. They send it to me at midnight knowing I’m an early riser. And when I get up, I can just go in and get it up on the screen. The ease of use is just so helpful.”  

Scheduling runs events late into the evening. Award ceremonies pair two Clear Touches with two Vivi’s in a single room. Orientations, cafeteria presentations, auditorium events: Vivi handles the AV work that used to require dedicated equipment. 

“We merged two Clear Touches connected to two Vivi’s — and the parents could see their kids’ names in lights during the award ceremony. With Vivi, we don’t need to buy extremely expensive AV equipment anymore. We have them in our cafeteria on multiple screens, in the auditorium, at orientations to welcome new students.” 

Emergency alerts are the next phase. Marsh is actively working to integrate Vivi’s visual alert system as the school completes its campus buildout.  

Why Vivi Works for Lab Schools and Charters 

A.D. Henderson isn’t a typical K-12. It runs on a public school budget, operates under university-level expectations, and functions in a high-visibility environment where the work has to speak for itself. There’s no IT department of twenty. There’s no tolerance for a platform that requires three pieces of software to do one job. 

“We are a public school, but we’re also a lab type, a charter type school where we have to raise funds. We just opened up four new buildings. We have tours coming in at all times.”

Vivi fits this model for three reasons. First, it’s truly all-in: no add-ons, no tiers, no software licenses for features that should have been included. Second, it’s manageable by one person from anywhere, which is critical when the “IT department” is one director juggling everything. Third, it’s flexible enough to serve every use case a school like A.D. Henderson actually has: classrooms, donor tours, award ceremonies, orientations, AV events, student culture, all from one platform. 

“No matter what the format is — YouTube, PowerPoint, Canva — Vivi can handle it. People always ask me, where can I put it in? I say, you can give me just about anything.”

For charter and lab schools operating without enterprise IT resources, that breadth isn’t a bonus feature. It’s the whole argument. 

Every Screen Tells the Henderson Story 

A.D. Henderson is proud of its Blue Ribbon status. That designation matters. It’s something the school has to earn, demonstrate, and continually prove to the donors, university partners, and tour groups that cycle through its new buildings constantly. Vivi is how they do it.

“We are a Blue Ribbon School. Anybody does a project — when a kid walks into our front office, there’s a Vivi displaying, and you might see your kid up there. We’re constantly showing positive reinforcements. We display everything using Vivi’s throughout our school, in and out of the classroom.”

The display isn’t just for students. It’s for everyone who walks through the door. 

“We have tours coming in at all times. Vivi plays the most important role — people can see what’s happening without disturbing the classroom. That helps us raise funds while showing off the great work of our kids.” 

Outside the STEAM lab, kindergarten through 5th grade student projects stay on display throughout the year and into the next. The front office runs student work. Hallways run the Henderson Way. Character Council uses Vivi’s poll feature to check on student wellbeing in real time. 

“Teachers can do quick surveys — if somebody’s not having a good day, they can notify support. We’ve been using Vivi along with our Character Councils as a whole school.” 

It’s school culture, reinforced on every screen, all day.