Eureka Springs High School has been selected as one of 75 schools in Arkansas to receive $2,500 from Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield for a calming room created to address the mental well-being of students.
Calming rooms give students a quiet place to reflect and refocus so they can perform their best when they return to the classroom, according to the Arkansas BCBS news release on the grants.
In the case of ESHS, the money awarded will go toward a room already established by a large grant the district received a year ago, according to superintendent Bryan Pruitt.
“We had really already kind of jumped on the ball on that,” Pruitt said. “We got a safety grant last year for $125,000 and hired a half-time counselor here at the district and then we designated a classroom at the elementary as our calming room. We have supplied that room and bought furniture and different things to make a calming atmosphere for our students.”
Pruitt said while the Eureka Springs district’s calming room was well underway, when the Arkansas BCBS grant was announced he knew he wanted to apply for it.
“We were proactive on that,” he said. “They did a good job on the grant and luckily we were one of the schools selected for that.”
Pruitt said the room is in no way used for any form of discipline, but instead a space a student can go to who “just needs a break.”
“Sometimes a kid has some anxiety and they can go there and collect themselves for a second, just chill for a bit,” Pruitt said. “It’s something we can do to help the kids.”
The room is also used for some one-onone session with counseling staff, the superintendent said.
“The lighting is a little bit down, soft music is playing,” Pruitt said. “We have a canoe students can get in and wrap up in, soft chairs.
“Students may need a break for a minute, right? They can go in there, take five minutes and calm down.”
Arkansas BCBS announced its “Take Good Care Calming Room” initiative in July and began accepting applications from schools Aug. 1. According to state data, more than 14 percent, 83,135, Arkansas children and teens, are dealing with anxiety and depression.
“The same way students have difficulty focusing in class when they are hungry or tired, they can’t be their best selves in the classroom or at home if they are dealing with issues like stress and anxiety,” Arkansas BCBS President and CEO Curtis Barnett said.“In recognition of Arkansas Blue Cross’ 75th Anniversary and our company’s commitment to improving access to behavioral health resources, we are investing in the creation of calming rooms in 75 Arkansas schools as one way to support better mental health for students.”
According to Arkansas BCBS, calming rooms provide a space to help students regulate their emotions and often feature items such as:
• Soft lighting
• Tranquil colors
• Comfortable furniture • Positive, inspirational messages
• Journals, coloring books and other sensory objects “In addition to improved behavioral health, schools with calming rooms have reported additional benefits such as fewer disciplinary issues and better grades,” Barnett said, referring to a study by the Boston Charter Research Collaborative. “Young people these days face challenges many of us didn’t have growing up, like cyberbullying. Learning how to cope with difficult things in a healthy way is a tool they can carry with them through adulthood.”
Each school will awarded the grant will oversee the rules and usage of their calming rooms based on the needs of their students. The spaces can also be used for counseling sessions and group discussions.
“Arkansas Blue Cross did not receive applications from schools in all 75 counties as initially hoped,” Barnett said. “But we still wanted to fund 75 rooms, so we looked closely at the applications and were able to select additional schools in a few counties.”
