ARKANSAS, USA — Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield (ABCBS) has selected 75 schools in the state to receive $2500 to provide "calming rooms" as it aims to address mental health in students. This is also a way to celebrate the company's 75th anniversary.
The initiative is called "Take Good Care Calming Room." ABCBS started the initiative in July 2023 and started accepting applications from schools on Aug. 1.
State data concludes that more than 83,135 kids are dealing with anxiety and depression. ABCBS says calming rooms will help students to "reflect and refocus."
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield President and CEO Curtis Barnett explains why this is important to students.
“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,” said Barnett.
What are calming rooms?
Calming rooms are designed to help students "regulate their emotions" with a set-up environment that helps with the process. Here is what ABCBS says calming rooms may include:
- Soft lighting
- Tranquil colors
- Comfortable furniture
- Positive inspirational messages
- Journals
- Coloring books
- Sensory objects
Barnett says calming rooms have proven to have benefits for students such as "fewer disciplinary issues" and "better grades." The rooms will also serve for counseling sessions and each school can decide the rules and usage of the room.
List of schools selected
Though ABCBS did not receive enough applications from all 75 counties in the state, they still selected additional schools to fund.
- Arkansas County - DeWitt High School
- Ashley County - Hamburg Middle School
- Baxter County - Guy Berry College and Career Academy
- Benton County - Founders Classical Academy Bentonville
- Boone County - Harrison High School
- Bradley County - Warren High School
- Calhoun County - Hampton Middle School
- Carroll County - Eureka Springs High School
- Clark County - Gurdon High School
- Clay County - Piggott High School
- Cleburne County - Heber Springs Middle School
- Cleveland County - Woodlawn Elementary School
- Colombia County - Apostolic Christian Academy
- Conway County - Morrilton High School
- Craighead County - Bay Elementary School
- Crawford County - Butterfield Trail Middle School
- Crittenden County - Earle High School
- Cross County - Wynne High School
- Dallas County - Fordyce High School
- Drew County - Monticello High School
- Faulkner County - Mayflower Middle School
- Franklin County - Ozark Middle School
- Fulton County - Salem School District
- Garland County - Mountain Pine Elementary School
- Grant County - Sheridan High School
- Greene County - Paragould Junior/Senior High School
- Hempstead County - Hope High School
- Hot Spring County - Bismarck Public Schools
- Howard County - Nashville Junior High School
- Independence County - Cedar Ridge High School
- Izard County - Calico Rock High School
- Jackson County - Tuckerman High School
- Jefferson County - Pine Bluff Junior High School
- Johnson County - Lamar High School Oark High School
- Lafayette County - Lafayette County High School
- Lawrence County - Hillcrest Elementary School
- Lincoln County - Star City High School
- Little River County - Ashdown High School
- Logan County - Paris Middle School
- Lonoke County - Cabot Middle School South
- Madison County - Huntsville Middle School
- Marion County - Ozark Mountain School District
- Mississippi County - Blytheville Chickasaw Preparatory Academy Armorel High School
- Monroe County - Brinkley High School
- Montgomery County - Mount Ida High School
- Nevada County - Nevada Elementary School
- Newton County - Deer K-12 School and Mt. Judea K-12 School
- Ouachita County - Camden Fairview Middle School
- Perry County - Anne Watson Elementary School
- Phillips County - J.F. Wahl Elementary School and Barton High School
- Pike County - Murfreesboro High School
- Poinsette County - Trumann Middle School
- Polk County - Mena High School
- Pope County - Secondary Learning Center and Russellville High School
- Prairie County - Hazen Public Schools
- Pulaski County - LR West High School of Innovation
- Randolph County - M.D. Williams Intermediate School
- Saline County - Benton Junior High School
- Scott County - Waldron High School
- Searcy County - Leslie Intermediate School
- Sebastian County - Trinity Catholic School
- Sevier County - Horatio Public School
- Sharp County - Cave City Middle School
- Saint Francis County Palestine - Wheatley Senior High School
- Stone County - Mountain View School District
- Union County - Junction City Elementary School
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