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our minds matter

  • Create a quiet and soothing environment somewhere in the school to show that mental wellness is a priority 
  • Create a safe comfortable space where students can relax

  • School can be a stressful place. And even when it isn’t, folks are coming to school with all the stressors from the rest of their life. This can be really overwhelming, especially when you’re always expected to be in a crowded area like a classroom or cafeteria.
  • Having a calm space to go when feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or just need a break can make a world of difference. So why not make one in your school?

  • Student body

  • Principal
  • PTA
  • School counselors/social workers

  • First, meet with your club sponsor to determine if this is possible for your school. Some schools might not have the space for a wellness room or may not allow space to be used for this purpose. 
    • If that’s the case, reach out to us at [email protected] so we can help you brainstorm other ways to make your school a more mindful place
  • Next, get approval from your principal to use the identified space. This could be an empty classroom, a small space with temporary walls in the cafeteria, a corner of the library, or wherever makes sense for your school.
    • Utilize your club sponsor to get approval for this
    • If you need help pitching the idea to your principal, check out this brief guide about how beneficial a wellness space can be
  • Once you have all the approvals you need, it’s time to start planning!
    • Figure out what you want in your wellness room. Here’s some ideas:
      • Music & headphones
      • Snacks
      • Coloring books
      • Furniture/beanbag chairs/Yoga mats
      • Playdough
      • Quiet games
      • Fidget toys
      • Self-care cards/coping skills cards
      • Motivational posters
      • Mental health resources
  • Get creative with how you’ll fund all the supplies:
    • Ask the counseling department if they have anything in their budget for a wellness room
    • Reach out to certain teachers to see if they’d be willing to donate supplies (art teachers might be able to donate paint or coloring pages and gym teachers might be able to donate yoga mats)
    • Collaborate with your school’s PTA to fundraise or ask for donations
    • Reach out to OMM for more ideas!
  • Then, it’s up to you how to set up your room! A few things we encourage you to consider & talk with your club sponsor and principal about before you open the room for use:
    • Who will monitor this room to make sure no one is experiencing a crisis? Having a counselor on call when the room is open might be a good idea.
    • What resources can you include to make sure folks know how to ask for help if they need it?
    • Will custodians be in charge of cleaning this room?
    • Who will be in charge of making sure snacks, art supplies, and other items stay stocked?
    • When will students be allowed to go to the wellness room? For how long will they be allowed to stay there before returning to class? Will there be a sign-in form for administration to monitor?
      • What support will you need from your principal to ensure all teachers honor the agreed upon rules for room use?
  • Be patient and realistic-this is a huge project and will not happen overnight! This is definitely a marathon, not a sprint.

  • As you’re getting ready for the room to open up, start sharing about it on the morning announcement or news
  • Ask your teachers if you can have one minute to share about the wellness room at the start of your classes
  • Work with your school counselors so they can promote it as well
  • If you’d like, consider doing a “grand opening” of the room to give students a tour and encourage them to stop by when they need a break

  • If the room is in use by students regularly, then that is definitely a success!
  • You can also consider leaving short surveys inside the room asking folks to share what they like and don’t like about the wellness room

  • How did the launch of the room go? 
  • What was the hardest part about getting this room launched? Were there compromises we had to make along the way?
  • What is one thing we’d like to do to improve the wellness room in the future?

  • Check out the Calm Cafe at Robinson Secondary School to see an OMM-created Wellness Room in action!
  • Reach out to OMM for support because this is a huge project! We’d love to help you out and cheer you on in any way we can, and show off your wellness room once it’s done!