The Wilmington Learning Collaborative and Christina School District launch the Chill Room Initiative at two city schools.
The Chill Rooms are therapeutic spaces for students designed with calming colors and comfortable furnishings to help foster relaxation. The Bayard School and Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy each now have one.
The WLC and Christina School District are partnering with the Allegheny Health Network and Nemours Children’s Health on this initiative
The rooms are a safe, structured environment to support student well-being with trained health educators to help guide them through mindfulness practices.
"So the Chill Room is going to be a space for students to come when they need to take a break, when they're upset or sad, or maybe they're going through something at home or even the classroom. So they'll come here to learn a skill, a coping skill, like breathing techniques, assorted practices, and I'll be able to help guide them in that type of practice that they can use at home, in the classroom, so that way they can better explain their emotion and what's going on," said Lacole Burks, behavioral school educator with Nemours, who will work at Pritchett Academy’s Chill Room.
Burks adds the room will be open all school day starting Thursday. Teachers can send students to the room, but students can also ask to go.
The goal is to help students to process emotions and return to class calm and ready to learn.
Burks describes what the room offers.
"A couch and two recliners with backlights, which is very calming. They'll see whiteboards, a smartboard, where we'll have Cai and Kate, which is social emotional videos on YouTube that they'll be able to see. They'll see a tent, and in the tent, they'll be able to sit in there, read books, we'll be able to do small groups as well in there," said Burks.
There’s also an art section in the back of the room, and there’s sensory tools in the room as well. The room also has a bathroom.
Burks notes conversations stay in the room unless there’s an emergency or someone’s in danger. Then, the administration would be alerted.
The room is modeled after the Allegheny Health Network’s, The Chill Project, which equips students, teachers and parents to identify, discuss and react positively to stress in Western Pennsylvania.
