As an adviser, I’ve always felt that I am not the driver of our National Elementary Honor Society (NEHS) chapter. Instead, I’m more like the bumper making sure that everyone is safe and then covering everything as an administrator. I let my students direct the path that our chapter takes in the way of service projects because I want the projects that we do to have meaning for them.
This year, our chapter, which is made up of sixth graders, had long discussions about the ways they wanted to help others. In particular, they were very worried about stress and anxiety. We talked about their fear of state testing and even classroom tests. We talked about anxiety in daily life and stress from peers and parents. They shared how much of a problem it is for everyone and how it affects them and their friends.
For many adults, it’s surprising to hear young students are affected by what many would consider an older teen issue. However, in recent years, the biggest issue that has affected kids really is mental health, and the number of students affected by anxiety and depression has risen.
It is always a fun challenge to have young students decide to save the world and then as an adult, figure out how to help them do it. As it turned out, finding ways our NEHS chapter could help our school with anxiety and stress wasn’t as ambitious a project as it seemed.
Our school has a room in the counseling office that is a quiet space for students who need a break. Our chapter decided to make it more of a true “calm down room.” Our chapter officers and members spent an entire meeting discussing and brainstorming the things that help when you are stressed. They also worked in groups to research what kinds of things actually help students in school with stress and anxiety.
The students came up with great ideas: soft music, soft lighting, and sensory items. With these elements in mind, they devised their project. They would ask parents and the school community for donations of sensory items for our calm down room. The students also requested that a Chromebook be hooked up to the speakers in the ceiling of the office space and that instrumental music be played on low through the speakers when students are in the room. One parent donated LED lights so the room’s fluorescent lights could be turned off, and low lighting could be used instead.
We collected over 500 different sensory items like stress balls, tangles, pop-its, fidget spinners, kinetic sand, stuffed animals, and sensory balls. We also collected 300 different coloring books and colored pencil sets. The generosity of the community surpassed our expectations, and we had to find closet space to store the items so they could be used as needed. Our counselors now put a few of each kind of item in the room for students to use and replenish them as needed. The response has been overwhelmingly positive from the student body and from our teachers, but most importantly, our NEHS chapter truly has made a difference.
