Ames High School creates space for students to work on mental health following COVID-19 pandemic
High school students in Ames now have a space where they can go to work on their mental health during the school day.
The Brain Health Retreat Room opened in October. Associate Principal Nicole Patton said the idea was fueled by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We saw this anxiety, high anxiety coming in," Patton said.
The room is open every day of the school week from 7:50 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. A counselor is in the room at all times to assist students with whatever they may be dealing with. Kids can go in for 15 minutes at a time.
"We really want kids to be able to come in this room and feel like they're having a safe space to go to," Patton said.
The school said 72 students visited the room a total of 145 times in the first four months. There will be a grand opening for the room at the start of the 2024-25 school year.
The room is funded by Brain Health Now, an organization that wants to end the stigma of mental illness. A handful of other schools in the state have similar rooms.