Congrats to Troop 41123 for earning their Bronze Award by completing a project focused on mental health. The pandemic has made us aware that all students sometimes need a few moments to refocus.
The troop made 48 “calming boxes” and gifted them to the 8 elementary schools in the State College Area School District. Each calming box is filled with tools to help a student take some time to calm down. The girls made calming glitter bottles, keychain fidgets, balloon Orbeez fidgets, and paper journals for each box. They also collected donations from local businesses and organizations for other items such as pop-its, coloring books, pens, stress balls, etc. Students will use the box materials to calm and refocus themselves. Each box additionally contains positivity messages to the students, along with a lamented card on breathing and calming strategies.
The girls then created a video to educate teachers and counselors about the project. The video explains what is in the boxes and how these can aid their students. The troop also presented this project to the school principals and PTO boards.
Finally, the troop redecorated the Park Forest Middle School counselor’s Zen Den and stocked it with calming items.
Per one troop member, “We are helping our school counselors and teachers have tools and supplies needed to help the students. We are helping our peers, by sprucing up the Zen Den in our school. And we are helping younger kids in the elementary school.”