Downey schools creating ‘calm rooms’ for students struggling through pandemic

New York Times stock image.

DOWNEY – The Mary R. Stauffer Foundation has donated $30,300 to purchase materials, tools and resources that promote social emotional learning at all 13 Downey public schools. 

The grant will be used by the Downey Unified School District to purchase nearly 800 items that will allow students to learn and practice positive coping skills to reduce stress, anxiety and depression, which have impacted many students as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The funds will allow campuses to create “Calm Rooms” that include “kindness benches,” sensory tools, stress ball sets, social emotional learning literature, “feeling buddies,” weighted lap pads, flexible seating, self-regulation tool boxes, water beads, white noise machines, conflict resolution desks, and more.