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PEACEFUL PLACES
Helping schools and organizations cultivate an inner calm and peace.
About Peaceful Places
Peaceful Places is an initiative born in our (EAST) Education Accelerated by Services and Technology class as we searched for resources to support the mental health of students in our school. We researched, planned, implemented and constructed a calming room for sensory de-escalation to allow students space and access to resources for managing their mental health. This project led to a coloring book created in partnership with the Arkansas Parks, Tourism and Heritage Department to highlight other Peaceful Places within our state for both students and adults to enjoy.
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About Peaceful Places
Our Story
In the 6th grade, a group of my friends and I saw a decline in the mental health of our student body, many of which were related to anxiety and sensory issues. In fact, 1 in 5 teens between the ages of 12-18 suffer from at least one diagnosable mental health disorder. After consulting with physicians in this specialty at Vanderbilt University, securing funding support through the local community and being selected for a grant by an in-state healthcare company, we felt that it was our time to respond as peers and students to create a space in our school called "Peaceful Places."
Peaceful Places was selected for a feature on ABC News and has served almost 200 students in my school in the 2023 school year. The inviting space, completed in Spring 2022, features a calming atmosphere, soft music, journals, coloring pages, sensory objects, and games for students and teachers to use. The room is used for students who need to de-escalate or simply need a quiet moment. This project with my friends, who also share a heart for service, has been a collaboration used to benefit the student body and plans to expand to 75 Junior and Senior High campuses throughout Arkansas in the next school year. I am passionate about this advocacy opportunity and the impact that it will make on students throughout our state.
Current Peaceful Places Participants
Coloring Book
Calming Rooms
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Children’s Advocacy Centers
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Walter Reed Military Hospital
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Hillary Clinton Children’s Library
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Local Classrooms
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And Many More!
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White Hall Middle School
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White Hall High School
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Gandy Elementary
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Taylor Elementary
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Moody Elementary
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And Many More!
Introducing Placechanger Nominations
As part of my Community Service Initiative, I am proud to introduce Placechangers—a recognition dedicated to honoring individuals who are doing the work every single day to make our communities, state and nation healthier, safer, and more supportive. They are placechangers.
These are the people who may not always be in the spotlight, but who are changing lives in quiet, consistent, and powerful ways. They are educators, mentors, community leaders, peers, and advocates who are creating spaces—physical or emotional—where others feel safe, supported, and seen.
Now, I need your help.
Do you know someone who is making a difference? Someone who shows up, creates impact, and is helping shape a better environment for others?
Nominate a Placechanger.
Let’s celebrate the individuals who are turning compassion into action and creating real solutions for the challenges we face—because change doesn’t just happen… it’s built by people who care enough to create it.