Embedded Files
I took a course titled Community Immersion in which I studied the for-profit, non-profit, and government sectors of my local community through the lens of systems thinking. Throughout the class, we met many different people who play important roles in the community. Many of them related to the health and well being of citizens, which influenced my project.
Background Research
Background Research
Our class hosted a panel of mental health and student support professionals from around our community to learn about the root causes of stress and best practices for stress management. We also collaborated with the Youth Empowerment Team, with support from the Rowan County Youth Services Bureau, Rowan County Public Health Department, and the Center for Prevention Services to develop our ideas.
Our class hosted a panel of mental health and student support professionals from around our community to learn about the root causes of stress and best practices for stress management. We also collaborated with the Youth Empowerment Team, with support from the Rowan County Youth Services Bureau, Rowan County Public Health Department, and the Center for Prevention Services to develop our ideas.
percieved stress scale.pdfBenchmarking
Our class decided that, with systems thinking, we could improve the stress management of our school community. We bench marked our school community's stress level using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), which has been a commonly used stress assessment for over 40 years.
Our class decided that, with systems thinking, we could improve the stress management of our school community. We bench marked our school community's stress level using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), which has been a commonly used stress assessment for over 40 years.
Our Vision Statement
\We want the students of the Salisbury Academy Community Immersion class to envision a school environment where students can embrace learning and manage the stress that may accompany new and challenging learning scenarios healthily and productively. Guided by systems thinking and a culture of problem solving, we will create systems to support healthy and holistic stress management approaches for all of our school community members.
Our Project Goal
Our goal is to reduce the average stress metric across our school community from 22 (moderate stress) to 17 (moderate/low stress).
My Leadership Role
I led the "Comfy Zones" project, which aimed to reduce students' stress levels. We gathered valuable information through a school-wide survey, which we presented to the entire student body. This helped us identify the key sources of stress and understand what strategies students believed would help. I also had the opportunity to collaborate with the Youth Empowerment Team, consulting with them on effective stress management solutions.
Project Drafting
To ensure the project was executed smoothly, I began by outlining all the necessary steps and creating a Scrum board to track my progress. I then developed a detailed Gantt chart, outlining a day-by-day schedule to ensure a timely completion of each phase.
Reasurch
Reasurch
I researched affordable furniture options online that would enhance the comfort and functionality of my designated room, creating a better space for studying and relaxation. Following this I outlined what my room would look like from a sketch I drew, and started thinking about the aesthetic side of my design.
I then compared prices and began brainstorming ways to fund the project. Then we discovered that the Youth Empowerment Team was offering a grant of $1,000 to $2,000 to support this initiative.
Project Budget
On December 12, 2024, I met with Kristen, a Project director at Rowan County Youth Services Bureau, to discuss my pitch requesting a grant.
Project Execution
After I ordered the furniture, I began assembling it. I placed all the furniture according to my plan and realized it didn't look as good as I liked. With this, I started rearranging the furniture to a better setup.
The Connection Zone
The Relaxation Zone
The Zen Zone
Final Outcome
Our class goal was to reduce our school's average score of perceived stress from the original 22 to 17. Over 8 months, through the combined implementation of our projects, we saw a decrease from 22 to 16.6 on the Perceived Stress Scale. The range of 14 to 26 is considered moderate stress. Our initial goal was to reach 17 on the scale. It was extremely satisfying to see the results of our projects pay off both in terms of quantitative and qualitative data.
DC Presentation
At the end of the year, my community class had the opportunity to travel to Washington, DC, to share our learning about school design to promote student mental well-being with policymakers. We traveled to DC for our Community Immersion Class to share the results of our projects with the Department of Education. It was a great experience, and we met 2 wonderful employees, Maureen Dowling and Jenay Morrisey.
Maureen Dowling
Maureen Dowling
She is the Director of the U.S. Department of Education from Office of Non-Public Education (ONPE).
Jenay Morrisey
Jenay Morrisey
She is the Manager and Program analyst of the U.S. Department of Education from Office of Non-Public Education (ONPE).
Life Skills
In carrying out my project, I believe I developed as a Motivated Student. I had to practice my community speaking skills and commit to being diligent so that I could present a topic that not only made sense but was mindful too. I also had to be a Confident Communicator in my execution and analysis of the presentation so that I could communicate well and confidently, which brought results that were extremely positive for the project. Although my classmates and teachers were always there for support, it was my motivation that carried my part of the project through. There were times when I became very busy with other classes, and progress on this project slowed down, but I carried through and am pleased with the progress I made and the overall outcome of my work. I am proud that I was able to complete such a large project in a relatively short period of time. Finally, I had to show resiliency often. There were times when I experienced setbacks that tried to hinder my progress. I had to be patient at times, but I never lost my motivation. I never gave up and kept pushing through, knowing my work was important.
In carrying out my project, I believe I developed as a Motivated Student. I had to practice my community speaking skills and commit to being diligent so that I could present a topic that not only made sense but was mindful too. I also had to be a Confident Communicator in my execution and analysis of the presentation so that I could communicate well and confidently, which brought results that were extremely positive for the project. Although my classmates and teachers were always there for support, it was my motivation that carried my part of the project through. There were times when I became very busy with other classes, and progress on this project slowed down, but I carried through and am pleased with the progress I made and the overall outcome of my work. I am proud that I was able to complete such a large project in a relatively short period of time. Finally, I had to show resiliency often. There were times when I experienced setbacks that tried to hinder my progress. I had to be patient at times, but I never lost my motivation. I never gave up and kept pushing through, knowing my work was important.
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