A Zen Den at Rancocas Valley Regional High School, which would provide a calming space for students, is currently in the planning stages.

What the Zen Den will incorporate and where it will be located are to be determined. However, the overall concept is to provide students with an area to decompress during a rough day or during moments of stress. The idea of implementing a Zen Den has been pushed recently by RV’s SPEAK club, which heavily focuses on student mental health. Guidance Counselor and SPEAK advisor Kristen Papenburg, along with SPEAK President Syed Abduallah, have led the efforts to implement the calming space in the school. Ms. Papenberg has been an advocate for the addition, as she believes “Students could benefit from having this space to use their coping skills to work through whatever they are struggling with that is keeping them from being able to be in class.”

The idea for the Zen Den first came about after the creation of the SPEAK club. Abdullah became inspired to help create a relaxation room in the school after noticing the lack of spaces for students to wind down.

“There’s many instances that I’ve witnessed students having panic/anxiety attacks, or having a bad day to a certain breaking point,” said Abdullah. “There’s nowhere for them to go. Oftentimes teachers don’t know what to do with those students either. They ask the students if they would like to go to the nurse, or guidance. What will the nurse do? Will you sit there and tell her your problems? Or guidance, will you sit in the waiting room, embarrass and humiliate yourself with tears going down your face as you wait for your counselor to be available?” 

The general RV student body supports the proposal. People believe the space will not just be beneficial for themselves but be a mental health refuge for other people:   “I think it is cool and I think it is a good place for people to relax and for people to take their mind off of,” said Sophomore Jaylen Alvarez.

Previous scientific evidence proves that calming spaces allow for decompression work. In a study where a Zen Den was implemented for nurses at a trauma center in Hawaii, there was an “average decrease in perceived stress by 46% and anxiety by 45%, and an increase in feelings of happiness by 17% and perceived coping ability by 18%.”

Zen Dens and other similar spaces have become more popular in public schools in recent years. These include elementary schools in Cincinnati and Green Bay and a high school in Utah. RV Prep has implemented a similar idea to the Zen Den planned in the main building called “the Zen & M.” RV Principal Mr. Martin said “the Zen & M” is a “good model to learn from” for the Zen Den on the main campus. 

“It is a screen-free zone where students have the opportunity to close their MacBooks and simply focus on resetting themselves so they can re-enter the classroom space peacefully.  In addition to having a place for a bit of peace, there are dumbbells, kettlebells, yoga mats, and other exercise equipment that students can use,” according to RV PREP director Mrs. Meekins-Montgomery. “There is always an adult in the room though to help students identify and manage their emotions as well as create strategies that could be used in the future.”

Despite excitement from students and administrators over the new addition to RV, the Zen Den is still in its early planning stages and faces some challenges. There are many challenges facing the Zen Den’s completion, as the look and location still need to be worked out. 

“We would love to have it open in some capacity for the 25-26 school year. It may not be the ideal location. We have some spaces identified right now. We actually have some spaces where kids can right now during lunches, but we are really looking to increase space and access time for students to get there.”

Martin is currently unable to reveal the proposed spaces for the building; even its general location within the school is currently in the planning stages. “I can’t give any specifics right now, but they literally range all over the building,” said Mr. Martin. “But right now, it is too premature to comment on what space will be used.”

In closing, there is excitement among students, staff, and administrators at RV over the new planned Zen Den. Even though the details still need to be worked out, the promise of a relaxing space for students to go to during mental health outbreaks is enticing to many in the RV community. A Zen Den is projected to open in some capacity during the 2025-2026 school year.