Mental health awareness doesn’t start in a therapist’s office. Sometimes, it starts with three minutes, an ocean drum, and a room full of teachers who are willing to try something new.
This past Mental Health Awareness Month, the Boris L. Henson Foundation partnered with District 8 Councilman Edward Burroughs III and the Pull Up Fund to bring the Take a Minute Challenge across Prince George’s County, Maryland which was nothing short of beautiful.
What Was the Take a Minute Challenge?
The Take a Minute Challenge was a school-based wellness initiative designed to meet students and educators where they are; inside the classroom. The goal was simple but powerful: give schools the tools to pause, breathe, and reconnect to themselves, even if just for three minutes.
The Reach: 14 Schools. 41 Educators. Countless Students.
Across 14 schools in Prince George’s County, the Foundation trained 41 teachers and counselors in accessible wellness techniques they could immediately bring back to their students.We helped teachers and counselors impact over 13,000 students.
Educators learned how to incorporate practices like:
- Stretching — releasing physical tension stored in the body
- Aromatherapy — using scent to calm the nervous system and create a sense of safety
- Ocean drums — the soothing, rhythmic sound of ocean drums to help students regulate and settle
Each practice was designed to take no more than three minutes — because we know teachers don’t have unlimited time, but every child deserves at least a moment of peace in their day.
What the Students Experienced
The Take a Minute Challenge wasn’t just for educators, the students were at the heart of it.
Kids across the participating schools had the opportunity to explore color therapy, learning how different colors connect to emotions and energy. They created their own boards using colors and their favorite activities to express who they are a creative, joyful way to build self-awareness from the inside out.
Students also learned how to write daily affirmations and develop tools to reflect on and process their emotions. These aren’t just feel-good exercises — they are foundational mental health skills that, when introduced early, can change the trajectory of a child’s relationship with their own mind.
A Community Effort
None of this would have been possible without the power of partnership.
The Foundation is deeply grateful to The Pull Up Fund and District 8 Councilman Edward Burroughs III for their commitment to the mental health and wellness of Prince George’s County’s young people. Their support helped make this initiative a reality and a success.
Why This Matters
Prince George’s County is one of the largest majority-Black counties in the United States. The children in these schools carry the weight of the world and far too often, they carry it without the language, tools, or space to process what they feel.
The Take a Minute Challenge was our answer to that. A reminder that wellness doesn’t have to be complicated. That healing can begin in three minutes. That our children deserve to know from an early age that their mental health matters.
We are proud. We are grateful and we are just getting started.
The Boris L. Henson Foundation is committed to changing the cultural stigma around mental health usage in the African American community. To learn more about our programs and initiatives, visit borislhensonfoundation.org/programs
