Coachella Valley High School (CVHS) is the first school in the valley to provide students with a Zen garden, a place of calm and a respite from daily stresses and distractions. The garden was officially unveiled on Nov. 20 and is an extension of the high school’s wellness center, one of seven in CVUSD. These wellness centers were implemented after Covid-19 in response to rising statistics of students experiencing depression, anxiety, and other issues impacting their attendance and behavior.
Both the wellness centers and Zen garden were dreams of Biological Sciences Educator and
Wellness Specialist Jason Tate, a biologist and Certified Functional Medicine Health Coach. He wanted students to have a space where they feel seen, understood and safe, and can receive immediate support and tools for self-care strategies. He also wanted a designated place where they could pause, meditate and let go of daily stresses.
Coordinator of Child Welfare for CVUSD Megan Choate Ramirez, M.Ed., who worked closely with Tate on the implementation of the wellness centers, shared, “Our program teaches students to be aware of their own mental and emotional states. They are taught to identify triggers that set off certain behaviors or emotional reactions, and coping skills and strategies to self-regulate once they’ve been triggered in order to get back to academics.”
Since the wellness centers opened in 2021 and 2022, the district has seen a dramatic decrease in behavioral incidents, with suspensions dropping 59 percent at CVHS and an average of 55 percent across the district.
“Students are also taught that asking for help in conflict resolution and repairing harm is part of social-emotional learning. Our recidivism rate has significantly dropped because they learn from their mistakes and aren’t repeating the same behaviors,” adds Ramirez.
Tate sees about 250 students a month at the CVHS wellness center. “It’s an open-door, open-arms, open-heart policy,” he says, adding that the Zen garden offers solidarity and a connection with nature. “I came to CVHS because there’s so much life here; all the trees and the birds, the beautiful views of the mountains. Having a safe, outdoor space for reflection is so important.”
The Zen garden was custom built and professionally landscaped, everything within it carefully and intentionally planned by Tate. It has two large water features creating a calming soundscape, flagstones throughout and hand-sifted sand with Zen rakes to create patterns. Plants and flowers line the border and a pergola provides shade and structure for growth.
“Zen means you are getting into a space where you can relax your mind from the worries of the world,” said CVUSD Superintendent Frances Esparza, PhD, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Once you cross here, you can leave all of that behind. I’m so happy everyone came together to give our students and staff this space for themselves.”
“Balancing extra curriculars is stressful,” says student Allison Lopez, president of CVHS’ Health Academy HOSA. “At the wellness center, everyone’s very respectful and understanding. I’m excited to have the Zen garden where students can experience more peace.”
The Zen garden was funded, mostly, through a grant from the Anderson Children’s Foundation. Materials were provided by Southwest Boulder & Stone, and labor and materials were supplied by Black Oak Construction, Inc., along with labor and support from CVUSD Maintenance & Operations.
Tate is grateful to all who made this dream a reality. “These types of things don’t happen unless you have leadership that is open in their hearts and minds to nurturing mental well-being.”
He hopes the space will inspire other schools in the valley to create their own Zen gardens where students and staff can sit, relax and reconnect with nature and themselves.
Wendy Fink is lead editor of Desert Health and can be reached at [email protected]. For more information on the Zen garden, contact Jason Tate at [email protected].
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