OGDEN, Utah — Schools in the Ogden School District are working on new ways to help cater to the basic needs of students and their families. Two high schools opened teen resource centers this year to try to fill some of the gaps in their students’ lives.
"When I was a freshman in high school, I lived in a two-bedroom home and there were 8 of us, so I slept on the floor for the first year,” said Ogden High School Vice Principal Alma Palmer.
Palmer knows what it’s like to not have a safe space or clean clothes. That's where the new teen resource centers at Ogden and Ben Lomond high schools come in — because of a growing need for help.
"I think this is really important for students, especially for students that don't have needs met at home, so they can feel safe, in a place where they are cared for, there’s showers and places to just relax,” said Anthony Martinez, Ogden High's student body president.
The teen centers have pantries stocked with food, showers, laundry machines, quiet areas to do homework or study, clothes, school supplies, books, and access to outside resources if they are looking for more help. At Ogden High, the Boys and Girls Club runs an after-school program, so kids can stay late if they need to.
"Being able to have a free space that you can come to is going to be something that is going to have an effect on the rest of their lives,” said Jazmine Gruber, the Ogden High site coordinator with the Boys and Girls Club.
The center also helps students who might not be in need, but just need a wellness area to take a breather, or are dealing with social anxiety and need to step away.
It’s not just the high schools — Odyssey Elementary has a family resource center that opened back in December.
"It’s super important to have something like this, especially with the proximity of the homeless shelter around here," said Destiny DeHerrera, the community school coordinator for Odyssey Elementary Family Resource Center.
They want kids of all grade levels to be able to focus on what’s being taught in the classroom.
"Kids can come to school and focus on school, not necessarily have to worry about what they’re going to have for breakfast or dinner, not about the clothes they have to wear, if they are dirty or clean,” added DeHerrera.
They hope to make the lives of their students a little easier.
"The ultimate goal with all education is to make our world a better place, and we'll do that one kid at a time,” said Palmer.
If you would like to help any of the centers, you can learn more on the Ogden School Foundation's website.
