Cultivating Calm: Creating Calming Corners for Community Wellness

In today’s world—where screen time, sensory overload, and short attention spans dominate childhood—opportunities for stillness, reflection, and emotional regulation are harder to find. Girl Scout Troop 90064 from Manassas, Virginia, recognized this need, and took action to create a peaceful solution.

Through their Silver Award project, Cultivating Calm: Creating Calming Corners for Community Wellness, the Cadettes designed and installed three Calming Corners and a mini community garden at the Martin K. Alloy Boys & Girls Club. These dedicated spaces help children slow down, self-regulate, and reconnect with themselves, offering essential tools for mental and emotional wellness.

The idea for Cultivating Calm grew out of troop conversations about mental wellness, emotional overload, and the pressures today’s youth face. To better understand how they could help, the Cadettes surveyed 44 youth members at the Boys & Girls Club, and the results were clear: kids needed a quiet, structured space where they could reset and feel supported.

The troop took this insight and turned it into action. Over the course of nine months, the Girl Scouts conducted research, engaged community partners, designed each space, and fundraised to bring their vision to life. Each Calming Corner was envisioned and led by one of three Cadette project teams and had a specific focus: self-care and peaceful design, sensory tools and problem-solving activities, and comfort object and emotional support tools.

The result was three individualized calming areas filled with soft lighting, nature visuals, puzzles, sensory items, cozy pillows, and encouraging affirmations—providing diverse ways for children to engage in mindfulness and emotional regulation. The calming spaces will benefit more than 100 youth annually, offering a welcoming, peaceful place for children ages 5–13 to relax and reset. The troop also planted flowers at the Club’s main entrance, contributing to the Club’s community garden.

“Our goal was to create peaceful spaces that help kids feel seen, safe, and supported,” shared one Cadette during the project installation.

To ensure long-term success, the Cadettes collaborated with Club staff to create a sustainability plan for both the calming spaces and the garden. With durable materials, signage, and staff training in place, the project is designed to serve the community well beyond the summer. A follow-up visit in August is already planned, where the troop will assess use, gather feedback, and ensure the continued success of their installation. “Your creativity and leadership truly shine through, and our members are already benefiting from the peaceful spaces you’ve built,” said Kendall Fennell, Program Director at the Boys and Girls Club.

This Silver Award project was 100% Cadette-led, with each Girl Scout contributing at least 50 hours of work in research, planning, stakeholder engagement, and implementation. But their leadership didn’t stop there—Troop 90064 also invited younger Girl Scouts to participate in the process, including Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors. These mentorship moments encouraged younger girls to explore their own paths toward leadership and Highest Awards.

Through Cultivating Calm, the Cadettes of Troop 90064 have done more than install calming spaces—they’ve built mental wellness infrastructure, strengthened community bonds, and set a shining example of what it means to lead with compassion, creativity, and courage. Congratulations Girl Scouts!