Pepin Academies Expands “Zen Dens” to Support Student Mental Health

For many students with learning disabilities, the school day can feel overwhelming. The noise, the schedule changes, the social pressures — it can all add up quickly. That’s why Pepin Academies is expanding its “Zen Den” initiative, creating more calming spaces where students can pause, reset, and return to class ready to learn.

During May’s Mental Health Awareness Month, Pepin Academies announced that new Zen Dens will be added to its Riverview and New Port Richey campuses, thanks to a generous $10,000 gift from the Chris T. Sullivan Foundation and continued support from the Pepin Family Foundation. The first Zen Den, which opened in 2024 at the Tampa campus, has already made a meaningful difference for students who need extra emotional and sensory support during the school day.

“We’re not just creating a quiet room—we’re creating opportunities for students to develop the tools they need to cope, regulate, and thrive,” said Dr. Jeff Skowronek, Executive Director of Pepin Academies. “We’re incredibly grateful to our community partners for helping us build these supportive spaces where our students can grow academically and personally.”

Each Zen Den is thoughtfully designed to help students decompress in a healthy way. Inside, students will find soft lighting, sound machines, cozy seating, weighted blankets, sensory items, and mindfulness stations — tools that help reduce anxiety and support emotional regulation. And it isn’t just students who benefit. When the space is available, teachers also stop in to recharge and care for their own well-being.

“At the Pepin Family Foundation, mental health is a core focus of our mission—because we know it’s essential to overall well-being and long-term success—for students and our community,” said Tina Pepin, Executive Director of the Pepin Family Foundation. “Initiatives like the Zen Dens represent a shift in how we support students with disabilities. It’s about breaking down barriers, reducing stigma, and ensuring every child has the emotional support they need to succeed.”

The need for this kind of support is real. Students with disabilities are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and behavioral challenges. National data shows students with emotional disturbances are suspended or expelled at twice the rate of their peers, and they face a higher risk of dropping out. By placing mental health at the center of the school experience, Pepin Academies is working to change that trajectory — and it’s making a measurable impact. The school has maintained a dropout rate of less than 1%, far below the national average.

Beyond the Zen Dens, Pepin Academies continues to invest in student-centered support. Each campus is staffed with a full-time occupational therapist to help students build coping skills through breathing exercises, yoga, and sensory-regulation strategies, as well as several full-time mental health support specialists

For 25 years, the Pepin Family Foundation has served as a proud founding partner of Pepin Academies, helping the school grow while ensuring students receive the mental health resources and support systems needed to thrive — in the classroom and beyond. And now, with the expansion of the Zen Dens, even more students will have a safe, peaceful place to pause, breathe, and find their calm.