INDIANAPOLIS — Teachers at the Sankofa School of Success now have a dedicated space to unwind during the school day, thanks to a new partnership between the Fight for Life Foundation and Simon Malls.
The not-for-profit organization, founded by former Indianapolis Colts player Marlin Jackson, unveiled the school’s new Staff Zen Room.
It’s part of the foundation’s Be A Blessing program, which provides resources to students, families and educators.
“It equips them with tools that they need to meet their student population,” said Jackson, who also serves as the foundation’s CEO.
For more than five years, Sankofa has used the foundation’s Building Dreams platform. The program tracks student wellness and behavior while helping strengthen educator-student relationships. The Zen Room builds on the school’s “Tap In/Tap Out” program, launched in 2020, which allows teachers to briefly step away to reset and return focused.
The space features soft lighting, comfortable seating, yoga mats, aromatherapy, adult coloring books, mindfulness journals and more.
Simon Malls says it donated many of the items.
“Strong schools create strong neighborhoods,” said Lauren Dodrill, Simon Malls marketing director. “Investing in educators benefits the entire community.”
“I noticed that the teachers had secondary trauma as a result of caring for those who have been victims of trauma, and so I learned very early on that I had to take care of my teachers or I wouldn't have any teachers,” said Dr. Tihesha Henderson, Sankofa’s founder and executive director.
The launch comes as Indiana faces an ongoing teacher shortage. The Indiana State Teachers Association reports that 95% of public schools have open positions, and more than half of teachers plan to leave earlier than expected.
For Jones, that investment means her students will always have a teacher ready to help them succeed.
“I want these kids to have big dreams,” she said, “and now I have the energy to help them soar.”
