Renovated Student Center a Tribute to the Life of DHS Student Joe Bodine
Space designed to help address Decatur High School students’ behavioral health needs
Open the doors to the newly redesigned Student Center at Decatur High School and you’ll notice the vibe is noticeably different from the rest of the building. Hardwood style flooring and a living wall of plants makes this space feel more like a cozy living room than a classroom. Look to the left and you will find the Blue Bird Café, honoring the symbolic role bluebirds have played in processing the grief of Joe’s death, often showing up when his mom Lori is having a hard day.
The student-centered space and the services offered in it, were born out of tragedy. In 2016, DHS graduate Joe Bodine died after he lost his battle to addiction. Joe’s family reached out to DEF and started Joe’s Fund to provide mental health support and substance misuse resources to Decatur students. Lori Heemann, Joe’s mom, spearheaded the effort to bring a student center to our community.
“I’m very excited to see the years of hard work by so many in the community finally coming to fruition,” said Lori. “My hope has always been that students and their families will find the help they need to prevent another tragedy and support happy and healthy children. A welcoming Student Center with all kinds of programming, for all kinds of students, has always been the goal.”
The redesign of the space was envisioned and facilitated by DEF board member and professional designer, Lauren Pelissier who hosted zoom sessions with current students, getting their input to create something special. Besides the lounge-like spaces for students, there are also private rooms that can accommodate one-on-one counseling, group counseling, and career training sessions. The ZenDen provides a chill space for students to relax and regroup. The Green Closet, designed by the newly formed fashion and merchandising club at DHS, will provide an inviting, functional space for students who may need a specific type of clothing, for an interview or a special function, in a way that reduces the stigma and respects their dignity. Students with special learning needs will learn valuable life skills running the Bluebird Café by serving coffee and snacks to students and staff.
For Lauren, this was a passion project. “It was really important to create a space that was both aesthetically soothing for students, but also functional,” she commented. “Every design choice, from the soft lighting to the sensory elements, was intentional. Having students engaged at all levels allowed me to really understand what would work for them. Every time I work at the space, I think about Joe Bodine and all the students who will benefit from this amazing space that was created through the outpouring of love for him and his family.”
In July, the Center, with a grant from Joe’s Fund, will host an intensive suicide intervention training called ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training). DHS’ Student Success Coordinator Dianne Andrée shared, “Our ability to host this important training has enabled us to keep the costs down while allowing both CSD staff and local partners who work extensively with youth to attend. This ‘train the trainer’ program will enable them to use what they’ve learned to train other folks across Decatur to identify suicide warning signs and to get students the help they need.”
The yearlong pandemic has created stressful circumstances for all of us – worry, uncertainty, and isolation, especially for our kids. If you know a Decatur student who needs support, you can let the Center staff know via a referral form, which can be done anonymously if needed, at this link.
Decatur City Church recently donated $25,000 to Joe’s Fund and has challenged the Decatur community to match their donation so that all of our kids can get the mental health support they need after a traumatic year. If you’d like to join the Joe’s Fund Challenge with a donation, please visit www.decatureducationfoundation.org/joesfund.