LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Parents, students, and education leaders are discussing school security after multiple false threats were made to several Arkansas schools this week.
It has some kids sitting with the fear of a school shooting happening to them, especially after last week's deadly shooting at a Georgia high school.
With this being the new reality for students in this generation, Camp Ferncliff Executive Director Joel Gill said they wanted to let parents and students know of their camp's resources that provide emotional support for situations like this.
Joel Gill said their camp works with a lot of students who suffer from anxiety and depression.
The camp also has firsthand experience helping students work through their trauma and offering a safe space
A mission Joel Gill said started after survivors from the 1998 Jonesboro Westside Middle School shooting came to their camp.
"We had 68 of those fifth and sixth graders from Westside Middle School came here for a week of camp, July 1998, and it was a tremendous success," Camp Ferncliff Retired Executive Director David Gill said. "Crying and laughter and all kinds of things that happened at camp during the course that week."
Joel Gill said they help students by having them create art projects, where they take broken glass and put it back together. He said the exercise makes students create something beautiful from something previously broken.
Additionally, it helps represent our fragmented world, but Joel Gill said it's about care and the support system.
"It's important that as a community, we look out for each other," Joel Gill said. "We care for each other."
David Gill said that although their camp is tailored towards survivors, their practices work for everyone.
"The same things we did here for healing are principles that can be done anywhere," David Gill said. "Getting kids back to nature, that's healing, music, recreation, community, all the things you do at camp. They're really healing in and of themselves."