NEW ORLEANS — During National Stress Awareness Month, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter High School is adding extracurricular activities to reduce stress in students.
The Lower 9th Ward school’s cosmetology, patient care and phlebotomy programs have been designed to reduce mental or emotional strain.
“It’s critical to recognize what worry and anxiety look like, take steps to build resilience, and do things to help decrease both,” said a school spokesperson. “The staff at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Charter High School is committed to developing the whole student: academically, mentally, professionally, and artistically. Being stress free can also contribute to one’s success.”
Recently, five King students passed the patient care certification exam. The phlebotomy students are completing a six-week program and are expecting to graduate in May with a certification. Those who are enrolled in the cosmetology program will receive their certification in two years.
“The patient care class has served as a great foundation for my path to a medical career,” said 12th grader Paris Clay. “We learn not only how to physically care for patients, but also how to make them comfortable, and learn coping skills for their conditions.”
