Bolton Elementary School鈥檚 annual community health fair has all the amenities you鈥檇 expect at a summer festival. In the parking lot, a DJ plays music over the loudspeaker. People are waiting in long lines at food trucks. Some kids are begging their parents to get them ice cream, while others jump around in a bouncy house.
But this event in Cleveland鈥檚 Fairfax neighborhood 鈥� now in its fifth year 鈥� has a purpose that goes beyond warm weather frivolity.
鈥淚 think that what this has become is really a celebration of wellness and community,鈥� said Dr. Gerard Banez, a pediatric psychologist at Cleveland Clinic.
Banez said the fair started five years ago with a project called the East 100th Street Healthy Community Initiative. Cleveland Clinic and other community partners worked together to understand the health needs of the Fairfax neighborhood.
One of the biggest needs, he said, was addressing youth mental health.
鈥淓specially since COVID, children's mental health has been a big area of concern,鈥� says Dr. Banez. 鈥淚 think there's just recognition that without good mental health, kids are gonna struggle in school. They're gonna have trouble physically, and it's gonna impact all different aspects of their life.鈥�
Addressing needs
The fair offers resources for students and parents to deal with all aspects of mental and physical health. There are fresh healthy foods, free health screenings, and yoga classes and stress management workshops for young people to express their emotions and to learn ways to cope with strong feelings.
Research shows that unmet needs and worsening mental health are deeply connected. In Fairfax, 67% of residents and 45% of families with children were. Providing access to resources can make or break one鈥檚 mental and physical health.
But making those connections between people and services can be challenging, organizers said. Catondra Noye helped plan the first health fair working with Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation, a community partner and housing development corporation. She said the fair was billed as a series of mental health sessions the first year. When it didn鈥檛 get the turnout organizers expected, they pivoted to a more general theme.
鈥淭he innovative idea was the health fair, so that it could be a place of gathering and not have the stigma that is sometimes associated with one-on-one therapy sessions,鈥� Noye said.
Bolton Elementary to close
Leaving the session classrooms, the students enter the gym, where community partners staff booths. Some offer direct services, while others advertise volunteer opportunities and mentorships for students.
Bolton Elementary School Principal Charles Dorsey said he鈥檚 seen a change in students鈥� behavior since the fair started.
鈥淵ou can see the difference in not only our partners, but also our students who come through and they support the event every year," Dorsey says. 鈥淲e want to try to reduce suspensions, ensure that they're able to cope with stress. So they have those different skills now.鈥�
However, this year鈥檚 fair will be the last at the school. Cleveland Metropolitan School District a plan late last year to merge 39 schools across the city. Bolton Elementary is one of those schools.
Annatsia Clark is a parent ambassador at Bolton Elementary.
鈥�We are getting shut down at the end of the school year, but we want us to go out with a big bang and make sure that the parents got what they need before we [are] gone,鈥� Clark said.
But Banez said he鈥檚 exploring the possibility of continuing the event at a different location in Fairfax. The key will be finding the right partners.
鈥淚 think we've had success at this school because we have two things: staff that understands the importance of good mental health, but also a neighborhood or community that was very interested,鈥� Banez said.
