During its latest meeting, the Picayune School Board recently heard proposals to enhance student engagement in health and environmental science initiatives.

Beverly Clark, who has worked in the blood banking industry for 35 years, presented the ongoing need for blood donations. Clark explained that meeting current blood needs has been difficult, particularly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Ever since the pandemic, people have been more hesitant to donate blood,” Clark said, noting that approximately 60% of donations typically come from school-based drives during the academic year. She also shared that Forrest Health contacted the blood center last October to help supplement hospital blood supplies.

Clark highlighted the success of blood drive programs at Hancock, Slidell, and Coastal high schools and requested permission to implement a similar program in Picayune schools. She noted that the blood center provides educational resources on blood donation during these drives and offers scholarships for student donors.

Christy Mitchell, a teacher at Picayune High School, presented a proposal to restart the school’s Environmental Science Gardening Club. According to Mitchell, multiple students expressed interest in re-establishing the club, which received support from the Mississippi State Extension Office.

The Extension Office, through its Native Plant Producer Network, seeks to involve schools in growing plants for coastal restoration projects. Mitchell stated that the Extension Office would supply all necessary materials, including two species of marsh grasses, currently in limited supply and mainly grown in Florida.

Mitchell requested permission from the board to place a shade house, and later a greenhouse, on school property to facilitate the plant-growing project. These structures would be located behind the STEM building. The Extension Office will purchase the plants from the school after the project, and students will have the opportunity to present their findings at the “Bay and the Bayou” conference in Biloxi this November.