| | | | | | | |  | Committee Assignments - C4 D
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM |
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| | | | | | | | | TO: | Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission | | | FROM: | Vice-Mayor Laura Dominguez | | | DATE: | May 15, 2024 | | | |
| | SUBJECT: | REFERRAL TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND NEIGHBORHOOD QUALITY OF LIFE COMMITTEE - DISCUSSION REGARDING BAYSHORE PARK POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS AND MENTAL HEALTH SIGNAGE. |
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| | | | | | | | RECOMMENDATION
| Please place on the May 15, 2024 agenda a referral to the Public Safety and Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee (“PSNQLC”) to discuss the installation of positive mental health affirmation signage at the Bayshore Park.
At its March 16, 2024 meeting, the Youth Commission passed a unanimous motion recommending for the Mayor and City Commission to create signage with positive mental health affirmations along the jogging trail/butterfly garden in Bayshore Park to coincide
with the park opening in Fall 2025.
The Bayshore Park is a 19.4-acre park that is currently under construction and is set to open in the Fall of 2025. The park is located between Miami Beach Senior High School and the Scott Rakow Youth Center, and will host many teenagers and other youth who reside in Miami Beach.
The City’s advisory Youth Commission has recently established that one of the biggest problems faced by the teens in our City is mental health. The Commission’s initiative of creating positive affirmation and mental health signage in Bayshore Park aims to help tackle this prevalent issue in our community.
The Bayshore Park will have an expansive jogging trail circling and bordering different parts of the park, including the butterfly garden. Butterfly gardens are known to be calming places where people relax, meditate, and enjoy nature. The Commission’s proposal is to put positive affirmation & mental health signage along the jogging trail in the portion of the park where it borders the butterfly garden. The signage can serve as a validating and educational tool, raising awareness about the importance of mental health and destigmatizing conversations surrounding mental health struggles and burnout. Through carefully crafted messages, visitors can gain insights into coping strategies, mindfulness practices, and resources available for
mental health support within the community. If implemented, such signage would be the first of its kind in City parks.
The idea is to have the artwork for the positive affirmation and mental health signage be created by local Miami Beach artists and art students at Miami Beach Senior High, in order to highlight Miami Beach artists and youth while achieving the goal of improving mental health throughout the City.
I would like for the messaging on the signage to be implemented from the Poetry Project. Originating as a social experiment to promote mental health awareness and overall well-being within the London Underground, the Poetry Project has experienced considerable growth over time and there is no charge to use the quotes from this project (See attached Exhibit A).
I believe that the inclusion of signage featuring positive mental health affirmations in Bayshore Park aligns with our commitment to promoting the well-being of our community members, especially our youth. By creating a supportive and uplifting environment, we can empower individuals to prioritize their mental health and foster a sense of belonging within the park space. |
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| | | | | | | | BACKGROUND/HISTORY
| Please place on the May 15, 2024 agenda a referral to the Public Safety and Neighborhood Quality of Life Committee (“PSNQLC”) to discuss the installation of positive mental health affirmation signage at the Bayshore Park.
At its March 16, 2024 meeting, the Youth Commission passed a unanimous motion recommending for the Mayor and City Commission to create signage with positive mental health affirmations along the jogging trail/butterfly garden in Bayshore Park to coincide
with the park opening in Fall 2025.
The Bayshore Park is a 19.4-acre park that is currently under construction and is set to open in the Fall of 2025. The park is located between Miami Beach Senior High School and the Scott Rakow Youth Center, and will host many teenagers and other youth who reside in Miami Beach.
The City’s advisory Youth Commission has recently established that one of the biggest problems faced by the teens in our City is mental health. The Commission’s initiative of creating positive affirmation and mental health signage in Bayshore Park aims to help tackle this prevalent issue in our community.
The Bayshore Park will have an expansive jogging trail circling and bordering different parts of the park, including the butterfly garden. Butterfly gardens are known to be calming places where people relax, meditate, and enjoy nature. The Commission’s proposal is to put positive affirmation & mental health signage along the jogging trail in the portion of the park where it borders the butterfly garden. The signage can serve as a validating and educational tool, raising awareness about the importance of mental health and destigmatizing conversations surrounding mental health struggles and burnout. Through carefully crafted messages, visitors can gain insights into coping strategies, mindfulness practices, and resources available for
mental health support within the community. If implemented, such signage would be the first of its kind in City parks.
The idea is to have the artwork for the positive affirmation and mental health signage be created by local Miami Beach artists and art students at Miami Beach Senior High, in order to highlight Miami Beach artists and youth while achieving the goal of improving mental health throughout the City.
I would like for the messaging on the signage to be implemented from the Poetry Project. Originating as a social experiment to promote mental health awareness and overall well-being within the London Underground, the Poetry Project has experienced considerable growth over time and there is no charge to use the quotes from this project (See attached Exhibit A).
I believe that the inclusion of signage featuring positive mental health affirmations in Bayshore Park aligns with our commitment to promoting the well-being of our community members, especially our youth. By creating a supportive and uplifting environment, we can empower individuals to prioritize their mental health and foster a sense of belonging within the park space. |
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| | | | | | | | SUPPORTING SURVEY DATA
| | n/a |
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| | | | | | | | FINANCIAL INFORMATION
| | n/a |
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| | | | | | | | Applicable Area
| | South Beach |
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| | | | | | | | | Is this a "Residents Right to Know" item, pursuant to City Code Section 2-14? | | Does this item utilize G.O. Bond Funds? | | | No | | No | |
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| | | | | | | | Legislative Tracking
Vice-Mayor Laura Dominguez |
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| | | | | | | | Sponsor
Co-sponsored by Commissioner Alex Fernandez |
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