In an effort to allow students to pause and unwind from their busy day, the El Camino College community can visit therapy dogs on Tuesday, March 28.

The Active Minds Club, a mental health advocacy group dedicated to changing the conversation about mental health and de-stigmatizing mental illness at El Camino, will be hosting the event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“The reason why we chose dogs to come it’s because most animals bring smiles to people’s faces,” Co-advisor for the Active Minds Club Lina Berrio, said.

Also a registered nurse, Berrio said the Student Health Center coordinated with the Active Minds Club to be active on campus because it’s important for students to be involved in advocating and creating change among their peers when it comes to conversations about mental health.

Paws-to-Share is the organization that will provide three dogs to El Camino to allow students to spend time, relax and enjoy the dog’s company.

“It’s kinda like a great exercise for students to disconnect and kind of pause their day and unwind,” Berrio said.

Berrio added that during the event, there will also be resources for TimelyCare, a supplement application that gives students and staff at El Camino access to therapy, meditation, yoga, and content about mental health.

“We thought that the dogs would be a great fit when it comes to both Active Minds and just students coming to kind of have that moment to relax,” Berrio said.

Editor’s Note:

• Photo credit was updated on March 29 at 11:35 a.m.