Deep within the school’s third-floor recesses is a special room managed by Lauren Fardig-Diop known as the PASS room (Positive Alternatives to School Suspension).

Lined with colorful, floor-length curtains; comfortable chairs; tables; computers; and a glowing campfire projected onto a large screen, students can safely detox from their pent-up emotions. Upon a student’s arrival, Fardig-Diop or one of the deans will perform immediate triage including a one-to-one debriefing and a written report for school records. Twenty-five to 30 students are dispatched daily to Fardig-Diop’s room, mostly for classroom behavioral issues—visits that for some might last the whole day.

There, kids can engage in activities designed to support their social-emotional well-being, such as art, yoga, and meditation. But they also get access to another, less-conventional therapy tool: As an incentive for good behavior, and in an effort to strengthen their communication skills and readjust their problematic behavior, Fardig-Diop rewards the students with an introduction to Make Beliefs Comix, along with other online games and activities.

Fardig-Diop started incorporating Make Beliefs Comix into her lesson plans after receiving training at the University of Michigan’s School for Education on the use of digital comics. A large and popular comic-generating site visited by over 2 million people last year, according to site leaders, Make Beliefs Comix won a Parent’s Choice award and endorsements from the American Library Association, UNESCO, and Google.

Fardig-Diop says it’s an effective tool to manage classroom behavior and serious learning issues. Three years ago, she introduced the site to her special-needs students; the idea was that by making comic-strip stories using the site’s comic strips and printables, they had a way to communicate their ideas and emotional issues.

Jeremiah, Jasherah, and Paula began to redirect their anxieties and fears into vibrant comic strips. Created by the best-selling children’s author Bill Zimmerman, Make Beliefs Comix—with its comic-strip-making section complemented by the site’s printables and hundreds of writing prompts—helped Fardig-Diop inspire her students to tell their own stories, identify and recognize their pent- up feelings, and empathize with others in highly social, reactive situations.

“The PASS room is like a second home to me,” said Jeremiah, who’s been suspended numerous times for emotional outbursts and wandering into other school areas without permission. Considered a very bright and talented student by his teachers, Jeremiah hopes to go on to college. “At home I use Make Beliefs Comix comic strips with my younger brother. It helps me with my anger and calms me down a lot.”

“The comic strips showed me how to see art in a different way” and “sparked a serious interest in drawing,” Jasherah said. “I struggled with anxiety and low self-confidence. Now, I feel more grounded and self-confident in myself.”