ResilientKids teaches mindfulness and yoga strategies to students and their teachers to reduce stress, and increase focus, self-confidence and empathy. In high-need, high-poverty districts where toxic stress is prevalent, integrating this type of learning is essential to keeping kids in school, reducing teacher burn-out, bullying, other violence, and discipline referrals. Please help us to expand the program to 2 additional classrooms which will reach 56 additional schoolchildren and 2 teachers.
High rates of toxic stress are negatively impacting the 935 children at Carl G. Lauro Elementary school, the largest in RI, 95% of whom are eligible to receive free and reduced lunch. The students face challenges of hunger, broken homes, poverty, shelter, and positive role models. For many, English is not their first language. This stress directly impacts healthy brain development including the ability to learn, impulsivity, quality of sleep, and immunity.
Resilient Kids' approach provides stress-management techniques to both students and teachers in their classrooms through mindfulness and yoga. Our instructors cultivate students' focus, ability to transition between tasks, sense of community, and tools to self-regulate. This ensures that outside stressors take less of a toll on the developing brain. At the same time, teachers acquire tools to manage burn-out and incorporate mindfulness within their classrooms.
The Carl Lauro Principal says, "Mindfulness is a life-long tool that will benefit our students in stress-management, focus, empathy, emotional regulation, and persistence as they enter the workforce and build their future." Carl Lauro 4th graders report learning, "not to let stress get in my way", "to believe in myself", and "to never give up".
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
