Oh goodie, lovely news for a lovely Wednesday (it’s Wednesday right?)
Brooklyn elementary school PS 217 has added Yoga to the extra-curriculum! And everybody LOVES it.
With a little help from PENCIL, the apt and academically titled non-profit org. (whose mission it is to unite and build relationships between businesses and schools), Principal Franca Conti found the stress relieving activity she was seeking for her students.
“Sometimes children in an elementary school aren’t able to express themselves clearly when they’re frustrated, when they’re tired, when they’re stressed,” says PS 217 Principal Franca Conti. “We wanted them to find a way for them to release the stress in a very healthful way and that was thru yoga.”
Excellent! The “partnership” is between the school and local Brooklyn wellness center Green Spa. Says Green Spa CEO* Sheila Brody:
“Yoga itself is a non-competitive sport, so it brings the children back to work together to work out problems together and they don’t have to be competing all the time.”
Turns out the after school programs aren’t just for kids, and plans have been underway for faculty focused yoga and wellness classes since the fall. Lord knows teachers could use the destressing! Since the program has been greeted with such success they’re working now on ways to expand it. Good for the school, good for Green Spa! (yet, we’re curious how the partnership actually works – does it cost the school money? anyone?)
The parting shot comes from Principal Conti, adding one more reason to the list of why we need to find Never Never Land:
“Developing this discipline will make them better and healthier people, better citizens, and better able to cope in this very demanding world we live in today and that’s why we chose yoga,” said [Principal] Conti.
How cool is that?
*(ps. are there really CEO’s at spas?)
[WCBSTV] check out the video too. you’ll notice the oft no-no “Omm“ing which is quite interesting.
Earlier…Philadelphia Freedom: Inner City Kids Find Peace With Yoga in the Classroom
This is a great trend! There is a huge push here in Nova Scotia to offer Yoga Classes for high school students. The school board has paid for a dozen school teachers to have a weekend crash course, with a few teachers continuing and finishing actual certification!
As of right now, a contract has been signed for grade 11 yoga class during school hours- WOO 🙂