YOGA FOR YOUTH
2014
Impact Area: Improve Health & Wellbeing
The Hub’s inaugural project focused on holistic intervention addressing the high levels of reported youth violence in East Port of Spain. We believed a holistic health practice would help recalibrate at-risk students towards positive social orientation and community connectedness to enable productive self-expression and stress management, and set about initiating a solution.
The resulting project employed yoga and meditation techniques for stress management; and in February 2014, weekly practices were established at the Success-Laventille Secondary School.
The classes were well attended with self-reported benefits of reduced stress,
increased focus, and improved ability to manage difficult emotions and situations. Teachers provided feedback of fewer altercations and incidents of bullying, higher class attendance, and improved peer comradery as a result of these programs.
In September 2014, an additional yoga and meditation class was included to incorporate teachers and other faculty members.