My school is a specialized center school for students diagnosed with an emotional disturbance. All students are considered Tier 3 students, which requires the most restrictive environment. Students are placed at our school due to behaviors that prevent them from being successful in the district’s comprehensive schools. These behaviors include verbal and physical aggression, the lack of impulse control, and significant antisocial behavior.
Many of our students have been pushed out of multiple schools, including Approved Private Schools, as the consequences for maladaptive behaviors do not positively alter their behavior. Our students have complex needs and our building is unsafe at times.
They need alternative ways of learning academically and emotionally.
My Project
Breathe for Change is a wellness training program created by educators for educators. Upon graduation, I will become certified to lead social-emotional learning and trauma informed programs at my school and at other places in need. I can lead yoga sessions for students and staff, as well as lead wellness experiences for other educators in my district. Additionally, I will earn a nationally recognized RYT-200 yoga teacher certification. This training enhances the well-being of educators, students, and greater school communities by training educators in meaningful areas of meditation, philosophy, anatomy, social-emotional strategy, and yoga practice.
My students are severely at-risk and this training will provide me with more tools and strategies to empower their well-being.
Learning wellness tools like mindfulness and yoga empower students to love, take care of, and advocate for themselves. These tools help our students cope with the trauma that accompanies their adverse lives.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Stanziano and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.