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This teacher needs your help!

Mr. Yares (Rhymes with Paris) from East Lansing, MI is requesting professional development through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mr. Yares (Rhymes with Paris) is requesting
Professional development

Breathe, Stretch, Grow: Mindfulness/SEL Training for a Music Teacher

I need funding to complete Breathe for Change’s Mindfulness, SEL, and Yoga Teacher Training so I can help my students build emotional resilience, focus, and well-being through mindfulness and movement.

  • $1,229 goal

This project expired on October 6, 2025.

This project expired on October 6, 2025.

My Project

I have been a music teacher for 17 years, and throughout my career, teaching the whole student has been a vital goal in my classroom. I’ve been fortunate to receive training in Responsive Classroom, World Music Drumming, and Kagan Cooperative Learning, which have helped me integrate social-emotional learning, collaboration, and global awareness into my music curriculum. However, these trainings have often felt like pulling from different sources—taking a bit from column A, a bit from column B—without a cohesive framework.

I’m now ready to take my learning to the next level with a more comprehensive and unified approach to wellness, mindfulness, and SEL.

That’s why I’m seeking funding to enroll in Breathe for Change’s Mindfulness, SEL, and Yoga Teacher Training, a nationally recognized program designed specifically for educators. This course will take place in the evening during the Fall 2025 semester.

This training will equip me with powerful yoga, mindfulness, and SEL strategies to support my students’ well-being—and my own.

Through this program, I will:

1) Become a Certified Yoga Teacher (CYT-200) and be eligible to register with Yoga Alliance (RYT-200), allowing me to lead yoga and wellness classes for students and the school community.

2) Earn a Social-Emotional Learning Facilitator Certification (SEL*F), qualifying me to lead SEL-focused workshops and mindfulness programs for both students and staff.

3) Gain the skills to create and facilitate wellness-based professional development for colleagues in my school and district.

This professional development will not only benefit my own classroom, but will allow me to serve as a wellness leader in my school community—supporting both students and staff through evidence-based practices that promote mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

Thank you for helping me take my students and myself to the next level!

Mr. Yares (Rhymes with Paris) Red Cedar Elementary School Grades 3-5

Equity Focus

This project directly supports students at a historically underfunded school. Learn more about our Equity Focus.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

East Lansing, MI View local requests

More than half of 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

250 students impacted

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Component Company Total
Activity Breathe for Change $999.00

Trip cost

$999.00

Vendor shipping charges

 FREE

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$14.98

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$1,043.98

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$184.23

Total project goal

$1,228.21

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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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 Mr. Yares (Rhymes with Paris) and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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