The New York City Department of Education Yoga and Mindfulness Teacher Preparation Program (YMTP²): Our Story
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Participants of the first cohort of the Yoga and Mindfulness Teacher Preparation Program (YMTP²) during the residency at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health
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�Our story begins in Brooklyn in 2015
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NYCDOE Borough Offices create student service teams to support children in the areas of health, attendance, culture and climate, school counseling, and crisis intervention. As teams, we reflect on our new responsibilities and charges with supporting multiple school communities.�
Our data analysis reveals:
The borough of Brooklyn and its neighborhoods
The Data Uncover
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How can we mitigate these issues?
We collectively investigate programs and resources to teach proactive strategies and interventions that support all students in:
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Aligning Our Supports to meet the �Chancellor’s Priorities
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Pilot cohort for MTSS initiated in Fall 2016
Through this experience, we realized that most schools did not have sufficient tier one supports in place for students to be successful.
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Graph depicting proportions and tiers of behavioral supports, as used to illustrate Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
Deepening our Knowledge Base
We attend a Summer Behavioral Institute at the University of Connecticut in the summer of 2017.
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During the 2017-2018 School Year
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Educators throughout the NYCDOE are invited to participate in the RISE program and retreat for mindful leadership at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, located in the Berkshire mountains of Massachusetts.
Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health
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“For all learning to take place, the learner must be Comfortable and Attentive.”
Kripalu RISE experience
“Curricular and pedagogical decisions should be driven by social needs and student interests.”
John Dewey
RISE
DEWEY
American Pragmatist
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Philosopher
Research
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Evidence-based Mindfulness &
Positive Psychology Practices
We Discover
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We realize that mindfulness can support children to find a sense of safety within themselves and create a point of reference to tap into a bank of ease and calm that becomes their anchor.
The breath is the greatest resource we have.
The breath as an anchor, from Day 1 of the Brooklyn Yoga and Mindfulness Intensive PL
Immersion in yoga and mindful movement practices
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Brooklyn North and South Student Service teams design our summer 2018 retreat as an immersive 4-day experience at Kripalu. We spend this time together continuing to embody our individual and collective mindfulness practices.
Brooklyn Student Service Team Retreat participants engage in mindfulness practices in nature, 2018
We realize that mindfulness and yoga practices offer a universally accessible option for students and adults to enhance their self-regulation skills and become more aware and in control of their behavior, feelings, and reactions, allowing for a greater sense of agency.
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Exploring yoga during the Brooklyn Student Service retreat at Kripalu, 2018
Mindful Behavior(ism)
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We construct the theory of Mindful Behavior(ism) in the summer of 2018 to answer the essential question: How might each individual who enters a schoolhouse everyday choose to behave in a manner that affirms the humanity of each being?
Graphic depicting foundations of YMTP²
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Beginning our Program
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Yoga companies that provide training for NYCDOE schools
We Create
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the nation’s first Yoga Alliance certified yoga and mindfulness school owned by a local education agency through the NYCDOE.
We utilize educators as experts in designing instructional experiences.
YMTP² becomes the first Yoga-alliance approved yoga and mindfulness school in the country, 2018.
Mindful Behavior(ism) graphic depicting YMTP² pilot and outgrowth
Pilot Cohort of 30 Participants
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We develop a proposal and budget where we request funds from Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams to develop 30 NYCDOE employees to become 200-hour certified yoga and mindfulness teachers.
This pilot includes:
YMTP² developers meet with Borough President Eric L. Adams at Brooklyn Borough Hall to propose funding a pilot cohort
Funding Granted
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Borough President Eric L. Adams approves YMTP²’s request and grants $120,000 to certify this pilot cohort of 30 participants, in winter 2018.
�Funding includes:
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams speaking at the Brooklyn Day of Mindfulness event hosted by YMTP², September 12, 2018
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams, NYCDOE Chancellor Richard Carranza, and NYC Councilman Rafael Espinal Jr., meditate with the scholars of Vista Academy in Brownsville, Brooklyn, 2018
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In the Summer of 2019
We begin our 200 hours of training.
Day 1 of YMTP² training at Clara Barton High School, summer 2018
Balancing posture clinic during Kripalu residency, summer 2018
Outside lecture during the YMTP² Kripalu residency, summer 2018
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As of January, 2020, we are certified Yoga and Mindfulness teachers providing a wide array of supports.�
4 Day Yoga and Mindfulness Intensives
CSA conference 2019
NYCDOE New Teacher Orientation 2019
SRI Conference 2019
Mindful
De-Escalation
Ongoing PL at monthly school counselor meetings
STH workshop
for families
Ongoing Director’s Meeting & Cabinet Meetings
District 15 Mommy and Me
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It is our vision that the creation of a large network of educators that are dedicating their efforts to a shared vision of bringing yoga and mindfulness practices to their school communities will ..... affirm the humanity of each being in a schoolhouse.
Vista Academy scholars lead and practice yoga and mindfulness at Brooklyn Day of Mindfulness, September 12, 2019
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Dr. Jo Ann Benoit speaks at Brooklyn Day of Mindfulness, September 12, 2019
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Since our inception, YMTP² has graduated �5 cohorts (inclusive of cohort 0)
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How Do We Measure Impact?
YMTP² utilized the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to measure outcomes.
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Key Findings in Impact (Cohorts 1-3)