North Florida School Students Find Solace in Mindfulness
As the school year was winding down, the third-grade students of the local Roberta T. Smith Elementary School found themselves engaged in an unexpected activity – meditation. Despite the excitement and anticipation of the impending summer vacation, the students were focused and calm, ready to partake in one of their favorite routines of the school day.
The classroom was filled with a quiet hum of concentration as the children closed their eyes and traced an imaginary shark fin from their foreheads to their hearts, a part of the regular mindfulness practice in their curriculum. Their teacher, Kim Franklin, gently reminded them to listen to the calming chimes and remember to breathe.
Mindfulness in Schools: A Growing Trend
The introduction of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness exercises in schools is becoming increasingly common across the U.S. This initiative aims to help students manage stress and emotions, especially in the wake of the mental health crisis that emerged following the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has backed this approach, endorsing the use of such practices in schools.
Research has indicated that school-based mindfulness programs can be particularly beneficial in low-income communities where students are often exposed to high levels of stress or trauma. Smith Elementary was introduced to the mindfulness program through a contract with Clayton County Public Schools, where the majority of students are Black.
Supporting Mindfulness Programs in Schools
- GreenLight Fund Atlanta, a network that connects communities with local nonprofits, assists Georgia school systems in funding the mindfulness program provided by Inner Explorer, an audio platform.
- The program is designed to be accessible and relevant for communities of color in the Greater Atlanta area, which Joli Cooper, GreenLight Fund Atlanta’s executive director, emphasized as a significant factor in their support.
- Students nationwide have grappled with the impacts of isolation and remote learning brought on by the pandemic. The CDC reported in 2023 that over a third of students experienced feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness.
- The agency recommended schools use mindfulness practices to help students manage their emotions.
Mindfulness: A Tool for Coping
“We know that our teenagers and adolescents have really strained in their mental health,” said CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen. “There are real skills that we can give our teens to make sure that they are coping with some big emotions.”
These mindfulness practices represent a form of social-emotional learning, which has become a political flashpoint. Some conservatives argue schools use it to promote progressive ideas about race, gender, and sexuality. However, advocates affirm the programming brings much-needed attention to students’ well-being.
“When you look at the numbers, unfortunately, in Georgia, the number of children of color with suicidal thoughts and success is quite high,” Cooper said. “When you look at the number of psychologists available for these children, there are not enough psychologists of color.”
The Power of Mindfulness for Students
The Inner Explorer program guides students and teachers through brief sessions of breathing, meditating, and reflecting several times a day. It is already in use at Atlanta Public Schools and over 100 other districts across the country.
Teachers and administrators have noticed a difference in their students since incorporating mindfulness into their routine. For Aniyah Woods, 9, the program has helped her “calm down” and “not stress anymore.”
“I love myself how I am, but Inner Explorer just helps me feel more like myself,” Aniyah said.
Malachi Smith, 9, has taken his exercises to his home, with his father helping guide him through meditation.
“You can relax yourself with the shark fin, and when I calm myself down, I realize I am an excellent scholar,” Malachi said.
After Franklin’s class finished their meditation, they shared how they were feeling. “Relaxed,” one student said. Aniyah raised her hand.
“It made me feel peaceful,” she said.
With stories like Aniyah’s and Malachi’s, it’s clear that mindfulness practices offer a valuable tool for students, helping them navigate the complexities of their emotions and the world around them. As schools continue to face the daunting task of addressing student mental health, programs like Inner Explorer offer a promising approach towards enhancing students’ well-being.
