BeWell in School

BeWell in School believes in teaching self-regulation. Why? We are in the midst of an educational crisis in America. Every day, schools and teachers manage many needs with few resources. Children in all communities are facing adversity, which disrupts their experiences in the classroom. In fact, nationwide more than 46% of youth (34 million children) have had at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE). More than 20% have had at least two. When students exhibit non-learning behaviors, they are telling us they are ill-equipped to handle their current situation. We must take these opportunities to proactively teach students movement and breath strategies for emotional self-regulation. What we do. We prioritize meeting students where they are. When students are not ready to be in the classroom during learning times, we offer them the space and strategies to de-escalate while also providing them with tools to cope with similar challenges in the future. We use intentional spaces to proactively teach and practice movement, breath work and mindfulness strategies that help students navigate stressful situations. Numbers Talk. •Following an 8-week Mindful-Based Social Emotional Learning program at an elementary school in Chicago, incidents of disruptive behavior among third-grade students decreased by more than 50 percent. •Harvard Medical School's Mind/Body Institute found that middle school students attending four or more sessions of a relaxation curriculum earned significantly higher GPAs than their peers who never participated. A pattern of higher GPAs, associated with more sessions attended, continued for the next two years of the study. Programming. •Brief daily mindfulness exercises to start and end the day. •Training for teachers and staff, helping to bring tangible strategies into the classroom. •Mindful Movement infused throughout the school day. •BeWell Room for students to take a MeMoment with the BeWell Teacher.