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The third-grade students at Roberta T. Smith Elementary School had only a few days until summer vacation, and an hour until lunch, but there was no struggle to focus as they filed into the classroom. They were ready for one of their favorite parts of the day.<\/p>\n
The children closed their eyes and traced their thumbs from their foreheads to their hearts as a pre-recorded voice led them through an exercise called the shark fin, part of the classroom\u2019s regular meditation routine.<\/p>\n
\u201cListen to the chimes,\u201d said the teacher, Kim Franklin. \u201cRemember to breathe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schools across the U.S. have been introducing yoga, meditation and mindfulness exercises to help students manage stress and emotions. As the depths of\u00a0student struggles with mental health<\/a>\u00a0became clear in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year endorsed schools\u2019 use of the practices.<\/p>\n Research has found school-based mindfulness programs can help, especially in low-income communities where students face high levels of stress or\u00a0trauma<\/a>.<\/p>\n The mindfulness program reached Smith Elementary through a contract with the school system, Clayton County Public Schools, where two-thirds of the students are Black.<\/p>\n GreenLight Fund Atlanta, a network that matches communities with local nonprofits, helps Georgia school systems pay for the mindfulness program provided by Inner Explorer, an audio platform.<\/p>\n Joli Cooper, GreenLight Fund Atlanta\u2019s executive director, said it was important to the group to support an organization that is accessible and relevant for communities of color in the Greater Atlanta area.<\/p>\n Children nationwide struggled with the effects of isolation and remote learning as they returned from the pandemic school closures. The CDC in 2023 reported more than a third of students were affected by\u00a0feelings of persistent sadness<\/a>\u00a0and hopelessness. The agency recommended schools use\u00a0mindfulness practices<\/a>\u00a0to help students manage emotions.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know that our teenagers and adolescents have really strained in their mental health,\u201d CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen told The Associated Press. \u201cThere are real skills that we can give our teens to make sure that they are coping with some big emotions.\u201d<\/p>\n Approaches to mindfulness represent a form of social-emotional learning, which has become a political flashpoint with many conservatives who say schools use it to promote progressive ideas about race,\u00a0gender and sexuality<\/a>.<\/p>\n But advocates say the programming brings much-needed attention to students\u2019 well-being.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you look at the numbers, unfortunately, in Georgia, the number of children of color with suicidal thoughts and success is quite high,\u201d Cooper said. \u201cWhen you look at the number of psychologists available for these children, there are not enough psychologists of color.\u201d<\/p>\n Black youth<\/a>\u00a0have the fastest-growing suicide rate among racial groups, according to CDC statistics. Between 2007 and 2020, the suicide rate among Black children and teens ages 10 to 17 increased by 144%.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a stigma with being able to say you\u2019re not OK and needing help, and having the ability to ask for help,\u201d said Tolana Griggs, Smith Elementary\u2019s assistant principal. \u201cWith our diverse school community and wanting to be more aware of our students, how different cultures feel and how different cultures react to things, it\u2019s important to be all-inclusive with everything we do.\u201d<\/p>\n Nationwide, children in schools that serve mostly students of color have\u00a0less access to psychologists and counselors<\/a>\u00a0than those in schools serving mostly white students.<\/p>\n The Inner Explorer program guides students and teachers through five-to-10-minute sessions of breathing, meditating and reflecting several times a day. The program also is used at Atlanta Public Schools and over 100 other districts across the country.<\/p>\n Teachers and administrators say they have noticed a difference in their students since they\u2019ve incorporated mindfulness into their routine. For Aniyah Woods, 9, the program has helped her \u201ccalm down\u201d and \u201cnot stress anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI love myself how I am, but Inner Explorer just helps me feel more like myself,\u201d Aniyah said.<\/p>\n Malachi Smith, 9, has used his exercises at home, with his father helping to guide him through meditation.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can relax yourself with the shark fin, and when I calm myself down, I realize I am an excellent scholar,\u201d Malachi said.<\/p>\n After Franklin\u2019s class finished their meditation, they shared how they were feeling.<\/p>\n \u201cRelaxed,\u201d one student said.<\/p>\n Aniyah raised her hand.<\/p>\n \u201cIt made me feel peaceful,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nView the new Fortune 50 Best Places to Live for Families list. Discover the 2024 top destinations across the U.S. for multigenerational families to live, thrive, and find community. Explore the list<\/a>.<\/div>\n