Our Approach
CALMING KIDS, founded in the fall of 2004, was originally a pilot program at Boulder, Colorado’s Heatherwood Elementary School. A Harvard statistician studying the school’s 150 fourth and fifth grade students found Calming Kids effective in teaching children non-violent communication and a respect for their peers’ personal space.
- Evidence-Based
- Supports Anger Management
- Improves Concentration
- Reduces Stress
- Promotes Physical Wellbeing
- Fosters Empathy
Over the next four years, the CALMING KIDS program was integrated with Heatherwood Elementary’s academic curriculum with overwhelming success. The study found the yoga program largely successful in helping children exercise, relieve stress, manage aggression, find inner peace, and communicate more effectively. In only six sessions, CK was able to increase students’ anger management by 93 percent — improving relationships with peers and teachers.
Our Mission
CALMING KIDS’ primary goal is to promote a positive, peaceful, strong, and self-confident attitude leading to calm and effective communication among members of the school community. CALMING KIDS stands proudly as a peaceful warrior in the pursuit of creating a more harmonious world. We strongly believe that fostering peace in younger generations will eventually phase out violence as they mature and gain more influence over the world community.
An interview with Creator and Director of CALMING KIDS, Dee Marie, MA, CYT, on the creation and evolution of CALMING KIDS and the School Yoga Education Movement.
— First National Kids Yoga Conference, Washington D.C.
Mindfulness
Stop Bullying in Schools
According to a 2001 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, bullying and aggressive behavior are on the rise in American schools. CALMING KIDS is an effective solution, training school teachers, counselors, yoga teachers, and students how to use non-denominational yoga techniques to increase concentration, relaxation, and fitness as a means promoting non-violent communication and anger management.
The CK program administered to children has been proven to reduce bullying and violence in schools, in addition to helping develop better coping mechanisms while increasing students’ concentration.
The effects of yoga on health and behavior have been widely researched
Evidence Based Practice
Every year during the 3 year research period, students were asked to fill out a questionnaire before and after undergoing the two-week program.
Socials
CALMING KIDS in action
Our Partners
These are the school districts that use our programs, the organizations that donate money, and the collaborations of support.
