About Y.O.G.A. for Youth: The Program & Its Mission

The future of this country is being shaped by the development of our youth. Yet:

Every day... 2,833 children drop out of school
Every day... 135,000 children carry a gun to school
Every year... $7 billion are spent to incarcerate young offenders
Every year... school dropouts cost taxpayers $71 billion
With youth accounting for 18 percent of all violent crime in the U.S.
As well as 33 percent of all serious property crime.

In a national study generated by the National Endowment for the Arts, three cities (San Antonio, TX., Atlanta GA, and Portland, Or.) have rigorously evaluated their arts programs for at-risk youth and found that these programs decrease involvement in delinquent behavior, increase academic achievement and improve youth’s attitudes about themselves and their future.

A Y.O.G.A. for Youth Class National studies also show repeatedly that a regular practice of Yoga and Meditation reduces hypertension, lowers blood pressure, and releases endorphins in the brain that heighten a sense of calmness and produce feelings of well being.

Yoga for Youth has created a dynamic environment for addressing many of the social and behavioral problems confronting these youths. We believe Arts and Yoga for Youth can have a dynamic impact on the lives of its participants and offer an effective and affordable alternative to detention and police-centered crime prevention.