More US schools are taking breaks for meditation, teachers say it helps students’ mental health

REX, Ga. (AP) — Third-grade students at Roberta T. Smith Elementary School had just a few days until summer break and an hour until lunch, but they had no trouble focusing when they walked into class. They were ready for one of their favorite parts of the day.

The children closed their eyes and moved their thumbs from their forehead to their hearts as a pre-recorded voice guided them through an exercise called shark fin, part of a regular classroom meditation routine.

“Listen to the bells,” said teacher Kim Franklin. “Remember to breathe.”

Schools across the United States are introducing yoga, meditation and mindfulness exercises to help students cope with stress and emotions. As the pandemic deepens the student is struggling with mental problems As has become clear in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed these practices in schools last year.

Studies have shown that mindfulness programs in schools can be helpful, especially in low-income communities where students struggle with high levels of stress or injury.

The mindfulness program came to Smith Elementary School through a contract with the Clayton County Public Schools system, where two-thirds of the student body is black.

GreenLight Fund Atlanta, a network that connects communities with local nonprofits, is helping Georgia school systems fund a mindfulness program offered by Inner Explorer, an audio platform.

Joli Cooper, executive director of GreenLight Fund Atlanta, said it was important to the group to support an organization that is accessible and relevant to communities of color in the Greater Atlanta region.

Children across the country have struggled with the effects of isolation and remote learning as they return from the pandemic and school closures. The CDC reported in 2023 that more than a third of students have been affected feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness. The agency recommended that schools use mindfulness practices to help students cope with emotions.

“We know that our teens and young adults are really stressed in terms of their mental health,” CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen told The Associated Press. “There are real skills that we can give our teens to make sure they’re coping with big emotions.”

Mindfulness approaches are a form of social-emotional learning that has become a political flashpoint among many conservatives who say schools are using them to promote progressive ideas about race, gender and sexuality.

But supporters say the program helps focus much-needed attention on student well-being.

“If you look at the numbers, unfortunately in Georgia the number of kids of color with suicidal ideation and success is quite high,” Cooper said. “If you look at the number of psychologists available for these kids, there are not enough psychologists of color.”

Black youth have 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%.

“There’s a stigma around being able to say you’re not OK and you need help, and being able to ask for help,” said Tolana Griggs, assistant principal at Smith Elementary School. “With our diverse school community and wanting to be more aware of our students, how different cultures feel and how different cultures respond to different things, it’s important to be well-rounded in everything we do.”

Across the country, children in schools that are predominantly attended by students of color have less access to psychologists and counselors than in schools attended primarily by white students.

The Inner Explorer program guides students and teachers through five- to 10-minute sessions of breathing, meditation, and reflection several times a day. The program is also used in Atlanta Public Schools and more than 100 other districts across the country.

Teachers and administrators say they’ve noticed a difference in their students since incorporating mindfulness into their routines. For Aniyah Woods, 9, the program helped her “calm down” and “not stress out anymore.”

“I love myself as I am, but Inner Explorer helps me feel more like myself,” Aniyah said.

Malachi Smith, 9, practiced at home while his father helped him meditate.

“You can relax by looking at a shark fin, and once I calm down, I realize I am a brilliant scientist,” Malachi said.

After completing their meditation, Franklin’s class shared their feelings.

“Relaxed,” one student said.

Aniyah raised her hand.

“I felt at peace,” she said.

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