Impact — Bent on Learning

Achievements

Bent On Learning was born out of 9/11, when our founders, volunteer yoga teachers for youth at the time, were invited to teach yoga as a tool for stress management in schools directly impacted by the terrorist attacks.

Since then, we have developed a yoga curriculum appropriate for each phase of childhood development, created a top Children’s Yoga Teacher Training program, and trained a diverse team of teachers who represent the populations we serve. To date, we have taught yoga to over 22,000 students from Pre-K through 12th grade. In 2019, we began collaborating with the NYC Department of Education’s Yoga and Mindfulness Teacher Preparation Program (YMTPP) to support their goal of providing a yoga and mindfulness teacher in every school. That same year, a former BOL student who became a yoga teacher and educator brought our program to the middle school where she is on faculty and thus began our second generation of yoga in schools!

OUR IMPACT

23 Years

90 Schools

150 Yoga Educators

22,000+ Students

research-based

Bent On Learning uses the Hello Insight youth development evaluation platform to measure social and emotional learning (SEL) outcomes for young people in our programs. These tools have been scientifically validated and continuously tested with more than 1,500 programs, including perspectives from more than 100,000 young people in 44 states nationwide. Studies show that improvements in SEL skills are correlated with long-term gains in high school completion, college and career readiness and increased life-long thriving.

83% of high school students made statistically significant gains in positive youth development.

An impact evaluation of 112 BOL high school students during the 2015-17 academic years found that 83% made statistically significant gains in positive youth development. The most dramatic change was seen in academic self-efficacy (+47 points, based on a 100-point scale). After taking weekly Bent On Learning yoga classes at their school, students with the lowest confidence in their ability to attain academic success improved the most.

Bent On Learning yoga helps 3rd graders improve their ability to regulate emotions and behavior and to get along with others

An evaluation of 100 3rd graders at PS214 in The Bronx in 2018 showed that our program was especially successful at helping kids grow in social skills. Young people who excel in this capacity demonstrate care and empathy towards others, value their feelings, and try to help friends who may be hurting. They interact constructively with peers, teachers, and other school administrators, which shapes their feelings of connection to learning spaces and leads to improved academics.

“Our students saw significant gains in their ability to self-regulate through the Bent on Learning program. They learned how to use a simple yet important tool like their breath to instill focus and manage their emotions. The BOL yoga program is particularly vital to supporting our at-risk and special needs student population. It is our vision to become a flagship school and bring the benefit of these practices school wide.”