Non-Profit Brings Yoga to Houston Independent School District Students

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Students at twelve Houston Independent School District (HISD) schools will experience yoga, thanks to support from the Sonima Foundation—a national nonprofit that seeks to improve the health and wellness of primarily undeserved students. According to a KPAC 2 news story, HISD will offer Sonima’s yoga curriculum to ten elementary schools, one middle school and one high school thanks to a $360,000 donation from the foundation.

Because recent surveys have found that many of HISD’s students are inactive Superintendent Terry Grier, a yoga enthusiast himself, made the decision to bring Sonima’s program to several of the district’s classrooms.

KPAC 2 reports that the California based Sonima Foundation contacted Grier (who previously worked in San Diego) to see if the district would be interested in the program.

“It’s a combination of P.E. and health,” said Morgan Camp, a teacher with HISD, in the KPAC2 report. “We’re not playing soccer outside, but it’s definitely improving hand-eye coordination. The need to exercise is being met.”

Already, Sonima has brought yoga to 34 schools across the country and the foundation is currently seeking to have its program offerings evaluated.

Learn more about Sonima’s yoga in the classroom program in this January 2014 report from the Center for Education Policy and Law.