Hermanowski Family Foundation Initial Request Form

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Organization Name: YEAH! YOGA
Legal Name (if Different):
Also Known As: D.B.A. Y.O.G.A. for Youth – New Orleans
Mailing Address: 2000 Louisiana Ave., #15671
City: New Orleans
State: Louisiana
Postal Code: 70115
Main Phone: 5042498844
Main Fax:
Organization Website: www.yeahyoga.org
Employer ID Number: 84-2036684
Organization Tax Status: 501(c)(3)

Proposal Information

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Today’s Date: 3/29/2023
Requested Amount: 10,000

Project Title: Healing-Focused Yoga for System-Impacted Youth
Project Description:

In Louisiana, 73% of detained youth–often booked for violence and aggression–suffer from at least one mental health disorder (Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights, 2019; Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention, 2017).

Researchers have traced this health disparity among incarcerated youth to the cycle of poverty and racism. In New Orleans, over half of Black children live in poverty, exposing them to greater risk of violence and toxic stress (New Orleans Community Health Assessment, 2021). At the same time, 95% of the students who face juvenile arrests are Black, reflecting the systematic racism that feeds poverty, recidivism, and trauma (New Orleans Children & Youth Planning Board, 2017).

Yet detention consistently lags community programs at reducing recidivism rates and improving youth development (National Research Council, 2013). In contrast, the American Academy of Pediatrics (2022) recommends yoga and mindfulness as effective therapies for traumatized youth.

In response, YY will deliver 80 yoga and mindfulness classes to enable system-impacted youth in Greater New Orleans to heal from trauma and build resilience. YY will provide culturally appropriate programming to participants in accessible locations by partnering with wrap-around youth services providers, including:

1. The Covenant House, a homeless shelter.
2. Travis Hill School, a middle and high school embedded in the Juvenile Justice Intervention Center.
3. Rivarde Detention Center, a juvenile detention center in Harvey, LA.

The YY curriculum intentionally integrates trauma-informed skills from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to support social-emotional learning within the context of a yoga class. Over the course of a 12-week session, comprising three 4-week modules, each class covers one of four core DBT skills:

1. Practicing Mindfulness
2. Coping with Emotions
3. Being Okay with Discomfort
4. Taking Care of Relationships

In all, YY programming shares physical and mental wellness tools to help system-impacted heal from trauma and reach their full potential.

Total Project Budget: $68,060

Other Funding
Sources For The Project (Committed & Potential): Committed: Institute of Mental Hygiene, $10,000; Laureus USA Sport for Good, $20,000; Keller Family Foundation, $5,000; RosaMary Foundation, $7,500 / Pending: Nike Foundation, $10,000; Women United, $15,000; Unplugging for Youth Yogathon, fundraiser scheduled for April 1st.

Project Duration: One Year
Geographical Area Served: Orleans and Jefferson Parishes
Age Group To Be Served: 11-24

Contact Information

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Contact Prefix (Mr,Mrs etc.): Dr.
Contact First Name: Dena
Contact Last Name: Marks
Contact Title: Grant Writer
Contact Phone: 504-232-3855
Contact Email: development@yeahyoga.org