“Amy reminded us that we, the adults, are important, too. To better serve our students and to better teach, we need to take care of ourselves. We were able to immediately implement every self-care strategy she presented, and our teachers and staff chose to implement them on their own throughout the school year. We started a new approach to living because we realized the difference within ourselves. Who wouldn’t rather live than simply exist?!”
Partnering with Schools
Schools are an ecosystem. The well-being of each part impacts the rest of the system. Our methodology customizes programs for each school’s needs and environment. We take a systems-based approach, recognizing that at times upstream levers of change create the most downstream impact.
Having supported 23 schools with our signature mindfulness and systems thinking programs, we’ve seen so many different positive qualities in each school. We work with school leaders to augment your strengths and leverage them to spread well-being and stability throughout the school.
It starts with an introductory call to find out what each school leader is looking for and how you want to support your ecosystem. Together, we identify pilot programs and design a year-by-year developmental approach to create continual upliftment of the school climate. Our suite of programs for students, teachers, climate staff, and leadership provides everyone at every level with skills and tools you can work with to create calm and ease, ignite curiosity and joy of learning, improve relationships and focus, and foster supportive learning environments.
All of our programs combine the best evidence-based and trauma-sensitive mindfulness and emotional intelligence tools with systems-thinking, evolutionary brain science, dialogue and inquiry methods, context setting strategies, and compassion building. We also provide Train-the-Trainer resources for climate staff, counselors, teachers, and student leaders so your team can gain the skills to support your school in an ongoing way.
The solution you choose may be a single Management Retreat to de-stress, reconnect with your passion for teaching, and practice effective and implementable stress management strategies. It may be a grade-wide Inner Strength program to address a weak spot or support students through a challenging year. You may want to implement a Chill Spot in your school. Or you may choose an off-site teen retreat to provide a break and reward in the school year or a bridge program for rising freshmen to help with the adjustment to high school expectations.
There are as many ways to tailor Inner Strength programs as there are schools.
Contact us today to explore your options!
While public schools experience pressure to meet standardized testing levels and other academic benchmarks, research has shown that the social-emotional well-being of students and staff enhances learning rather than taking away time from academics. Once you lay the foundation for a classroom where students feel calm, curiosity, and care, you create the optimal environment for learning and discovery.
Outside Philadelphia Schools? Click here for the program
Quick Facts
Complete Programs
12, 8, or 4 lesson integrated teen programs. Other formats available.
In School Time
Programs are delivered In-school, as part of a regular academic class. Out-of-school options are available.
Philadelphia Area
In class programs are Philly-based. Program design and resources can be implemented anywhere.
Cost
We are committed to making the program affordable for under-resourced public schools. Set up a call today.
Results & Impact
Student participants show statistically significant improvement in long term self-regulation, self-compassion, success orientation, and a decrease in rumination.
The broad perspective and multi-faceted approach gives adolescents tools to transform the stresses that assault them from within and without. It also introduces them to a worldview that can directly help them engage productively with our rapidly changing world.
Students emerge from this inquiry and practice more deeply connected and connected to life. They regularly describe experiencing more calm, space, less stress and anxiety, greater happiness, and a sense of possibility.
External research studies show that Inner Strength student participants show statistically significant improvement in long term self-regulation, self-compassion, success orientation, and a decrease in rumination. These are all indicators of improved mental health and are correlated to improved learning outcomes.
This whole school support model ensures that everyone benefits from integrating self-care and self-reflection into the fabric of the school.
Foundational Classroom Programs
Classroom Resources
Teacher Resources
Additional Programming
- Mindfulness-based Leadership Support
- Staff Stress Management Sessions
- Train-the-Trainer for School Staff
- Parent Night Presentations
- Teen Mindfulness Retreats
- Train-the-Trainer for Student Leaders
- Chill Spots - Staffed School Spaces for Students to Re-set
Click below for a PDF packet with our available programming.
Host High Schools
- Adaire Elementary
- BARTRAM
- BODINE HS OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
- CENTRAL
- CREATIVE & PERFORMING ARTS (CAPA)
- FREIRE CHARTER
- Frankford
- FURNESS
- GIRARD ACADEMIC MUSIC PROGRAM
- G.W. CARVER ENGINEERING SCIENCES
- George Washington High School
- HILL FREEDMAN PEACE & SOCIAL JUSTICE
- KENSINGTON HEALTH SCIENCES
- LANKENAU ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
- LINC
- Julia B. MASTERMAN
- MURRELL DOBBINS CAREER & TECH
- PALUMBO
- PARKWAY NORTHWEST
- PHILADELPHIA HS FOR GIRLS
- SCIENCE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
- SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE
- W.B SAUL AGRICULTURAL HIGH SCHOOL
- SOUTH PHILADELPHIA HIGH SCHOOL
- SWENSON ARTS & TECH
- YOUNG SCHOLARS ACADEMY
Special
Programs
- ARTISTYEAR, PHILADELPHIA, NYC, CO
- CB SCHOOLS, PHILADELPHIA
- CITYYEAR, PHILADELPHIA
- GILLINGHAM CHARTER SCHOOL
- GREAT VALLEY MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL FACULTY
- JEWISH FAMILY & CHILDREN’S SERVICES of PHILADELPHIA
- THE HAVERFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVERSITY CONFERENCE
- JACK & JILL
- MOORE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS
- PHENND
- PHILADELPHIA EDUCATION FUND | PHILADELPHIA SCHOLARS
- STUDENTS RUN PHILLY
- THE WAY CLUB
- WORKREADY, URBAN AFFAIRS COALITION & PHILADELPHIA YOUTH NETWORK
- YUC (YOUTH UNITED FOR CHANGE)
"It taught me to be more aware of my physical mental and emotional states and to be aware of the world around me. Mindfulness helped me to harness little common factors in my everyday life, like eating and breathing and use them to calm myself down and regulate my states. I now use it during stressful times and during lacrosse games to keep myself from becoming too nervous."
–Hashim, 11th Grade
"Mindfulness is the fundamental human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re performing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. While mindfulness is something we all naturally possess, it’s more readily comprehensible to us when we practice on a daily basis. Whenever you bring awareness to what you’re directly experiencing via your senses, or to your state of mind via your thoughts and emotions, you’re being mindful. And there’s growing research revealing that when you discipline your brain to be mindful, you’re actually remodeling the physical structure of your brain."
– Yize, 11th Grade
"In the classroom you always felt welcomed to answer a question and never afraid of being wrong. Having that type of environment made you want to learn because you were more at peace."
– Olivia, 10th Grade
Explore bringing the Inner Strength Teen Mindfulness Program to your school.
Email us to schedule an informational school visit or to learn more about our program.
“Amy reminded us that we, the adults, are important, too. To better serve our students and to better teach, we need to take care of ourselves. We were able to immediately implement every self-care strategy she presented, and our teachers and staff chose to implement them on their own throughout the school year. We started a new approach to living because we realized the difference within ourselves. Who wouldn't rather live than simply exist?!”
Nicolle Hutchinson, M.S. Ed
Executive Director Gillingham Charter School, Pottsville,
“Inner Strength has given both our staff and the students the opportunity to dig deeper and explore tools that enable them to be productive members of Lankenau High School. The groups ran through an advisory model and everyone was thrilled to have participated in this meaningful learning. Thank you Inner Strength! ”
Jessica Naugle-McAtamney
Principal, Lankenau High School of Environmental Science
"I value the work that Inner Strength does to support student well-being by teaching them tools to support their mental health."
Susan Thompson
Principal, George Washington High School
"Inner Strength helped students cope and calm down, which are skills they can use throughout their lifetime."
Samuel Matellus
Leadership Coach, Health & PE Teacher
Nicolle Hutchinson, M.S. Ed
Executive Director Gillingham Charter School, Pottsville,
“Inner Strength has given both our staff and the students the opportunity to dig deeper and explore tools that enable them to be productive members of Lankenau High School. The groups ran through an advisory model and everyone was thrilled to have participated in this meaningful learning. Thank you Inner Strength! ”
Jessica Naugle-McAtamney
Principal, Lankenau High School Of Environmental Science
“I value the work that Inner Strength does to support student well-being by teaching them tools to support their mental health.”
Susan Thompson
Principal, George Washington High School
“Inner Strength helped students cope and calm down, which are skills they can use throughout their lifetime.”
Samuel Matellus
Leadership Coach, Health & PE Teacher
This program gives students another option to relieve stress and increase mental stability.
Fred McCray
PE Teacher Leader, Central High School
The Inner Strength Instructors was fantastic with the students, she was well prepared and did a wonderful job presenting to my class. In todays times I think every student in our school would benefit from this.
Ken Geiser
George Washington High School
The Inner Strength activities provided a way for students to cope with stress.
Tenn Luu
Furness High School
The Inner Strength program gave the students tools that they can utilize throughout their lives in order to enhance and understand their own mental well-being/health.
Veronica Hayes
Cheer Coach, PE & Health Teacher, George Washington High School
I appreciated how the program took the time teach students how to deal and cope with stress and anxiety as these are problems that many teens face.
Luke Holtje
Girard Academic Music Program
I love the program! The Inner Strength program does a good job of balancing practical guided meditation with theory and instruction.
Ichabod Fouraker
Ichabod Fouraker, Horace Furness High School