Alum and Albert Schweitzer fellow, Sherilyn Garner, MPH, developed and implemented Peace. Love. Youth. (in) Yoga (PLY2) for inner city youth living in a public housing community for her project at Oak Tree Ministries. The program was structured as a mindfulness and yoga curriculum and reached over 200 youth. Participating youth learned how to increase their self-awareness by meditating and performing traditional yoga poses. As a result of the program, youth described the following changes: “Meditation has started helping me from fighting people.” “Yoga keeps me calm and happy.” “Meditation is something that keeps you calm.” “Yoga takes bad thoughts off my mind.” “Meditation…like a medicine to me.” “Yoga at home help me calm down.”

PLY 2 will be sustained via a community partnership with A Friend of Mind. A Friend of Mind is a local nonprofit founded and managed by Sherilyn Garner. It will continue its work with Oak Tree youth, teaching them how to self-regulate their breathing, emotions, and behavior.

Congratulations Sherilyn!