Class Descriptions

SMART-4-Kidz is a refreshing, engaging, spirit-enhancing, after-school program of yoga inspired exercise, creativity, breathing exercises, storytelling, expressive arts and more.

Children and adolescents enjoy the program's key components: imagination, visualization and creativity; and become engaged, excited and inspired. They often come to class eager to share their own unique poses, stories and contributions, because, we find, they take the class home with them. This emergent model shows the children that their input matters and that creativity is cool!

Our talented teachers guide them through poses and experiences with messages of self-expression based in positive inner strength, balance and the uniqueness that is each child. A tree becomes their own centered grounding example, a mountain a tower of strength and beauty, and so on. Children volunteer that they breathe in colors: "I'm breathing in blue and breathing out diamonds", one girl of 6 recently stated. Her blue and diamond breath became part of the storytelling from the teacher, and the idea that her idea mattered was reinforced and repeated again and again.

SMART-4-Lil' Kidz is specially created for the little ones, ages 2-5 years old. The class combines playful yoga-like movements with gleeful games and stories. The environment is safe and fun while learning and cognitive skills are enhanced through age-appropriate games and toys, such as alphabet and pattern boxes, sight and learning blocks. Interactive story telling is a fun time for these pre-schoolers and the social interactive is very positive. SMART-4-Lil' Kidz classes are 45 minutes in duration.

In SMART classes kids are free to fully express themselves while having the most fun possible. Group activity encourages healthy respect for others and community, while teaching that cooperation leads to good outcomes. Kids see that when they invest in the process they get more from their experience. Knowing that actions taken have a direct impact on the outcome of a situation is a great way to build self-confidence.

SMART-Learning is a proprietary blend of Stress Management and Relaxation Techniques surrounding tutoring class in English Arts or Mathematics. Classes are limited to 7 children, are two hours long and offered two times per week for 10 weeks.

A typical SMART-Learning class will begin as the students practice movement and yoga-like exercises as a group while popular music helps to induce them into the program. Each child will complete the exercises which include gentle aerobic dance movement as a warm-up followed by poses like mountain, tree and downward dog for a period of about 15 minutes.

As the children gain a more stress free mood, which facilitates learning, the tutoring will begin. This will be a time where each student be will attended to with full regard for their individual abilities and needs.

After the tutoring takes place, during the last 10 minutes of the SMART class, we have the children lie on their mats, go through a period of progressive relaxation, positive visualization and similar common techniques. A story of positive imagery of natural surroundings (forest, mountain, beach) or fables of individual success and/or positive morale are told.

In our experience with SMART-4-Kidz classes, we are never ceased to be satisfied or amazed at the power of such imagery. The kids almost always end up in a mellow mood no matter how agitated they might have started the day. We believe that this facet may be the most powerful technique we have for our desired result (de-stressed kid). We place a strong value on the group activities and help each child with their own voice within the group. As the students interact with their peers and receive supportive feedback, they will learn a sense of self-efficacy, self-confidence and self-esteem while having a great time too.

Our present experience in SMART classes tells us that this productive collective interplay of learning and expression help build the characteristics that lead to a more self-certain student.

The teachers who teach SMART-4-Kidz Learning classes are very invested in our system as well. Because of our relatively revolutionary approach to child education and tutoring, our teachers have a special internal motivation in terms of our program. Most of our applicants have experienced yoga as young adults and have reaped or felt the benefits themselves. They turn out to be dedicated educators and sincere devotees of yoga. We have the rare opportunity to select from the cream of the crop, first tier of available people.

We train educators in yoga and yogis in tutoring. This is an intrinsic motivator for our teachers. In SMART classes we have regular supervision on an individual as well as a group basis. We believe that we have a special product and so do our teachers. We encourage and develop our own culture and the teachers naturally become SMART evangelists, super devoted to the kids and our secular cause: giving the best opportunity we can to kids by working the whole child in a sensitive forgiving way.

We have trained college-educated tutors from all walks of life. We demand high standards and our supervision is certain.