Lightbridge Academy® Launched Yoga & Mindfulness Program to Teach Children the Skills to Help Manage Stress During the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t been comfortable to navigate for anyone, but especially for children as the traditional norms of schooling and education have been disrupted. In light of this unforeseen stress, Lightbridge Academy, the 62-unit early education and child care franchise, has geared its curriculum to ease tension from children and to help support childhood development with an all-inclusive approach.

Jennifer Romanoff, Lightbridge Academy’s vice president of education & training, says, “Our curriculum focuses on the whole child. Their ability to do academic skills are just as important to a child as their physical, mental and social development.”

This comprehensive approach is something Lightbridge Academy has made standard throughout its entire franchise network, and an emphasis on mental and social development is helping students understand how to manage their fears.

Lightbridge Academy is helping children not by dismissing their challenges, but by helping them navigate any challenges or fears that might come their way. Instructors are proving they can teach students to be conscious of relaxing their bodies and minds, which is invaluable insight for children returning to the classroom after a pandemic.

The brand piloted its yoga and mindfulness program in September 2020, just months after the initial onset of COVID-19. Staff members have received training on how to carry out the curriculum not just for students but for their own instructional development. “We are finding that a lot of people can be stressed right now, and I believe that when our staff does these practices with our children, it really helps everybody involved,” Romanoff said.

Romanoff says the fine motor skills from these practices are essential to early childhood development. “Riding a bike can sometimes be just as important as learning how to write your name, because it utilizes both sides of the brain,” she said. “Our yoga poses and practices really strengthen that connectivity in the synapses in the brain, but it also puts a focus on their breathing, which is something you may not find in other programs. It also gives children the ability to self-soothe, which is a life skill needed to navigate stressful situations.”

Students may have spent record time at home with their families in the past two years, and a transition back to school could be more challenging than ever before. All Lightbridge Academy schools have been utilizing its yoga and mindfulness program since fall of 2020, proving the program has been successful and is ready to take on an even bigger role in the brand’s curriculum.

As children grow older and adversity is presented in their lives, they will be well equipped with skills needed to manage stress and remain healthy and happy. Lightbridge Academy’s Yoga & Mindfulness Program addresses the needs of the whole child, helping them to navigate any challenges, fostering self regulation and enabling them to be more resilient in a constantly changing world.