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For too long, the cities of Oakland and Richmond have struggled under the yoke of juvenile crime, violence in homes and on the streets, and overcrowded, under-performing schools. Now imagine an organization that is helping young people in these cities overcome this painful legacy, by acquiring the essential, portable life skills they need to succeed in school and beyond. That is exactly what Full Circle Fund’s Education Circle’s grant partner the Niroga Institute is doing — with great dedication, intelligence and integrity.

Since March of 2005, Niroga’s teachers, also known as the Yoga Corps, have been bringing high quality, low cost yoga and mindfulness instruction to at-risk and incarcerated youth in the East Bay in order to help them reduce stress, increase self-control, make better decisions about high risk behaviors, and improve their focus and attention in school. Their well-crafted approach to supporting the mental and physical health of these young people holds great promise as a low cost strategy for reducing crime and violence, truancy and dropout rates, substance abuse and many other problems facing our children and the neighborhoods where they live.

The Education Circle’s Niroga Project team is embarking on an exciting new effort aimed at helping the Niroga Institute raise its profile among major stakeholders and funders in education, health care, violence prevention and juvenile justice.

This week, there is a great opportunity to show your support for this remarkable organization at their annual fundraiser -a fun and inspiring event that starts off with a buffet brunch and opportunity to mingle, followed by a short performance by the Oakland Youth Chorus and some inspiring remarks by Niroga students, teachers and staff. This event is always enjoyable, and comes at a particularly critical time for Niroga as they seek to draw support for their pioneering work with children and teens in the Bay Area. If you’re a member who’d like to get more involved with the Niroga project or would like to come to the event, RSVP to project lead Fred Schnider and he will make sure you get a seat.

Posted in Fred Schnider, Niroga, event, education