About Us

What We Do

We create space for young people to breathe, move, and build resilience.

The Oxygen Project: Yoga for Youth exists because wellness is not a luxury - it is a protective factor. We believe every young person deserves access to tools that support nervous system regulation, self-confidence, and health relationships.

Who We Are

A woman giving a presentation about yoga and breathing exercises in a room with a large screen displaying illustrations of a person practicing yoga. She is holding a microphone and standing next to a table with singing bowls.

  • The Oxygen Project: Yoga for Youth’s mission is to empower youth to face everyday stress and significant life challenges with resilience and calm through yoga and mindfulness techniques.

  • Communities where youth have the skills, support, and safe spaces needed to navigate stress, heal from adversity, and thrive in school and life.

    • Trauma-Informed Care: Safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness, and empowerment guide everything we do.

    • Equity & Belonging: We design programming that is culturally responsive and grounded in community strengths.

    • Youth Voice: Young people are experts in their own experience - our work centers their leadership and feedback.

    • Whole-Community Wellness: Student well-being and adult well-being are connected.

    • Continuous Learning: We use data, reflection, and partnership feedback to improve quality and impact.

Work With Us

Our Approach

Programming supports social-emotional learning, classroom readiness, conflict de-escalation, and pro-social skill building.

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Trauma-Informed

We prioritize emotional and physical safety in every session. Our facilitators create predictable, choice-based environments that respect students’ lived experiences and support regulation rather than overwhelm.

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Evidence-Informed

Our curriculum is grounded in research on nervous system regulation, mindfulness, and youth development, drawing from practices shown to reduce stress and support resilience.

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Practical

Students learn simple, accessible tools—breathing, grounding, gentle movement, and mindful attention—that can be used immediately during moments of stress, both in and outside the classroom.

What Trauma Informed Looks Like Here

  • Sessions follow a predictable structure so students know what to expect and can settle into the experience with a sense of safety.

  • Students are always offered choices, with permission to participate in ways that feel right for their bodies in the moment.

  • We use inclusive, strength-based language that honors each student’s identity and reinforces their ability to make empowered decisions.

  • The focus is on learning and experimenting with tools, not on doing poses “right” or being watched.

  • Facilitators model steadiness and presence, supporting students’ nervous systems through attuned, regulated engagement.

Testimonials

“The impact on one of the kids. She kept getting in trouble and getting kicked out of class. Her ELA teacher told me that she has made a lot of progress and turns in her work. Before, she was worried that the student would get set off by any word or any person and would not finish her assignments or walk out of class. This was worth EVERYTHING.”

— Staff from Cross Keys Middle School

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