Page 5 - Leadership Miami Project

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
After speaking with Rocio about the most pressing needs for ABF Learning Center, 4WRDMIA is going to take a three-tiered approach based on the level of importance to the school. The tiers will be completed in sections and are contingent upon the capital received from fundraising activities and in-kind donations.
The first tier, and the most important to ABF Learning Center, will be to reimagine and develop the school’s outdoor area. Currently there is a playground area on one side of the outdoor space, but the other is completely vacant. 4WRDMIA will implement a hands-on multi purpose outdoor learning area for the children. The area will feature three distinct areas: vegetable and fruit garden beds with an outdoor utility sink, a shaded sitting area for outdoor learning and meditation, and an interactive outdoor-learning area where students can maximize their imagination to explore through nature-based play.
The second tier will be the revamping of an existing sensory room available to students who need a tranquil space in order to regulate and refocus their energy. This area will benefit from fresh paint, new soft lighting, and new furniture and sensory tools and toys to enhance the space so students have a safe place to reflect on their emotions and return to a healthy, stable mindset.
For the final tier, the school has an entirely vacant room that 4WRDMIA will turn into a yoga and meditation studio space. 4WRDMIA will transform the open room into a calm, meditative space by refreshing the paint, adding meditation cushions, yoga mats, and a sound system. 4WRDMIA will also secure Conscious Discipline training for teachers and staff, which is a curriculum based in mindfulness and trains teachers and staff to become Conscious Adults who provide a safe, trauma-informed atmosphere for students. Further, 4WARDMIA will help ABF establish a regular series of yoga instruction for students.
Each of the three tiers selected incorporates the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness in a school setting has many benefits including improved attention span, emotional regulation, greater compassion, and reduction of stress and anxiety - only to name a few. Research shows that young children experiencing the types of home-life challenges ABF students face, benefit significantly from mindfulness practices and that these lessons follow children into adulthood, arguably impacting future generations.
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