WAM stands for Wellness And Mindfulness. It is the Foundation’s longest-running program and the one we are most often asked about.
What it is
WAM brings regular yoga classes, breathing practice and life skills sessions into places where young people have very little of either: juvenile remand and correctional centers. The life skills side focuses on the things that matter most for someone trying to change direction. Handling conflict. Making a decision and living with it. Thinking past today.
The part that makes WAM different is who it trains. Alongside classes for the young people, WAM trains the staff who work with them every day as certified yoga teachers. When the program cycle ends, the practice stays in the building.
Where it has run
Between 2015 and 2018, Yoga Angels worked in three of Jamaica’s juvenile centers through “A New Path”, a youth initiative of the Organization of American States, implemented with the Trust for the Americas and funded by USAID:
- South Camp, Kingston
- Rio Cobre, Spanish Town, where WAM ran in 2017 and 2018 and certified eleven teachers
- Metcalfe Street, Kingston, where the three-month introductory phase was completed in 2018
When “A New Path” funding ended, the Foundation kept WAM going at Rio Cobre with its own resources until 2020, including occasional sessions during COVID-19. It stopped when the budget and safety conditions no longer allowed it.
What it needs to restart
The program is written, tested and ready. To bring it back, we need funding for teachers’ time, travel to the centers, mats and materials, and teacher certification for staff. Our longer-term goal is a permanent alternative healing center where this work can be based.
If you represent a funder, a facility or a government partner, talk to us about WAM.
