Pure Edge

This Wellness Month, Put Yourself First

Even before COVID-19 uprooted our lives and shook the foundations of the systems within which we live, data on mental health in the U.S., and specifically in education, was troubling. Months into the pandemic, many of us still face anxiety, feelings of loneliness and isolation, worries about our health and the health of loved ones, and the emotional and practical challenges that come with a national, ongoing uncertainty around what comes next and when our lives will start to resemble “normalcy.” Stress is contagious, and when we support the adults who serve our children and youth, the...

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Pure Edge, Inc. and Health World, Inc. Have Forged a Partnership

The quest to create a world where all are empowered to live their healthiest lives doesn’t stop at healthy bodies. Through a mutual belief in the importance of supporting healthy minds and a shared passion for learner well-being, Pure Edge, Inc. (PEI) and Health World, Inc. have forged a partnership. Health World, led by President Peter Rusin, centers its vision around reducing barriers to health education and expanding health literacy. The organization has chosen to provide further support to schools through offering PEI’s free social and emotional learning resources through...

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SEL Begins with Us: A Guide to Getting Started with Pure Edge Resources

As we recognize Self-Care Awareness Month, we highlight self-care as a foundational practice, rather than simply a single activity or special day, week, or month. Relationships are reciprocal, and so is self-care. When educators and learners share these practices, they begin to build a culture of care, together. Social-Emotional Learning Begins with You We want to make it as simple as possible for you to invest in your wellbeing and that of the learners you serve, so we've put together a quick guide for getting started. First, sign up for...

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Garfield Preparatory Academy Embraces SEL & Each Learner’s Right to Feel Loved

Pure Edge has partnered with Garfield Preparatory Academy in Washington, D.C., to bring Culture of Care training to educators and learners. As the school day begins, the halls of Garfield Preparatory Academy are still. In the classrooms, the loudspeakers project a calm voice directing students and staff to sit quietly and breathe deeply. Once following the morning announcements and once at the end of the school day, the whole school sits quietly for a “Mindful Minute.” The goal, to help educators and learners start each day with calm and focus....

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San Diego Unified Turns Focus to SEL to Manage Stress Within Large, Diverse...

One of the largest school districts in the U.S. has partnered with Pure Edge in response to an increase in stress and anxiety. Both educators and learners reap the benefits. “I’m passionate about SEL,” said Kearny High School English teacher Daina Weber, “and I felt like this was another opportunity for students to get skills in self-discovery and self-care.” She had just finished participating, with three of her ninth-grade classes, in the first of four Pure Edge training days. Kearny is a project-based learning school in one of the largest...

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Lutheran Services Florida: Saving Jacksonville’s Head Start Program and Strategizing to Transform Its...

LSF Duval has partnered with Pure Edge to build on its Head Start program’s incredible turnaround. Five years ago, no one would have believed that the Head Start program in Jacksonville, Florida, would one day receive a glowing write-up from the New York Times or a feature on NBC Nightly News. A visit from federal authorities had found numerous health and safety violations, with conditions unsuitable for young children. They removed the nonprofit that had been running the program and enlisted Lutheran Services Florida (LSF) to attempt a turnaround. Since...

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D.C. Public Schools Aren’t Afraid to Talk About Love

The district has prioritized a social and emotional education for all learners. In many schools and districts, it might be rare to hear the word “love” used freely and with intention by educators and administrators. But during a recent visit to Garfield Preparatory Academy in Washington, D.C., we heard from educators and District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) leadership who all shared a common message: Every learner deserves to feel loved. For the district, that simple but vital fact is a nonnegotiable piece of educating the whole child. But how...

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With Teri Lawler as a Champion, Delaware Commits to Trauma Awareness in Schools...

The Delaware Department of Education is taking on trauma state-wide through partnerships with organizations like Pure Edge, and Teri Lawler is at the helm. A decade ago, while Teri B. Lawler was working in one of Delaware’s most vulnerable zip codes, a student told her he had seen a body in the street on his walk to the bus stop. Reluctant at first to believe the story, Lawler called up a friend in law enforcement to confirm. This was the moment she recognized the significant role that trauma was playing...

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P.E. Teachers Join Pure Edge Team to Present Mindful Movement, Neuroscience of Stress...

The Society of Health and Physical Educators, better known as SHAPE America, aims to provide programs and resources to achieve health and physical literacy for all children. Pure Edge & SHAPE America have partnered for a three-year engagement at both national and regional conferences. Most recently, the Pure Edge team with the help of two health and wellness champions from our partner districts, presented two sessions at SHAPE America’s National Convention in Tampa, Florida. Teachers Lisa Hayden and Edwina Soto joined Gill McClean and Anne Contreras to lead participants in...

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NJ School Districts: Building Resilience Through Integrated SEL Strategies

How can a school district ensure a rigorous academic environment without allowing high expectations to negatively impact its students? The competitive and demanding nature of today’s schools is unlikely to change, but districts can and do choose to equip students with tools to help manage stress and to ultimately develop strategies to ward off the increased anxiety that can lead to depression. Dr. Maurice Elias, Professor of Psychology at Rutgers University, stated that: “In the schools, we have the ability to create trauma-free environments, and that’s what our kids deserve.”...

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Ministry of Public Education (MEP) Costa Rica

Location: Costa Rica Potential Impact: 70,000 teachers, 100,000 total staff, 1,000,000 students Website: https://www.mep.go.cr/ The Ministry of Public Education (MEP) is the largest employer in Central America. When the new government instituted fiscal reforms for all public sectors in the spring of 2018, it triggered the largest mass strikes of public employees in Costa Rican history. Teachers were on strike for 89 days, thus forcing the closure of all public schools and the loss of education and jeopardizing of the future of every young person in the country. After...

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Puerto Rico Department of Education (PRDE)

Location: Puerto Rico Potential Impact: 29,000 teachers, 75,000 total staff, 380,000 students Website: www.de.pr.gov Reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and still suffering from a lack of resources, Puerto Rico became a vital territory for Pure Edge to support. We partnered with the PRDE in July 2018. In 2017, legislation, Law 85, passed that every student attending a PRDE school would be required to have 5 minutes of reflection (Fomentar la autoevaluación e introspección en la comunidad escolar al iniciar los trabajos con cinco (5) minutos de reflexión...

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Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CMNI): Saipan

Location: Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands Potential Impact: 400 teachers, 800 total staff, 10,000 students Website: https://www.cnmipss.org/ In September 2018, we received a heart-rending email from a school counselor in Saipan, the largest island in the U.S. commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. She sought Pure Edge’s help for Saipan’s students, emphasizing that being an island in the middle of the ocean makes it nearly impossible to convince organizations on the mainland to offer professional development of educators. Not only was Saipan fighting to recover from a devastating typhoon, but...

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Why Schools Need Yoga and Mindfulness

Bringing wellness to classrooms will not only reduce stress and anxiety, but also boost performance and satisfaction for all—students, teachers, parents, and the community in general. Here's how.

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For Educators

For Students

Start with the Heart