REX, Ga. (AP) — Third-graders at Roberta T. Smith Elementary School had just a few days until summer vacation and an hour until lunch, but there was no struggle to focus when they walked into the classroom. They were ready for one of their favorite parts of the day.

The children closed their eyes and traced their thumbs from their foreheads to their hearts as a pre-recorded voice led them through an exercise called the shark fin, part of the classroom’s regular meditation routine.

“Listen to the carillon,” said teacher Kim Franklin. “Remember to breathe.”

Schools across the United States have introduced yoga, meditation and mindfulness practices to help students manage stress and emotions. Like the depth of students struggle with mental health became clear in the aftermath of the covid-19 pandemic, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year supported schools’ use of the methods.

Research has found that school-based mindfulness programs can help, especially in low-income communities where students face high levels of stress or trauma.

The mindfulness program reached Smith Elementary through a contract with the school system, Clayton County Public Schools, where two-thirds of the students are black.

GreenLight Fund Atlanta, a network that matches communities with local nonprofits, is helping school systems in Georgia pay for the mindfulness program provided by Inner Explorer, an audio platform.

Joli Cooper, GreenLight Fund Atlanta executive director, said it was important to the group to support an organization that is accessible and relevant to communities of color in the Greater Atlanta area.

Children across the country struggled with the effects of isolation and distance learning as they returned from the pandemic school closures. The CDC reported in 2023 that more than a third of students were affected feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness. The agency recommended schools to use mindfulness exercises to help students manage emotions.

“We know that our teens and young adults have really put a strain on their mental health,” said CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen to the Associated Press. “There are real skills that we can give our teenagers to make sure they can handle some big emotions.”

The mindfulness approach represents a form of social-emotional learning, which has become a political flashpoint with many conservatives saying schools are using it to promote progressive ideas about race, gender and sexuality.

But advocates say the programming brings much-needed attention to student well-being.

“When you look at the numbers, unfortunately, in Georgia, the number of kids of color with suicidal ideation and success is quite high,” Cooper said. “When you look at the number of psychologists available for these children, there are not enough psychologists of color.”

Black youth has the fastest growing suicide rate among racial groups, according to CDC statistics. Between 2007 and 2020, the suicide rate among black children and teenagers ages 10 to 17 increased by 144%.

“There’s a stigma with being able to say you’re not feeling well and need help, and having the ability to ask for help,” said Tolana Griggs, Smith Elementary’s assistant principal. “With our diverse school community and wanting to be more aware of our students, how different cultures feel and how different cultures react to things, it’s important to be inclusive in everything we do.”

Nationwide, children in schools that serve mostly students of color less access to psychologists and counsellors than those in schools serving mostly white students.

The Inner Explorer program guides students and teachers through five to 10 minute sessions of breathing, meditation and reflection several times a day. The program is also used at Atlanta Public Schools and over 100 other districts across the country.

Teachers and administrators say they’ve noticed a difference in their students since incorporating mindfulness into their routines. For Aniyah Woods, 9, the program has helped her “calm down” and “not stress anymore.”

“I love myself the way I am, but Inner Explorer just helps me feel more like myself,” Aniyah said.

Malachi Smith, 9, has been using his exercises at home, with his dad helping guide him through meditation.

“You can relax with the shark fin, and when I calm down, I realize I’m an excellent researcher,” Malachi said.

After Franklin’s class finished their meditation, they shared how they felt.

“Relaxed,” said one student.

Aniyah raised her hand.

“It made me feel calm,” she said.

___

Associated Press education coverage receives financial support from several private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APs standards to work with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas on AP.org.