How to Apply for Grants for School Yoga Programs

Are you interested in applying for grants for yoga programs, but stuck on how to do it?

Please meet Leslie Wolfe, a PE teacher from Missouri and a Kids Yoga Stories School Yoga Program graduate, who shares her experience of applying for a grant for her yoga program.

Leslie has been teaching for ten years and has a beautiful vision of bringing yoga and mindfulness practices into schools across her entire state.

As a teacher, she sees firsthand the need for emotional regulation education and stress management for her students—especially since 2020, when the pandemic changed our world and our children forever.

More so than ever, the children need this so badly.
They need these techniques to help them manage and deal with stress.
Leslie Wolfe

To help her bring this vision to life, Leslie joined our School Yoga Program. Coincidentally, at the start of the program, she received an email from her school’s administrator about an opportunity to apply for a school grant through the American Heart Association (AHA).

This grant opportunity was just what Leslie needed to light the fire in her belly to go through the School Yoga Program course and apply for the grant before the deadline.

We sat down with Leslie to talk through the steps she took to apply for this AHA grant. Leslie shares her story, her “why” for wanting to create a school yoga program, the process she took, and some of the questions asked, as well as some tips for YOU when applying for your own grant.

We hear from our Kids Yoga Stories community that many people face challenges when it comes to finding finances for yoga programs and/or purchasing equipment and resources. Leslie shares the same challenges, like all of us.

On one of the School Yoga Program Zoom calls, as Leslie was explaining what she had done that week toward her grant application, the rest of the participants expressed their admiration for her passion and grit to get the work done. They said how grateful they were that she shared her story because it gave them confidence to do it themselves.

In this interview, Leslie shares the process of applying for a school yoga grant, so that hopefully it’ll give you the confidence to find your funding as well!

TIPS FOR APPLYING FOR GRANTS FOR YOGA PROGRAMS

Here are just a few tips that Leslie shares with us when it comes to applying for grants and finding the finances to move forward with your vision:

Tip #1: Ask questions

If you’re unsure how to answer a particular grant question or how to format it, send the association an email and ASK. This not only helps build a relationship with the association and get your name out there, but also gives you an advantage because you can format it exactly HOW they want it.

Tip #2: Get out of your own head

Don’t let fears or worries hold you back from applying in the first place. The KYS School Yoga Program gave Leslie the push and the confidence, along with the structure, she needed to get out of her own head and just DO it!

Tip #3: Reconnect with your WHY

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure, come back to your “why”: Why do you want to bring yoga and mindfulness to your school community? Your “why” will help push you toward the grant application finish line and move you closer to your vision.

So if you’ve ever felt completely lost or frazzled when thinking about how to even start applying for a grant, then this is the video for you!

Check it out to hear MORE advice from Leslie Wolfe, our rock star School Yoga Program graduate!

The School Yoga Program helped give Leslie the push she needed to move forward. If you’re in need of a push and some help, you can check it out here.