Breathe For Change: Transforming Education Through Wellness and Social-Emotional Learning
Breathe For Change is a movement dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of educators, students, and entire communities. Founded in 2015, the organization equips educators and changemakers with social-emotional learning strategies, mindfulness tools, and yoga practices that support educator well-being and transform school communities. Through research-backed curriculum, Breathe For Change brings a unique blend of neuroscience, mindfulness, physiology and somatic healing, yoga, psychology, and social-emotional learning to the education sector.
The Core Philosophy: Transformation Through Wellness
Breathe For Change operates on the principle that a great education depends on great educators. Its curriculum is structured around a cycle of transformation, focusing on:
- Transformation of Self: This initial stage provides educators with mindfulness, yoga, and wellness tools to reduce teacher stress and burnout, increase emotional intelligence and performance, and enhance overall well-being.
- Transformation of Relationships: Building on personal well-being, this stage equips teachers with tools to improve communication skills, develop empathy and compassion, and cultivate a mindful awareness in relationships.
- Transformation of Community: This phase empowers and prepares educators to use wellness as a vehicle for positive change in their schools, organizations, and surrounding communities.
- Integration and Renewal: The final stage allows educators to reflect upon and integrate everything they’ve learned throughout their journey to prepare themselves to begin the next cycle of transformation.
This approach recognizes the critical connection between educator well-being and student learning, addressing the detrimental effects of educator stress and promoting the positive impacts of enhanced educator well-being on student outcomes.
The Importance of Social-Emotional Learning
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) has gained prominence in recent years due to its essential value for both student wellness and academic learning. As behavioral and academic challenges reach unprecedented heights, an effective approach to classroom management is needed that fosters connection and learning rather than shame and punishment. Breathe For Change addresses this need by providing educators with the tools to create learning environments that promote positive behaviors, elevate student performance, and enrich the well-being of entire communities. The state of the nervous system has a massive impact on learning. Pedagogy makes the difference between disengaged, struggling students and passionate, thriving learners.
Programs and Training
Breathe For Change offers a range of programs and training designed to equip educators with the skills and knowledge they need to create positive change in their classrooms and communities. These include:
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- Yoga Teacher Trainings: These trainings provide educators with the skills to integrate yoga and mindfulness into their teaching practices.
- Master's of Education Degree Program: This program is designed for educators inspired to take their teaching and leadership to the next level. In this program, educators enhance their pedagogy, deepen their expertise in mindfulness and yoga, and improve their ability to foster healing and social change in their classrooms and communities. The Master of Education in Social-Emotional Learning, Mindfulness, and Yoga is a globally recognized degree.
Impact and Reach
Since its founding, Breathe For Change has certified over 15,000 educators as social-emotional learning facilitators and yoga teachers, impacting 20 million students nationwide. Breathe For Change's alumni become champions of well-being in their classrooms, schools, and communities to create ripple effects of transformation throughout the education system.
Leadership and Team
Breathe For Change is led by a team of experienced educators and wellness professionals, including:
- Dr. Ilana Nankin: Founder and CEO of Breathe For Change, Dr. Nankin is a visionary leader in the field of education and wellness. Her dissertation research revealed the critical connection between educator well-being and student learning, highlighting the detrimental effects of educator stress and the positive impacts of enhanced educator well-being on student outcomes.
- Dr. Kelli Sammis: Dean of Academic Programs at Breathe For Change and Adjunct Professor for Antioch University, Dr. Sammis has spent three decades in PK-12 education.
The academic board includes individuals such as:
- Dr. Barbara Malkas: Superintendent of North Adams School District in Massachusetts and a 500-hour certified yoga instructor through Breathe For Change.
Other faculty members include:
- Dr. LaShawn C. Williams: A Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Relational Change Strategist.
- Beth Schreiber: An educator with more than 28 years of experience and a Masters Degree in Education specializing in Yoga, Mindfulness, and SEL from Breathe Fir Change.
- Dr. Tammy Thompson Kapp: With 30+ years in education, Dr. Kapp has experience at all levels, 4K through 12th grade.
- Yvonne M. Roberson: A Licensed Educator at the middle school level.
Key team members also include:
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- J. C.: Vice President Operations
- M. F.: Co-Founder & Co-CEO
- S. L.: Senior Vice President Of Product Development
- J. B.: VP of Growth
- E. C.: Founding Member & VP of Trainings
Partnerships and Collaborations
Breathe For Change has partnered with organizations such as Manduka to further its mission. Manduka supports the Breathe For Change mission of supporting Yoga education and programming by providing funds and mats for classrooms in the districts both Breathe for Change and Yoga Ed. activate globally.
Financial Overview
As of September 2025, Breathe For Change's annual revenue reached $3.8M. Breathe For Change has raised a total of $338K of funding over 3 rounds. Their latest funding round was raised on Jan 01, 2017 in the amount of $338K. Breathe For Change's revenue is in the range of $10M
A Rebrand for the Future
In recent years, Breathe For Change underwent a rebrand to better align its public perception with its broader mission. The rebrand included a refreshed logo with updated colors and a visual identity to evoke the energy, inclusivity, and transformational impact of their work. The rebrand journey culminated in a vibrant new identity that truly resonates with their community. As a result, the number of users has grown by 12.6%, with new users up by 12.5%. Call page views have increased by 30.7% and downloads are up by 42%.
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