In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis, Yoga Alliance Foundation (YAF) in partnership with Ivy Child International introduced an Emergency Relief Fund for yoga professionals suffering economic hardship early in the year. As a follow-on to this work, YAF and Ivy Child are again partnering on a second phase of assistance that invests in recovery: the Eka Recovery Fund — inspired by the Sanskrit word eka, which celebrates unity, equality, and balance.

The Eka Recovery Fund supports yoga professionals in returning to and/or sustaining their work and sponsors activities that facilitate economic recovery, with special attention to fostering an expansive, accessible, and equitable yoga community. This Fund work will begin by focusing on the intersection of economic recovery, yoga service, and community outreach.

Many marginalized communities are disproportionately affected by the pandemic and by the bio-psycho-social impact of stress. They also often face more barriers to yoga, which can serve as a valuable tool for all communities that continue to experience high levels of stress, uncertainty, and social isolation, particularly among those that are hit hardest by the COVID-19 crisis.

TEACHING FOR EQUITY

To promote ongoing access to yoga and provide economic recovery support to yoga professionals, the Yoga Alliance Foundation (YAF) in partnership with Ivy Child International is introducing a Teaching for Equity pilot program. This pilot will provide financial support for yoga teachers who are teaching for little or no pay in historically marginalized communities, offering them stipends to teach ten yoga class sessions for free. Teaching for Equity is available to teachers worldwide and expands yoga access in communities that have historically been excluded from the practice. This effort is funded and directed by YAF, with Ivy Child International running the application, selection, and program administration processes.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Once you begin filling out this application you will not be able to save and return to your partially completed content. Therefore we recommend you use this document to view the full list of questions in advance, prepare your documents and responses, and then enter them into the nomination form.

The nomination process will be open from 12 pm Eastern Time(ET) November 18, 2020 to 11.59 pm(ET) on December 18, 2020

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

This program will provide financial support for yoga teachers who are teaching for little or no pay in historically marginalized communities, offering them stipends for ten sessions of yoga classes.

Please refer to the application guidelines elaborated below.

PROGRAM DETAILS

The Teaching for Equity pilot provides 25 yoga teachers with stipends to teach ten yoga class sessions for free in historically marginalized communities.

We seek to serve communities who have historically had less access to the practice of yoga, including:

  • LGBTQQIA+
  • BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color)
  • Disabled / differently-abled
  • Other marginalized communities whose services have been stopped or significantly disrupted due to the pandemic (examples include communities facing the following barriers to yoga: high poverty, limited geographic or online access to yoga, correctional institutions, schools in under-resourced areas).

Stipends will range from $300-$900 USD to pay for teaching 10 class sessions. Payment rate varies by country, based on national cost of living index.

In light of COVID-19, teaching can be done live online or in-person, depending on what is safest practice in the individual teacher’s community.


TIMELINE

  • Nov 18–Dec 18, 2020: Application system open for nominations
  • Early 2021: Program participants are announced
  • Feb–May 2021: Selected teachers offer ten yoga class sessions (specific class dates and frequency can be set by the teachers)


ELIGIBILITY

This pilot program is open to both member and non-member yoga teachers worldwide who meet the following requirements:

  • A minimum of 2 years of yoga teaching experience within a historically marginalized community
  • Must be actively teaching or have recently taught (within the past 9 months) in a historically marginalized community
  • In financial need (annual income <$30,000 USD OR country-based equivalent income)

Selection priority will be for teachers who are personally more economically vulnerable, come from the communities where they teach, and have a history of teaching in said communities.

HOW TO APPLY

Yoga teachers can either be nominated or can self-nominate for a competitive selection process.

The application and selection process is administered by strategic partner Ivy Child International, a global nonprofit that partners with systems of education and care to enhance well-being through innovative and culturally responsive programs.

In case of any further queries, please email us on eka@ivychild.org.

Nominate a teacher

Thank You to our Partner

The Yoga Alliance Foundation leverages yoga for social impact and fosters an expansive, accessible, and equitable yoga community.

Support Ivy Child International

There are a number of ways you could support Ivy Child International in our endeavors to bring mindfulness education to underserved communities.

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Ivy Child TeamTeaching for Equity