Bent on Learning
Bent on Learning is a NYC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 that delivers yoga and mindfulness instruction to K-12 students in NYC public schools via 100+ school partnerships and a 170-educator roster, while also offering a Yoga Alliance-registered teacher training program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersManhattan, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Bent on Learning does
Bent on Learning is a New York City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 that delivers yoga and mindfulness instruction to K-12 students in NYC public schools. Its flagship program, Yoga for Schools, places vetted yoga educators directly into partner schools to teach in-person classes; the organization reports 100+ school partnerships, 170 yoga educators, and 25,000+ students served cumulatively in recent years. Co-founded by Anne Desmond (Executive Director) and Jennifer Ford, it has operated for 25+ years as one of the longer-running school-based yoga programs in the U.S.
The organization operates three core programs: (1) Yoga for Schools, the in-school direct-delivery program; (2) a 95-hour Children's Yoga Teacher Training that is Registered Children's Yoga School (RYS) accredited with Yoga Alliance, enabling graduates to pursue the Registered Children's Yoga Teacher (RCYT) credential, now offered online; and (3) a Workforce Development Program for NYC high school students that extends into career preparation. It also offers professional development for teachers and a digital yoga series for kids. The teacher training is delivered in partnership with Course4Teachers and the University of the Pacific Benerd College for continuing education credit, and uses Hello Insight as an outcomes-measurement platform.
Revenue is generated through three streams: per-program contracts with NYC public schools for in-school delivery, tuition from the teacher training certification ($1,350–$1,950 per participant), and philanthropic donations (individual tier from $25 up to $20,000+). The organization solicits donations via email and an information packet for institutional funders, and publishes impact metrics (students served, schools partnered, educators on roster) as evidence for grant applications. No AI, ML, or proprietary software product is part of the offering; the core asset is the human educator roster and the curriculum.
Bent on Learning firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bent on Learning
- Legal name
- Bent on Learning
- Website
- https://bentonlearning.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Bent on Learning is a NYC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 that delivers yoga and mindfulness instruction to K-12 students in NYC public schools via 100+ school partnerships and a 170-educator roster, while also offering a Yoga Alliance-registered teacher training program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bent on Learning industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Education Services
- NAICS
- Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Therapeutic/Adaptive Yoga & Clinical Pilates (HSADACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) & Pilates Instructor Training (HSADACAL), Guided Meditation Instruction (1:1 & Group) (HSADAJAA)
Keywords
Where Bent on Learning is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manhattan
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bent on Learning business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Teacher Training Certification: 95-hour Children's Yoga Teacher Training (RCYT) offered at three pricing tiers ($1,350 supported, $1,650 standard, $1,950 pay-it-forward). Includes live Zoom sessions, self-paced coursework, weekend intensives, and teaching demonstrations. Completion qualifies graduates for RCYT credential through Yoga Alliance.
- School Yoga Programs: Direct yoga and mindfulness instruction provided to NYC public schools during the school day. Programs are tailored to meet specific needs of students and staff, with community classes offered for staff and parents after school or on Saturdays.
- Donations and Scholarship Fund: Individual donations from $25 to $20,000 supporting children's yoga classes and teacher training scholarships. Donors can designate gifts toward the Children's Yoga Teacher Training Scholarship Fund.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Supported rate for those needing financial assistance |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Standard rate for the 95-hour RCYT certification |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Premium rate that helps increase access for others |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Monthly donation to sponsor a child for yoga classes |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Bent on Learning product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bent on Learning provides yoga and mindfulness instruction directly to students in New York City public schools (Pre-K through 12th grade) and trains adults to deliver youth yoga through a 95-hour RCYT certification program. Programs are delivered on-site during the school day and virtually for teacher training, with supplementary after-school community classes for staff and parents.
Product overview
Bent on Learning offers a portfolio of educational programs focused on youth yoga and mindfulness. The core offerings consist of the Yoga for Schools program (in-school yoga instruction for Pre-K through 12th grade across NYC), the 95-Hour Children's Yoga Teacher Training (RCYT Certification) program (online teacher certification), and the Workforce Development Program (career development for high school students). The organization also operates a scholarship fund to increase accessibility. All programs work together toward the mission of nurturing young people's well-being through yoga and mindfulness practices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Yoga for Schools In-school yoga and mindfulness program pairing trained yoga teachers with New York City public schools to deliver instruction to students from Pre-K through 12th grade during the school day, with tailored programming per school and optional after-school community classes for staff and parents.
- 95-Hour Children's Yoga Teacher Training (RCYT Certification) 100% virtual certification program that prepares yoga teachers, educators, school staff, mental health professionals, parents, and teens to teach yoga and mindfulness in school and youth settings. Includes self-paced online coursework, live weekly integration sessions via Zoom, and live weekend intensives. Completion qualifies graduates for Yoga Alliance's Registered Children's Yoga Teacher (RCYT) credential.
- Workforce Development Program Career development program partnering with local community organizations to train high school students to become yoga instructors, supporting leadership, resilience, and career pathways into meaningful work in underserved NYC communities.
- Professional Development for Teachers Healing yoga and mindfulness sessions for educators that also teach them how to integrate yoga and mindfulness practices into their own classrooms, offered as a professional development offering to school staff.
Quantifiable outcome
- 83% of high school students made statistically significant gains in positive youth development
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Bent on Learning
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Bent on Learning technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Bent on Learning partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Hello InsightminorBent on Learning uses the Hello Insight youth development evaluation platform to measure social and emotional learning (SEL) outcomes for young people in their programs. Hello Insight tools have been scientifically validated with more than 1,500 programs and perspectives from more than 100,000 young people in 44 states.
- Course4Teachers (University of the Pacific - Benerd College)minorEducational partnership allowing school teachers and staff to earn graduate-level professional development credit through Bent on Learning's teacher training program. Course4Teachers is an affiliate of University of the Pacific Benerd College.
- Yoga AlliancecoreBent on Learning is a Registered Children's Yoga School with Yoga Alliance. Completion of the 95-hour program qualifies graduates for Yoga Alliance's Registered Children's Yoga Teacher (RCYT) credential. For registered yoga teachers, the training qualifies for Yoga Alliance continuing education hours (YACEP).
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bent on Learning competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Move This World: SEL curriculum provider serving school districts nationwide; overlaps with Bent on Learning's mission of building self-regulation and social-emotional skills in students.
- Committee for Children: Established nonprofit producing widely adopted SEL curricula (e.g., Second Step); represents the broader institutional SEL competition Bent on Learning faces in districts.
- Calm Schools: Mindfulness and meditation platform extending into school settings, competing for SEL minutes and teacher professional development dollars.
- GoNoodle: Large, established movement and mindfulness platform for schools with a much broader content library; competes for the same SEL/wellness instructional minutes.
- Headspace for Educators: Major meditation and mindfulness brand with discounted educator access, an indirect competitor for school-based wellness and teacher PD budgets.
Direct peers
- Pure Edge: Nonprofit offering yoga- and mindfulness-based SEL curricula and teacher trainings to schools, targeting the same K–12 SEL outcomes as Bent on Learning.
- Cosmic Kids Yoga: Digital children's yoga platform with online teacher training, comparable to Bent on Learning's online RCYT program and youth yoga content focus.
- Yoga Ed: Provides K–12 yoga curricula and teacher trainings directly to schools, closely mirroring Bent on Learning's school-based yoga instruction and certification model.
- Yo Re Mi: Delivers yoga, music, and mindfulness programs to elementary schools nationwide through trained instructors, a direct analog to Bent on Learning's in-school yoga service.
Others
- Yoga Alliance: Industry certification body that grants the RCYT credential; functions as a standards and ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bent on Learning social profiles
Digital presenceBent on Learning compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Bent on Learning financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bent on Learning leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Bent on Learning funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bent on Learning M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bent on Learning
What does Bent on Learning do?
Bent on Learning provides yoga and mindfulness instruction directly to students in New York City public schools (Pre-K through 12th grade) and trains adults to deliver youth yoga through a 95-hour RCYT certification program. Programs are delivered on-site during the school day and virtually for teacher training, with supplementary after-school community classes for staff and parents.
Is Bent on Learning a public or private company?
Bent on Learning is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Bent on Learning founded?
Bent on Learning was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Bent on Learning based?
Bent on Learning is headquartered in Manhattan, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bent on Learning make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Teacher Training Certification is the primary driver. The others are school Yoga Programs and donations and Scholarship Fund.
Who are Bent on Learning's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Move This World, Committee for Children, Calm Schools, GoNoodle and Headspace for Educators. Direct peers are Pure Edge, Cosmic Kids Yoga, Yoga Ed and Yo Re Mi. Yoga Alliance is listed as an others.
Does Bent on Learning have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bent on Learning.
What industry is Bent on Learning in?
Bent on Learning's product category is Youth Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSADACAE, Therapeutic/Adaptive Yoga & Clinical Pilates, with a secondary code of HSADACAL, Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) & Pilates Instructor Training. Its NAICS code is 61162 and its SIC code is 8200.