Peace In Schools, Playful Pathways Yoga

What Peace In Schools, Playful Pathways Yoga does

Peace in Schools is a Portland, Oregon-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2014 that delivers teen-centered mindfulness and social-emotional learning. Its flagship program, Mindful Studies, is a for-credit course offered to students in public high schools, with a curriculum organized around five pedagogical pillars (Presence, Compassion, Community, Conditioning, and Self-Knowledge) and three practice areas: Directing the Attention, Processes of the Conditioned Mind, and Exploring Who We Really Are. The organization also serves educators, counselors, administrators, and other youth-serving adults through a 150-hour Teacher Certification program, Training Institute pathways, and contracted professional development workshops. It maintains no standalone mobile app or public API; distribution is handled through direct school partnerships, a partner-led Partnership Program, and self-paced online courses.

Name

Peace In Schools, Playful Pathways Yoga

Legal name

Peace In Schools

Website

https://peaceinschools.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Peace in Schools is a Portland-based nonprofit that delivers for-credit mindfulness education to teens and trains educators and adults. Its Mindful Studies curriculum uses a five-pillar model delivered through school partnerships, teacher certification, online courses, and professional development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mindfulness Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

School Counseling & Student Support Services Preparation Programs (EDAHAFAJ), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

Keywords

• Mindfulness education programs
• Social emotional learning
• Teen mental health
• Teacher certification training
• Youth mindfulness curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Peace in Schools is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies almost entirely on foundations and individual donors to fund its programs. Donations are received online, by phone, by mail, and via stock transfers.
2. Visionary Investors Circle: Major donor program where Visionary Investors pledge $25,000 or more over up to five years to expand access to Mindful Studies. Committed amounts exceed $4 million as of 2024.
3. Self-Paced Online Courses: Sale of online mindfulness courses directly to consumers: Mindfulness Foundations ($95), Mindfulness for Burnout ($95), Mindfulness for Trauma ($125), Pause for Peace curriculum ($75), and bundled packages.
4. Pause for Peace Curriculum Sales: Sale of the 3-week Pause for Peace curriculum (daily mindfulness journal, recorded meditations, trauma-informed educator tips) for $75 one-time purchase.
5. Professional Development Services: Contracted mindfulness workshops and courses for schools and organizations, including year-long programs, speaking engagements, one-day workshops, and customized training for adult professionals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Peace in Schools delivers teen-centered mindfulness education through the Mindful Studies for-credit high school course, the Mindful Studies Partnership Program that certifies educators to teach the curriculum, the Training Institute providing professional certification pathways, self-paced online courses for adults, and contracted professional development workshops. Revenue is generated primarily through donations and grants, with supplemental income from online course sales, teacher certification tuition, and professional development contracts.

Product overview

Peace in Schools operates as a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of mindfulness education programs for teens and adults. The core offerings include Mindful Studies, the nation's first for-credit mindfulness class for public high schools, and the Mindful Studies Partnerships teacher certification program. Additional programs include the Training Institute with certification pathways (Embodied Educator and Power of You Facilitator), self-paced online courses (Mindfulness Foundations, Mindfulness for Burnout, Mindfulness for Trauma), professional development workshops for schools, and the Pause for Peace curriculum. The organization also hosts free community events like Weekly Pause meditation sessions and runs the Visionary Investors Circle fundraising initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mindful Studies The nation's first for-credit, research-backed mindfulness class for public high schools, delivered as a semester or year-long course teaching teens stress management, self-compassion, emotional regulation, and authentic peer connection.
• Mindful Studies Partnership Program A three-year school partnership that certifies high school educators through a 150-hour training program (immersive retreats, virtual skill-building, and two-year mentorship) and provides mindfulness training for all school staff, enabling partner schools to implement the Mindful Studies curriculum independently.
• Training Institute Certification Pathways Professional certification pathways for youth-serving professionals, including the Embodied Educator Certification and the Power of You Facilitator Certification, delivered through immersive retreats, virtual skill-building sessions, and mentorship.
• Self-Paced Online Courses (Mindfulness Foundations, Mindfulness for Burnout, Mindfulness for Trauma) A suite of self-paced online mindfulness courses designed for educators, parents, and youth-serving professionals, covering foundational practice, burnout recovery, and trauma-informed work with youth, available individually or as a bundle.
• Pause for Peace Curriculum A three-week mindfulness curriculum for students, educators, and families, including a daily mindfulness journal, recorded meditations, video lessons, and trauma-informed educator tips.
• Professional Development Workshops and Services Contracted mindfulness workshops, year-long programs, speaking engagements, one-day workshops, and customized training delivered to schools and organizations for adult professionals.
• Embodying Presence Retreat A six-night immersive in-person retreat at Menucha Retreat and Conference Center teaching the same mindfulness practices used in Mindful Studies, designed for educators, parents, and mental health professionals.
• Peace with Youth Starts with Us (Video Series) A free six-part video series offering tools to connect with oneself and young people, distributed through Sounds True and the Sounds True Foundation with 10 bonus meditations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of students report being better able to be present / better able to calm themselves down when strong emotions show up
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• DayominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 February 2026Peace in Schools announced a partnership with Dayo to provide practical tools for digital wellbeing to teens and parents, as announced in the February 2026 news article 'Empowering Teens & Parents with Practical Tools for Digital Wellbeing.'
• Target (Target Circle Giving Program)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 April 2024Peace in Schools participates in Target's nonprofit giving program, Target Circle. Target Circle members can cast votes to support Peace in Schools' mindfulness programs for teens and adults. Voting runs through June 30th, with Portland-area Target stores supporting local community voting.
• Portland Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024A ten-year ongoing partnership with Portland Public Schools, where Peace in Schools has delivered Mindful Studies in 10 public high schools since 2014. Jill Bryant, Assistant Director of Social Emotional Learning for Portland Public Schools, is a noted partner and collaborator.
• El Cerrito High School and New Technology High School (California Bay Area)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024El Cerrito High School in Oakland, CA and New Technology High School in Napa, CA are part of the inaugural Mindful Studies Partnership Program cohort. El Cerrito received mindfulness demonstrations for approximately 180 students and 50+ staff. New Tech High School Principal Abhinav Dev described the partnership as filling a critical gap for student social-emotional needs.
• West Linn, Wilsonville, Fir Ridge, Gresham, and Northwest Academy High Schools (Oregon)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Five Oregon high schools in the Portland metro area are part of the inaugural Mindful Studies Partnership Program pilot cohort: West Linn High School, Wilsonville High School, Fir Ridge High School, Gresham High School, and Northwest Academy. Ten educators from these schools began the 150-hour Mindful Studies Teacher Certification in January 2024.
• Johns Hopkins University (Dr. Gia Naranjo-Rivera)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017From 2018-2020, Peace in Schools partnered with Johns Hopkins University to conduct its first independent research study led by Dr. Gia Naranjo-Rivera. The pioneering study focused on the impact of mindfulness for youth with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and demonstrated that Mindful Studies is an effective mental health intervention for teens. Dr. Naranjo-Rivera received the 2019 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Partnership Award for Excellence in US Public Health Practice.
• Sounds True and Sounds True FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Sounds True and the Sounds True Foundation to produce 'Peace with Youth Starts with Us,' a free six-part video series offering tools to connect with oneself and young people. The series is hosted by Peace in Schools leaders and distributed through Sounds True's platform.
• University of the Pacific-Benerd CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeace in Schools is partnered with University of the Pacific-Benerd College to offer CEUs (Continuing Education Units) and PDUs (Professional Development Units) for its certification pathways, validating professional development credits for educator trainees.
• Menucha Retreat and Conference CenterminorOthersThe two week-long immersive retreats for the Mindful Studies Teacher Certification program are held at Menucha Retreat and Conference Center in Corbett, Oregon.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pure Edge: Nonprofit that delivers SEL and mindfulness curriculum to schools and youth-serving organizations. Comparable model of embedding structured mindfulness practice into K-12 settings.
• Mindful Schools: Nonprofit that provides mindfulness training and curricula for K-12 educators and students. Closest comparable mission and audience, with a longer track record in online mindfulness courses for teachers.
• Calm Classroom: Organization offering mindfulness-based SEL programs for K-12 teachers and students, focused on classroom-based delivery. Comparable audience and distribution approach.
• Inner Explorer: Nonprofit providing daily audio-guided mindfulness programs for K-12 classrooms. Directly comparable in delivering turnkey mindfulness practice to schools at scale.

Broad incumbents

• Committee for Children: Established nonprofit publisher of Second Step, a leading SEL curriculum widely adopted in K-12 schools. Represents the broader CASEL-aligned SEL alternative to standalone mindfulness programs.
• Headspace for Education: Broader incumbent offering a consumer/enterprise mental health platform with a dedicated K-12 program. Competes in the same school mental health category with significantly greater scale and brand.
• Calm: Major mindfulness/mental health platform with an education vertical (Calm Schools). A broader incumbent competing for the same district-level mental health budgets.

Others

• Sounds True: Multimedia publisher of mindfulness and personal development content; existing distribution partner for Peace in Schools' free video series. Adjacent ecosystem participant with overlapping audience.
• CASEL: Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, the standards-defining organization for the SEL movement. Sets the framework against which Peace in Schools' mindfulness curriculum is evaluated by districts.

Emerging players

• Dayo: Emerging player in digital wellbeing tools for teens and parents; recently announced as a Peace in Schools partner. Partial overlap with the teen mental health and digital wellbeing space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@PeaceinSchools/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peace-in-schools
• Facebookfacebook.com/peaceinschools

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Peace In Schools, Playful Pathways Yoga