YOGA 4 CLASSROOMS - Key Persons
Lisa Flynn, E-RYT 500, RCYT, founded Yoga 4 Classrooms in 2007 with a mission to empower youth with the skills they need to healthy, happy, resilient at school, at home and throughout their lives. Y4C provides professional development training and resources to school professionals, schools and related organizations that support the social, emotional, cognitive and physical well-being of children, youth and the adults who serve them. The program is used in over 60,000 classrooms worldwide.
With a degree in Communication, an entrepreneurial spirit and a deeply personal passion for supporting youth resilience and mental health and prevention, Lisa retired from a 10-year career in marketing and business management before founding ChildLight Yoga (now ChildLight Education Company) in 2005, and then launching its sub-brand, Yoga 4 Classrooms, a few years later. After growing both brands for 15 years, she passed the reins of ChildLight to new ownership in 2019 in order to focus on forwarding the mission of Y4C full-time.
Lisa is author of several titles including Yoga 4 Classrooms Activity Card Deck (2011); Yoga for Children: 200+ Yoga Poses, Breathing Exercises and Meditations for Healthier, Happier, More Resilient Children; and Yoga for Children-Yoga Cards: 50+ Yoga and Mindfulness Activities for Kids (2018). She also is a contributing author of Best Practices for Yoga in Schools (2015) and Stories of School Yoga: Narratives from the Field (2019). As well, she sponsors the Research Repository: Yoga, Meditation and Mindfulness for Children, Adolescents and in Schools, a continuously updated resource she developed for schools, program providers, researchers and others interested in the growing body of evidence supporting mindful practices in schools. Lisa also contributed to Effects of a classroom-based yoga intervention…, the first peer-reviewed and published research study to use both subjective and objective data to examine the acute and longitudinal effects of a school-based yoga program.
Lisa Stevens joined the Yoga 4 Classroom team in 2018. As Accounting Manager, she handles all day-to-day financial operations. She has worked in accounting with a variety of non-profit and for-profit companies and is proud to be part of a mission-driven organization making such an impactful difference in the lives of children and teachers. Lisa graduated from the University of South Carolina with a B.A. in International Studies and a Minor in Spanish. She lives in New Hampshire with her family where she enjoys outdoor activities and practicing yoga with her 10 year old daughter, Lucy.
Sarah Kirk is a visionary leader and passionate advocate for bringing the power of yoga and mindfulness into educational settings. In 2023, she assumed the role of owner and CEO of Yoga 4 Classrooms, an organization dedicated to fostering well-being, emotional regulation, and focus among students, teachers, and school staff. With extensive experience successfully implementing yoga and mindfulness in the classroom as a school counselor, Sarah has seen firsthand the positive impact of yoga and mindfulness in schools.
Sarah Kirk is a visionary leader and passionate advocate for bringing the power of yoga and mindfulness into educational settings. In 2023, she assumed the role of owner and CEO of Yoga 4 Classrooms, an organization dedicated to fostering well-being, emotional regulation, and focus among students, teachers, and school staff. With extensive experience successfully implementing yoga and mindfulness in the classroom, Sarah has seen firsthand the positive impact of yoga and mindfulness in schools.
Sarah has spent her career advocating for the holistic well-being of students. She is dedicated to helping students, educators, and caregivers live more peacefully through mindfulness, positive behavioral supports, and emotion management. She recognizes the critical role social and emotional learning plays in a child's development and is a relentless advocate for addressing mental health and social and emotional development in schools. She firmly believes that every child deserves access to tools and resources that foster their holistic development. Through her work and advocacy, she is committed to creating a world where every child can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
Recognized for her exceptional contributions to the school counseling field, Sarah was honored as Oklahoma's School Counselor of the Year in 2018 and was a finalist for the National School Counselor of the Year award in 2019. In 2019, her School Counseling Program became a Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP), becoming only the second school in the state of Oklahoma to receive the prestigious award. From 2020-2023, Sarah worked for the Oklahoma State Department of Education as a school counseling leader, working to implement comprehensive school counseling and schoolwide social and emotional, academic, and college and career development across the state. Her influence extended beyond her state and schools, as she served on the Board of Directors for the esteemed American School Counselor Association from 2019 to 2022. Her work at both the local and national levels has driven progress in the field of school counseling and school support systems.
Sarah's journey began with a solid academic foundation. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Science from Oklahoma State University, laying the groundwork for her compassionate and empathetic approach to school counseling. She furthered her education by obtaining a Master of Science degree in Counseling from Oklahoma State University, equipping her with the skills to make a genuine difference in the lives of those she serves. Always striving to enhance her expertise, Sarah is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from Capella University.
In her free time, Sarah finds joy in nurturing her relationships with friends and family. Whether it's sharing laughter over a meal, embarking on new adventures, or simply spending quality time together, she cherishes the connections she has built. She adores her role as an aunt to her niece and three nephews. Sarah shares her life and adventures with her partner, Ben, and their beloved dog, Crew, in San Diego, California. Together, they embrace the beautiful landscapes and diverse culture that California has to offer. Whether exploring the great outdoors, enjoying quality time with those she loves, or embarking on new experiences, you can always count on Sarah to be up to something new!
Stepfani Croteau joined the Yoga 4 Classrooms team in 2022. As the Founder & Senior Marketing Specialist of SKC Creative, she brings with her over a decade of marketing experience across non-profit organizations, small businesses, and multi-million dollar corporations across the United States.
Stepfani is passionate about forming lasting relationships with those that she works with. Having spent many years in business development, she creates new friendships everywhere she goes. Her enthusiasm and dedication to her work are infectious, and she has the ability to make those around her just as excited about her designs as she is.
Not only is Stepfani fluent in the world of marketing, but her education in business makes her well-versed in the general business process as well. She is certified in Lean Six Sigma, which provides her with an understanding of how to implement, perform, interpret, and apply various methodologies to improve a company's overall performance.