ENCINITAS The Encinitas-based Sonima Foundation is expanding its school yoga program with a grant for The Monarch School in San Diego, which serves children affected by homelessness.

The one-year, $62,000 grant will provide yoga for the schools more than 300 students in grades kindergarten through 12. The grant will cover yoga instruction, equipment, and other health and wellness teachings for students and staff members.

The Sonima Foundation, formerly the Jois Foundation, is scheduled to present the grant, with yoga demonstrations, this morning at the school, south of downtown San Diego near Petco Park.

Monarch became aware of the grant through volunteers and community partners, Monarch Schools CEO Erin Spiewak said. Once Sonima board members learned about Monarch and its mission, they decided they wanted to build a relationship with the students and positively affect the community by adding a yoga curriculum to their lives, the foundations Lauren Spiegman said.

Last spring, The Monarch School opened a new campus thats five times the size of its previous home.

The move allowed us to pursue this opportunity because we now have the physical space to offer the program, Spiewak said. The yoga program will greatly enhance the social and emotional programming we offer our students, and support our ultimate goal of enhancing our students academic performance in the classroom.

The public Monarch School is a partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education, which operates the educational program, and the nonprofit Monarch School Project, which provides support such as after-school care and counseling.

The Sonima Foundation already funds yoga instruction in several Encinitas public schools, a program that sparked a lawsuit and garnered national attention. In July, a judge ruled in favor of the Encinitas Union School District, rejecting arguments that the practice imposed religion in public schools. Soon after the verdict, the Encinitas district accepted an additional $1.4 million grant from Sonima to expand yoga in its schools.

michelle.breier@utsandiego.com (760) 529-4957 @UTSDbreier

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Encinitas foundation extends yoga program to Monarch School