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| Last updated on October 16, 2008 |
MBA teaches essential lifeskills to at-risk and incarcerated youth through classes based on a proprietary synthesis of meditation, yoga, group process modalities, and social and emotional learning models.
Description:
Founded in 2000 by a group of formerly incarcerated youth, MBA is an Oakland-based, 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to awaken the intrinsic value of young people. We improve the health and well-being of youth in custody and prepare them for successful re-entry into their communities. At present, we offer classes in six detention facilities, in five bay area counties, where we serve more than 150 youth per week. MBA is a leader in the application of mindfulness-based rehabilitation tools to adjudicated adolescents, and is positioning itself to become a national model for evidence-based rehabilitation of young offenders. Our principal goals are to prevent violent, (self-) destructive behavior and to rehabilitate incarcerated youth, the majority of whom have grown up in impoverished, toxic communities beset by substance abuse and violence, and facilitate their successful re-entry with the tools and dedication to lead safe, healthy, sober, prosocial and successful lives. We accomplish these goals through mindfulness-based rehabilitation classes that teach youth tools to reduce stress, regulate emotional states, identify the legitimate needs underlying their negative behaviors, and take responsibility for their actions.
History:
MBA has been teaching mindfulness-based life skills to at-risk and incarcerated youth since 1998. We began teaching in the Santa Cruz Juvenile Hall, where one of our founders was incarcerated during his youth. The present organization was formed from a January 2006 merger between the former Youth Horizons, and MBA, and the December 2007 merger of Vision Youthz with MBA. These mergers were undertaken to create one viable organization that would more effectively harness the resources of the Bay Area to provide awareness-based programs to Bay Area youth.
What makes MBA distinct is our emphasis on attention, and the training of attention as the key to transformation and rehabilitation. Although awareness-based programs have been successfully employed in other settings (e.g. outpatient healthcare settings), they have not been systematically applied in working with adjudicated youth, many of whom have a history of attention problems stemming from a variety of causes. All new learning is fundamentally based on attending and self-monitoring: this is equally true whether it involves learning a new skill or learning how to modulate our response to an environmental trigger. Therefore our programs aim to teach what is fundamental to learning across a variety of domains. MBA is unique for an organization of its size with regard to the sophistication of our data collection and analysis. We run an administratively stream-lined, fiscally transparent organization with strong board leadership, a remarkable advisory board, and an ambitious agenda for sustainable growth. We are becoming a recognized innovator and leader in the field of working with disenfranchised youth and their families.
Contact person: Jennifer Navarro, Operations Manager, (phone), (email)
Main office number: (415) 824-2048
Office fax number: (415) 824-2048
Address:
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111 Fairmount Avenue, Suite 508
Oakland, CA 94611
(See a map) |
Web Site: http://www.mbaproject.org
Directions:
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580 to Harrison street exit.
Southwest on Harrison to Fairmount.
Right on Fairmount 492 feet to 111 Fairmount.
(First Christian Church building).
Administrative building; driveway to left of building; parking in lot adjacent to administrative building.
Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: Macarthur BART,
Walk distance (in minutes): 15 |
Miscellaneous Information
| Besides English, which languages are spoken at your agency? |
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No others
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| What is the minimum age for volunteers at your agency? |
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21
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| Is your agency wheelchair accessible? |
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No
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| Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 10? |
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Yes
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| Does your agency have the capacity to host groups of more than 20? |
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No
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