Teacher Training Scholarship
for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
Down Under School of Yoga is committed to making our school, teacher trainings, and the wider yoga community welcoming for everyone. Encouraging a diverse range of teaching voices is a pivotal step in creating safe spaces where all students can feel represented in the classroom.
To help facilitate this progress, Down Under is offering tuition-free scholarships for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in both our 200 Hour and 300 Hour Teacher Trainings.
During the training time period, whether it’s 6 months or a full year, we also provide our scholarship recipients with professional support that includes:
A photoshoot capturing a headshot and asana shot, providing high-resolution, professionally-edited images to use as desired (i.e. on their personal social media pages, website, etc.) as they pursue teaching opportunities.
A 30-min session with the Faculty Director crafting a biography and/or teacher’s statement that, in a clear and captivating way, speaks to the recipient's unique background, expertise, interests, and aspirations as a yoga teacher.
Creation of a Scholarship Spotlight on Down Under’s website (including a unique URL) that can also be used by the recipient as desired to pursue teaching opportunities. This Spotlight will be shared with Down Under community members that donate to the school to specifically make BIPOC scholarships possible. If comfortable, this Spotlight can be shared on Down Under’s social media pages as a way of celebrating the recipient with the broader Down Under family.
In the classroom, our scholarship recipients learn the art of teaching yoga. With the above mentioned tools and resources our scholarship recipients learn from a marketing and a business perspective how to set themselves up for success. This support doesn’t end with graduation, we consider our teacher training graduates to be foundational members of our community that help shape the evolution and direction of our school. We welcome all graduates to reach out whenever they have an idea or insight, and/or need support.
Requirements for Scholarship Applicants:
This scholarship is intended for students who:
self-identify as Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color.
have a consistent practice and commitment to yoga.
have a desire to teach yoga.
are able to attend all dates of the training.
is local to Boston (our scholarship is inteded to make a direct impact on our community so local folks will be prioritized).
ideally have taken classes at Down Under. Teacher Training is a commitment, we want to make sure our school & community are a good fit for you. If taking class is challenging financially, please reach out to educationdirector@downunderyoga.com & we can work collaboratively to explore ways we can provide some support.
To apply for the Spring 2024 200 Hour Teacher Training’s BIPOC Scholarship, please complete this application by 11/01/24 to be considered.
To apply for the 2024 300 Hour Teacher Training’s BIPOC Scholarship, please complete this application by 10/25/23 to be considered. Applicants to the 300 Hour training should have a Yoga Alliance-approved 200 Hour Teacher Training Certification.
Applications will be evaluated based on the criteria above, and the strongest applicants may be invited to an in-person interview. For the 300 Hour training, the interviews may include a teaching audition. Recipients of the scholarship will be notified one month prior to the start of the training.