Transforming Lives in Philadelphia

One Child and Community at a Time

Celebrating Peg Heldring:

A Legacy of Leadership and Impact

After more than a decade of dedicated service, Margaret "Peg" Heldring will retire as President of the Board of Directors of Mindfulness Through Movement (MTM) following the May 8, 2025 board meeting. Peg began her journey with MTM in 2014, teaching weekly sessions at St. Martin de Porres, and went on to serve as Executive Director and Board President starting in 2018.

Under her leadership, MTM expanded its reach, added qualified teachers, and grew the Board of Directors. Peg guided the organization through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading a transition to virtual programming and later returning to impactful in-person sessions.

Her tireless fundraising efforts, development of the "Take a Breath" (TAB) program, and creation of the Mindful Moment Mentor (MMM) Program at St. Martin de Porres have left a lasting legacy. Though stepping down, Peg will continue to lead the MMM Program and support MTM as an Emeritus Board member. We are deeply grateful for her transformative leadership.

Curriculum Spotlight

Mindful Moment Mentor Program

The Mindful Moment Mentor (MMM) Program was launched in the spring of 2024 at St. Martin de Porres with the goal of fostering leadership opportunities among 8th-grade students. By utilizing the TAB (Take a Breath) curriculum, all 8th grade students were trained by Peg Heldring to lead Mindful Moments during their Social Emotional Learning (SEL) classes. These mindfulness exercises were then taught to younger students, from Pre-K to 3rd grade, each morning. The success of this initiative was so overwhelming that St. Martin de Porres requested its extension to the 7th grade. Collaborating with Shenene Fountain, the 7th grade teacher, the students were also trained to deliver Mindful Moments, further expanding the program throughout the school community.

The success of the Mindful Moment Mentor Program has far exceeded MTM’s expectations. With the support of St. Martin de Porres faculty, the active involvement and dedication of the 7th and 8th grade leaders, the MMM Program not only promotes mindfulness but also empowers our students to become leaders within their school community.

Franklin Neblett, St Martin de Porres Dean of Students, was instrumental in the program's success. He says, "The (Mindful Moment Mentor) program has been really great. It was originally created for the 8th graders and inspired by them…they were looking for leadership roles. I looked at relationships I had with different community partners and reached out to Peg. The benefit we receive as a school…our 7th and 8th graders get to have the principles of mindfulness be further ingrained into them by the fact that they actually get to teach it to younger students."

From Our Classroom Teachers

"This program has been beneficial to my students…gives them an opportunity to be leaders of the school and I have noticed that they have increased their public speaking skills and their overall willingness to help other students younger than them."

- Brittany Austin - 8th grade teacher on the Mindful Moment Mentor Program

104 S. Wayne Ave., #28

Wayne, Pennsylvania 19087

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