CultureSeed programming at NORCOR started in 2016 alongside Bryan Brandenberg, the NORCOR Administrator at the time, in order to reach some of the most vulnerable in our society. Programming started as an eight-week trial of one weekly yoga class for women and one weekly class for youth. Overwhelmingly positive pre and post survey results allowed classes to continue being financed by NORCOR for three more years. Programming expanded to include classes for the Mental Health ward, Restricted Access wards and the male and female Substance Abuse Programs.

Since 2016 CultureSeed has served over 2000 people in custody at NORCOR . While programming started off providing only yoga classes at NORCOR it listened to participants and expanded to include peer circles and meditation classes. We are also working with Juvenile Detention to provide one on one mental health sessions, groups, speakers and outdoor adventures to the Youth Care Center program.

Kay Alton, CultureSeed’s Behavioral Health Director, is the founder of CultureSeed’s work at NORCOR, was a yoga teacher for three years in the facility and is now coordinating training and logistics. Kay started teaching yoga to inmates in 2011 at Shakopee Prison in Minnesota where she stayed for two years. Along with being a 500 hour Yoga Alliance Certified yoga teacher, Kay also has a Masters of Education and a Masters of Social Work. Yoga has been a beautiful way to weave her social work experience into her understanding of how trauma holds tight in the body. Kay has taught yoga to survivors of domestic and sexual violence at HAVEN in The Dalles, with immigrants fleeing violence and with young girls healing from sex trafficking.