Ashley Baer is an educator and Wellness Coordinator for the Forsyth County School District in Cumming, Georgia, where she leads mindfulness and wellness initiatives that are reshaping school culture. She created The Mindful Breathing Program, featured in Contemporary School Psychology as a grassroots model for how for implementing mindfulness into education, and her district was recognized by the Model Schools Conference as one of only 12 innovative districts in the United States for its implementation.

Ashley has presented nationally at conferences, including the Model Schools Conference, the National Youth Advocacy & Resiliency Conference, the Southeast Climate and Culture Conference, the Culture of Empowerment Conferences, and the Teen Wellness Summit. Internationally, she has presented at the University of Bologna in Italy, and the University of Coimbra, in Portugal for the International School Psychologists’ Association sharing strategies for building healthier, more connected communities through mindfulness.

A strong advocate for mindful breathing and movement as foundations for learning and mental health. Ashley is committed to helping schools create cultures of wellness that support both educators and students. She believes every district, school, and classroom can benefit from embedding mindful practices into the school day to improve youth mental health and overall well-being.

 In addition to her work in education, Ashley is an adjunct professor teaching at the University of North Georgia, where she teaches mindful breathing and movement in the Elementary Education Department. She also serves as a mindfulness coach for NFL and professional athletes, leads international wellness retreats, and teaches meditation on the global meditation platform Insight Timer.

Prior to her current role, Ashley served as the facilitator of Mindfulness instruction for Forsyth County Schools, where she designed and led a mindfulness pilot program in partnership with the Georgia State University School of Public Health and the School of Psychology.

With more than 20 years in education, Ashley holds a master’s degree in Special Education and a Bachelor's in Sociology. She is certified in Yoga, Mindfulness, Meditation, and health and wellness coaching. Through every aspect of her work, she is dedicated to helping people manage stress and anxiety, build resilience, and create lives of greater health, balance, and purpose.