Inside the Fitler Square Program Teaching Toddlers to Meditate
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What if an after-school class could teach young children to run, jump, stretch, and sit in stillness—all while learning how to focus their breath and calm their minds?
That’s the idea behind Yous, a Philadelphia-based youth wellness company that blends fitness, yoga, and mindfulness into a unified practice that founder Pete vonGlatz Nicholson calls “fitfulness.”
When Nicholson piloted the concept in a preschool class at Beacon Center near Fitler Square, the response was immediate: within a week, families reported their kids were spontaneously doing burpees, tree pose, or sitting quietly in meditation at home.
What began as a one-time class has since evolved into a movement now operating in nine schools across Philadelphia.
An Idea Born in Stillness
Nicholson came to the idea behind Yous while deep in meditation in February 2022. At the time, he had spent a decade in tech and sales and had recently left a robotics startup. A longtime practitioner of CrossFit, yoga, and Vipassana meditation, he began to imagine a new kind of class that integrated all three disciplines into a cohesive whole.
Two weeks after conceiving of the idea, he put in his notice at the robotics startup. “It was a pretty quick turnaround,” he said of his sudden departure.”
The concept took off. After a year of working primarily with adults, schools began reaching out. One preschool class led to a month-long engagement, then a year-long program. Today, Yous serves children as young as one with a curriculum Nicholson calls “fitfulness” — a blend of fitness, yoga, and mindfulness. In some cases, children as young as two have learned to meditate and observe their breath for extended periods. One four-year-old even held stillness for 20 minutes during a contest, and several others for 15.
From One Class to Nine Schools
Nicholson, who grew up in Moorestown, NJ, moved back to Philadelphia in 2017 after years abroad in Thailand, New Zealand, and Australia. He chose the city for its dense networks and supportive communities.
That choice has proven fruitful. Yous recently secured a Catalyst Grant from the City of Philadelphia to support its expansion, and Nicholson reports the company has surpassed $100,000 in annual recurring revenue.
All of this has happened with a lean team of just four coaches and minimal overhead. Most classes take place in partner schools, allowing Yous to focus on curriculum and quality rather than costly infrastructure.
One of the company’s most significant moves is happening right in Fitler Square.
This January, Yous will launch its first independent after-school program, hosted weekly at Trinity Church. The program picks up children from nearby Greenfield and Marian Anderson Neighborhood Academy, and runs from 3 to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays. According to Nicholson, the idea came directly from local families. Parents kept asking him if he could continue working with their kids once they left preschool. “So we made it happen,” he said.
How the Program Works
Each session begins and ends in stillness. In between, children cycle through high-energy games, bodyweight workouts, yoga poses, and meditation. Exercises emphasize self-awareness as much as coordination. The students discover “how to work hard and how to push the edge of what’s possible for themselves,” Nicholson explained.
The approach is catching on. Spots in the Fitler program are nearly full, and Nicholson says the same curriculum is now reaching children as old as 14.
He credits the program’s appeal to a deliberate pedagogy that gives children agency. “If they don’t really love it, then they’re not going to find reasons to do it outside of the class,” he said.
Nicholson shared stories of kids asking to do burpees while waiting in line at the grocery store, or guiding their families into meditation when emotions ran high. One young student even taught her father how to sit in stillness, and now their family practices mindfulness together daily. “It’s become part of their routine,” he said.
Looking Ahead
With a new after-school program underway, a summer camp planned for 2026, and potential partnerships with trauma-informed organizations on the horizon, Nicholson is focused on deepening Yous’ impact in Philadelphia before expanding further. “We want to build something lasting,” he said. “The kids we work with now could be the teachers later.”
For Nicholson, the goal isn’t just to grow a business. It’s to help children build habits that last, reshaping how they move through the world, one breath at a time.