Mindfulness empowers educators and improves student learning
Schools, colleges, and universities are discovering that mindfulness helps students and educators lower stress levels and open space for proactive learning. We teach simple, effective mindfulness skills to students of all ages — from kindergarten all the way through graduate school — with course offerings to fit specific educational needs and environments. We also offer professional development opportunities for educators, administrators, wellness providers, and parents interested in bringing the benefits of mindfulness to their programs.
We work with with educators, parents, and students to bring the benefits of mindfulness to schools and universities through classes, workshops, and professional development opportunities.
Why is Mindfulness Needed in Education?
Preventing Toxic Stress & Burnout
Schools and universities are inherently stressful places. Healthy stress is good for us: challenge helps us grow and develop. However in many educational communities, healthy stress is replaced by debilitating toxic stress that results when demands consistently outpace one’s ability to deal with them. Toxic stress along with adverse childhood experiences(ACES) are on the rise, affecting the health of students, educators, administrators, and parents alike. Research shows that mindfulness training can lower toxic stress, decrease anxiety, improve cognition, and increase overall well-being so that teachers, learners, and communities can thrive. (Source: Mindful Schools)
Program Examples
Mindful Education
We work closely with you and your school, college, or university to customize a program that meets your specific interests and needs. Highly trained and experienced, our instructors teach mindfulness to students of all ages, provide professional development for faculty, and lead informative and experiential workshops for parents. Our teaching is trauma-informed and current with best practices in mindfulness education. We’ve listed a few examples of the types of programs we offer below.
It all starts with a conversation, so please get in touch to let us know what you have in mind.
K-12
Practicing mindfulness can help students of all ages focus, regulate their emotions, manage their stress, and build compassion and resilience. But mindfulness is not “one-size-fits-all” and can never be reduced to a curriculum. We work with students, teachers, parents, administrators, and counselors to understand the unique climate and culture of their schools and to create mindfulness programs customized for their specific needs. Our instructors are trained through Mindful Schools, a recognized leader in the movement to integrate mindfulness into the everyday learning environment of the K-12 classroom, and .b (Dot b), a leading evidence-based mindfulness program for 11-18-year-olds. Get in touch to find out how mindfulness creates more peaceful communities in which students can learn and grow.
“I like learning mindfulness because I feel calm and kind.” — Toyo, age 8
Teens
Teenagers are feeling more stressed than ever before, juggling expectations from school, family, work, and friends with the constant distraction of social media that is designed to capture their attention 24/7. (Source: Pew Research Center) Mindfulness skills can help teens develop healthy habits of mind to decrease depression and anxiety, sleep better, and to build resilience by managing stress in positive, adaptive ways. Our instructors are trained through Mindful Schools and .b (Dot b), a leading evidence-based mindfulness program for 11-18-year-olds. “Dot b” is shorthand for “stop and be”, a simple practice at the heart of this curriculum. We work closely with teenagers and the adults who support them to understand the unique culture of their schools, clubs, or communities and to create mindfulness programs customized for their specific needs and settings.
“I wasn’t so sure about learning mindfulness at first, but it turns out it actually helps my [baseball] game. When I do a 7-11 [mindful breathing] before crunch-time, I feel less tense and I play better.” — Alejandro, age 15
College Students and Other Young Adults
More than 60% of college students said they had faced “overwhelming anxiety” in the past year. (Source: American College Health Association) Faced with significant changes and transitions, college students and other young adults are at increased risk of stressful events and a wide range of accompanying mental health challenges. Our instructors are trained through Koru Mindfulness, an evidence-based curriculum specifically designed for teaching mindfulness, meditation, and stress management to college students and other young adults. We offer the Koru program on-site, either as a series of 4 weekly classes or in a weekend retreat setting, depending upon your organization’s specific needs.
“Elizabeth’s calm energy and gentle spirit really created a safe space for us to be real. I felt genuinely cared for in this group, and learned practical skills to manage my stress and enjoy my life without so much negative self-judgment.” — Brooke, college freshman
Educators
Teaching is one of the most demanding and stressful professions. Educators experience high levels of stress and demoralization because of myriad, well-documented challenges — including the struggle to balance their deeply-held values about what their students need with the expectations placed upon them by overarching systems in which they work. Educator-centered mindfulness-based interventions can help teachers, administrators, and counselors them meet these challenges with greater stability and skill. (Source: PBS Education) We offer on- and off-site professional development workshops, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) courses for educators, and online community practice circles with other mindful educators.
“Learning mindfulness for myself has helped me teach more mindfully. Applying mindfulness ‘upstream’ in my own life has helped me be more present and calm with my students, and this has definitely had a positive affect on outcomes ‘downstream’ in my classroom.” — David, Spanish Teacher
Schedule a Consultation
Join the growing list of organizations that are benefitting from our training.
Arapahoe Library District
Aspen View Academy, Castle Rock
Colorado College, Colorado Springs
Department of Community Vitality, Boulder
King Soopers Corporate Office, Denver
The MAC, Westminster
Manlius Pebble Hill School, Syracuse, NY
Mayu Meditation Sanctuary
Quizlet Corporate Office, Denver
Southwestern Baptist University, Department of Physical Therapy
