I wanted to let you all know about an opportunity to make a positive impact on the future.
Imagine school children learning Basic Mindfulness techniques every day as part of their school’s standard curriculum. Imagine how their lives will be different because of the attentional skills they’ve acquired before graduating high school.
Well, actually there’s no need to imagine . . . It’s happening right now.
Many of you know Soryu Forall, Ted Holtz, Harrison Heyl, and some of the others at The Center for Mindful Learning. Many of you also know about the program they have for school classrooms, “Modern Mindfulness for Schools.” Every day in Vermont, school children are practicing mindfulness techniques with language for young kids. For example Concentration, Clarity, and Equanimity are simplified to the action verbs Focus, Explore, and Welcome.
Now they’ve created a kickstarter.com campaign to make the program available online, anywhere. They’re asking for help. Only a little more work is required to allow people anywhere in the English speaking world to sign up and pay online. (. . . and I hear the German translation may already be in the works.)
You can help by visiting their kickstarter page and choosing one of the rewards.
The objective numbers coming out of the program show how effective it is, as the chart below indicates:
The subjective reports from the educators involved in the program are stellar:
I have been using the new mindfulness program and I am LOVING it!! I have incorporated the skills and techniques across the day as we build our classroom community! When you come to visit the next time, I’m sure you’ll immediately notice in my classroom enormous signs painted by the children that say Focus, Explore, Welcome!!! It is all so exciting!
— Helen-Anne Cafferty, Teacher, Smilie Memorial Elementary, Bolton, Vermont
Here is the link again if you want to make a contribution and see more details:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1456951202/learn-to-teach-mindfulness-to-kids?ref=live
On Kickstarter, your account is only charged if we reach our fundraising goal. Otherwise, CML will not receive any of the pledges and your pledge will be returned to you. Thanks.
All the best,
Shinzen