1. De-stressing: Bringing Mindfulness to the School Setting

2. Introductions

3. Introductions Name Location Job Personal stress Professional stress
What is your go-to coping strategy?
3 minutes to talk with someone at table, introduce self, identify a personal stress, a professional stress, and how do you cope, 5-10 minutes to go around the room and share partners info and maintain a chart of personal stress, a chart of professional stress, and a chart of coping strategies

4. 2016 SYF Enhancement Grant: Mindfulness Workshop for Students

5. Simon Youth Academy at Rose Tree Media
The Simon Youth Academy at Rose Tree Media serves students in grades 8-12 who are at-risk of dropping out of high school.
Chronic absenteeism
Credit deficiency
Physical health needs
Mental health needs
Substance abuse history
Non-traditional scheduling
Population size < 40 students
Regular education, IEP, 504, GIEP
Online learning, small group learning, small advisor ratio
Began program in , two full-time teachers, one part-time teacher, an interventionist, easy access to SAP Coordinator and psychologist; Teachers charged with 1. advising students to set daily/weekly goals and implement an academic plan with reasonable pacing, 2. coaching students through online GradPoint programming for four core subjects plus electives, 3. supporting students who participate in traditional high school classes, and 4. teach small groups of students to supplement the online program

6. Why Mindfulness Workshops?
Student surveys and conversations with students and their families indicated that students experience a high level of stress inside and outside of school. Staff feedback echoed student and family feedback.
Staff indicated they experience their own stress both personally and professionally.
“Emotional and mental health was an area that students indicated in which they could use more support and indicates an opportunity for SYF to provide more resources to our partner school districts.”4
Surveys from were goal-related surveys and students shared goals to overcome anxiety, indicated that stress/anxiety were road blocks, Staff shared at the start of my transition that was burnt out from working with a needy population and was looking for a job change, Third point from Spring 2016 Youth Truth Survey

7. What Do Workshops Look Like?
Mental Health: Mindfulness Workshops for Students
The purpose of the mindfulness workshops for students is to “develop positive coping strategies to successfully navigate through their busy lives.”5
Professionally trained practitioner from Minding Your Mind would facilitate the mindfulness workshops.
Successful implementation of the workshops may result in an increased attendance rate, reportedly happier and more productive students, and stronger, more positive interpersonal relationships.
The effectiveness of the mindfulness workshops would be measured through the use of student rating scales, attendance ratings, and Student Assistance Program (SAP) referral rates.
Internet search to find local foundations/organizations who worked with youth and delivered mindfulness training. Looking for a long-term approach not a one-and-done workshop.

8. How Are Workshops Individualized?
Satisfaction rating scales
Key learning points
Background information
Students dislike taking the surveys but feedback is helpful to Ali and to our team in planning.
Other

9. Moving Forward To-Do List
Continue mindfulness workshops, completed 2 out of 10
Continue to survey students
Look closely at attendance ratings
Look closely at Student Assistance Program referral rates
Develop plan for continuation of mindfulness workshops

10. Identify Stressors Facing Students and Staff
Chart papers: Stressors facing students, Stressors facing staff for 3 minutes write down as many stressors that students and staff face

11. Stressors Facing Students
Uncertainty of life post-high school
Social pressures1
Social media
Relationships – parents, friends, school
Poverty
Trauma
School work issues like homework and GPA1
Assessments
Expectations
Appearance1
Extracurriculars1
Compare list to chart paper and elaborate

12. Stressors Facing Staff
Managing a classroom2
Working with parents, some of whom may have had negative experiences with schools and teachers2
Lack of resources3
Diverse student needs due to cultural experiences and performance gaps3
Poor behavior from students3
Negative colleagues3
Unrealistic accountability measures from federal and local administrations3
Students who have a greater level of need and bringing home their needs… wanting to ”fix” the problems
Compare list to chart paper and elaborate

13. Mindfulness: What is it? What are the benefits?
What is mindfulness?

14. Mindfulness: What is it?
Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to what is happening around us, moment to moment.6
“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally. It’s about knowing what is on your mind.”7 – Jon Kabat Zinn, founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

15. Mindfulness: Definition

16. Mindfulness: Benefits
From Dr. Daphne Davis and Dr. Jeffrey Hayes and published by American Psychological Association8:
Reduced rumination
Stress reduction
Boosts to working memory
Focus
Less emotional reactivity
More cognitive flexibility
Relationship satisfaction

17. Mindfulness: Practice

18. Mindfulness: Implementation Plan

19. Mindfulness: Implementation Plan
Visit Rose Tree Media Simon Youth Academy webpage
Click on the link: Simon Youth Foundation Conference to visit links about mindfulness and coping with stress
Using the planning template
List questions you would like to ask in a survey to staff and students
Identify stressors in your life
Background information: What is mindfulness? How do you cope with stress?
Explore mindfulness foundations, videos, websites
Note what you have found most useful
Develop a timeline of implementing mindfulness at your academy
Develop a reflection tool to measure your implementation plan’s success
See planning template

20. Thoughts? Questions?

21. Works Cited

22. Works Cited 1Stressors facing students:
2Stressors facing staff:
3Stressors facing staff:
42016 SYF Enhancement Grant:
Center for Effective Philanthropy. “Executive Summary.” Spring 2016
52016 SYF Enhancement Grant:

23. Works Cited “Mindfulness Programs.” www.mindingyourmind.org
6Mindfulness: What is it?
“Mindfulness Programs.”
7Mindfulness: What is it?
8Mindfulness: Benefits

24. Don’t forget to wear SYF orange!
What’s Next?
Breakout Sessions II: 2:30 to 3:45 p.m.
Breakout Sessions III: 4 to 5:15 p.m.
Meet in Omni Severin Lobby at 5:45 to collect tickets and meal vouchers for Pacers game.
Don’t forget to wear SYF orange!