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

2. 2016 SYF Enhancement Grant: Mindfulness Workshop for Students

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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.

6. How Are Workshops Individualized?
Satisfaction rating scales
Key learning points
Background information
Other

7. 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

8. Identify Stressors Facing Students and Staff

9. 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

10. 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

11. Mindfulness: What is it? What are the benefits?

12. 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

13. Mindfulness: Definition

14. 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

15. Mindfulness: Practice

16. Mindfulness: Implementation Plan

17. 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

18. Thoughts? Questions?

19. Works Cited

20. 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:

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