Huppert, Felicia A. (University of Cambridge, UK and the Australian Catholic University)
Mindfulness as the foundation of flourishing
Schools are increasingly recognising that their role is not simply to teach an academic curriculum, but to nurture the whole child. This shift is supported in part by the accumulating evidence that children who are flourishing also do better academically.
There are many good social and emotional learning programmes in schools, which teach children a range of skills that can enhance their lives, such as resilience, self-regulation, conflict resolution and the like. Most have been influenced by positive psychology, or concerns about mental illness prevention. Increasingly, schools are adopting mindfulness programmes for children as a holistic way to develop skills for living life well. In this presentation I will argue that mindfulness training is not just another positive intervention; learning the techniques of mindful awareness, acceptance and kindness are fundamental to emotional and social well-being and to all forms of learning and performance.
This presentation will briefly review recent research on the benefits of secular mindfulness training for a variety of outcomes amongst children in schools. An evidence-based programme, the Mindfulness in Schools Project, will be used to illustrate how the adult Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course has been adapted for use with adolescents. This programme, developed in the UK, is now being trialled in Australian secondary schools. A version for primary schools will soon be available. The importance of training teachers in mindfulness, and the potential long-term benefits of such programmes will be discussed in the context of moving the whole population towards flourishing.
Mindfulness as the foundation of flourishing
Schools are increasingly recognising that their role is not simply to teach an academic curriculum, but to nurture the whole child. This shift is supported in part by the accumulating evidence that children who are flourishing also do better academically.
There are many good social and emotional learning programmes in schools, which teach children a range of skills that can enhance their lives, such as resilience, self-regulation, conflict resolution and the like. Most have been influenced by positive psychology, or concerns about mental illness prevention. Increasingly, schools are adopting mindfulness programmes for children as a holistic way to develop skills for living life well. In this presentation I will argue that mindfulness training is not just another positive intervention; learning the techniques of mindful awareness, acceptance and kindness are fundamental to emotional and social well-being and to all forms of learning and performance.
This presentation will briefly review recent research on the benefits of secular mindfulness training for a variety of outcomes amongst children in schools. An evidence-based programme, the Mindfulness in Schools Project, will be used to illustrate how the adult Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course has been adapted for use with adolescents. This programme, developed in the UK, is now being trialled in Australian secondary schools. A version for primary schools will soon be available. The importance of training teachers in mindfulness, and the potential long-term benefits of such programmes will be discussed in the context of moving the whole population towards flourishing.