YES! Gives Students Power They Can Own
YES! stands for Youth Empowerment Seminar. Check out their website by clicking the image. Empowerment often does not mean true empowerment, in that it usually is given out conditionally, based upon trying to get someone to abide by a particular way of doing things. However, the YES! program does not succumb to such a philosophy; they believe in the inherent intelligence of a child, and give children techniques to foster that for themselves in any way that they choose. The... Read More
Existing Mindfulness Programs
A growing number of schools are using “mindfulness trainings” to combat increasing levels of anxiety, stress, social conflict, and attention disorder among their students. While the students of the Mindful Revolution plan to work with West Philly High School to eventually study the effects of the Youth Empowerment Seminar (YES!), there are a handful of other mindfulness programs for schools that are worth our consideration and these are highlighted below. The Inner... Read More
Penn Professors, Affiliates, and Organizations
We have come up with a collection of resources at Penn, in the form of people and organizations, who we feel play a strong role in creating a profound shift in our education system, healthcare system, and lives in general. These people are doctors, scientists, researchers, and leaders in their fields. By being on the cutting edge of what they do, they are creating a new culture for us to live in–a world not dominated by stress, fear, and worry in which individuals can... Read More
Documentaries/Video
Garrison Institute’s CARE for Teachers Program http://www.garrisoninstitute.org Dr. Tish Jennings, Director of the Garrison Institute’s Initiative on Contemplation and Education and Assistant Research Professor at the Prevention Research Center at Penn State University, discusses the CARE for Teachers program with Maria LeRose, along with her thoughts on why contemplative teaching and learning are so important. The Transformation of West Philadelphia High... Read More
Mindfulness and the Separation of Church and State in Schools
The separation of church and state is one of the most cherished concepts in America. The freedom to practice whatever religion one wishes and not have the government interfere in one’s choice is something that most Americans consider a basic right. The 1st Amendment to the Constitution says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the... Read More
A Meditation on the Art of Living Course
This past weekend, Justin and I attended the 4-day Art of Living course in Center City, hoping to experience for ourselves first-hand the effects of this transformative program, and also gain some insight as to how YES (its affiliated program for youth) is structured. I remember being slightly hesitant about registering for the course just a week ago – not only was the $250 price tag steep, but the 4+ long hours of meditation each day would take away precious time for schoolwork,... Read More
