UPCOMING PROGRAMS
| InnerKids Update and Summer Training Workshops |
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It has been a busy and exciting school year for InnerKids. As it winds down to a close, I wanted to take a minute and update you about what's happening with our programs, research, training and community outreach. Thanks to Jenny Manriquez for her tremendous support as program coordinator this year. School Based Programs: This school year we have taught programs ranging from six to sixteen sessions at four separate schools serving approximately 320 children grades pre-k through 12. With any luck we will expand our school based programs again next year. Thanks to Annaka Harris for teaching the Toluca Lake classes as well as Jenny Manriquez and Susan Ladd from the teachers' development group for assisting her. Research: We recently completed our second research study through the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA looking at the impact of mindful awareness practices on second and third grade students at UCLA's Seeds Elementary School. The first study was completed in the Spring of last year and looked at the impact of mindful awareness practices on pre-school children in two facilities within UCLA's early care and education program. Thanks to Stephanie Meyer, Yaffa Lerea and Adrienne Levin from the teachers' development group for assisting with these classes. Training: InnerKids and the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA are sponsoring two day long workshops this summer on the UCLA Campus. The teaching team will be Susan Kaiser Greenland, Sue Smalley and Diana Winston with Susan focusing on children's mindfulness practices, Diana on adult/teen practices and Sue on science. These workshops are designed for teachers, administrators, mental health
professionals, school counselors, and interested parents. |
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Sunday, July 13th - 8:30a-4:30p (UCLA Campus)
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On this day we will explore the science, theory, and
practice of mindfulness for teachers, and its use in the classroom.
At all levels, a child's education can be very stressful. Teachers suffer
regularly from stress, burnout, overwhelm, lack of support, lack of
time and resources, and general overwork. Meanwhile, children and teens
suffer from similar issues in today's fast-paced society. Mindfulness
in Education will explore ways in which mindfulness can address stress,
depression, anxiety, improve attention, and create a general sense of
well being. We will also discuss how mindfulness has been shown to impact
focus, learning, behavior, and wellness in school children.
For more information and to register click on this link to MARC. |
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Saturday, August 2nd - 8:30a-4:30p (UCLA Campus)
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Are you a teacher, administrator, mental health professional,
or parent wondering how to bring mindfulness to children? Come to this
daylong where you will learn mindfulness tools directly geared to children.
You will learn and practice age-appropriate methods, from pre-K to young
adult, explore issues and questions that arise in mindfulness and education,
and meet like-minded others in a growing community of those interested
in children and mindfulness.
For more information and to register click on this link to MARC. |
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Our bloggers are moms, grandmoms and daughters (with
some honorary mindful moms that happen to be dads) who are interested
in the practice of mindfulness from various perspectives: mindfulness
as in the dictionary definition (to take heed); secular mindfulness
training and practice for children and adults; and, mindfulness as it
is taught and practiced in Buddhism. You may
know several of the other bloggers from the mindfulness community -- Trudy Goodman, Diana Winston, Sue Smalley, and Amy Spies Gans to name a few. |
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The InnerKids online community has grown to just under
400 members with a number of new members joining each week. Many thanks
to my daughter Allegra, who has taken on the lion's share of organization
and maintenance of this site as one of several community service projects
she participated in at school this year.
Last week I began slowly (very slowly -- only a few each day) reading through member's profiles and leaving comments for those who asked specific questions. I've read only a fraction of the profiles posted, but am blown away by the wealth of expertise and experience represented on the site from all over the world. There is no doubt that coordinating the knowledge and resources within the on-line community that already exists could be extremely powerful and of service to those new to the work and already in the field. Those of you who have worked with me before know that I am interested
in exploring (or 'living') the questions -- and right now I'm intrigued
by the question of how to facilitate community resource sharing and
conversation among members online. Daniel Davis, another member of
the IK Community, is curious as well and volunteered to take the lead
in the effort. To join the InnerKids OnLine Community go to www.innerkids.ning.com and follow the directions to sign up. |
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That's it for now and best wishes for a happy and healthy summer. Susan Kaiser Greenland |
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