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Mindfulness Based Social and Emotional Learning (MBSEL):

Engaging the Heart in Learning

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Mindfulness training can provide a valuable resource for counselors, teachers and students to draw from but perhaps the real strength of developing mindful awareness programs in schools is harnessed when they are connected within a larger framework of wellbeing. Some schools are beginning to consider how combining academic, social and emotional learning into a more coherent framework can promote a healthier school community better equipped to meet the significant demands and distractions of learning and teaching in the 21st Century. Recent research supports this work and shows that when we pay attention to social and emotional aspects of learning there is also a positive effect on academic achievement.

In this experiential workshop participants will explore how mindfulness based approaches, coupled with SEL, can be used to enhance programs in areas such as Advisory, Health Education, Resilience and Life Skills training. Understanding how our minds, bodies and emotions work is a key life skill and teachers can helping their schools shift the focus towards developing this understanding - empowering their students to be able to connect more authentically with themselves and with others.