I have been a school counselor in a small, rural school in northeast South Dakota for nearly 20 years. I teach social emotional lessons to Kindergarten-12th grade. Like many kids today, my students face many stressful, difficult situations. I am especially passionate about teaching all of my students resiliency and mindfulness.
In order for students to be successful in life, they must be resilient and have strong social-emotional skills.
I have been adding many mindful social emotional lessons, but I know there is more that I can learn to share with both my students and with our teaching staff.
My goal is to prepare my small town, rural students for the stressors of the world. Whether they choose to stay in our small town or move to other places, I want them to have the skills to live happy, productive lives.
My Project
I am requesting funding to attend the COSEM (Coalition of Schools Educating Mindfully) Conference in Chicago, IL. I have been implementing mindfulness for about three years, after I began a personal mindfulness practice. I teach students mindful techniques and about their brain so that they can understand their feeling, thoughts and behaviors, and in turn lead healthier, happier lives. I feel this has helped students tremendously as they deal with the stressors of the 21st century. National statistics about stress and our students' psychological well-being are staggering. Adults and young people are carrying heavier burdens and more stress. Mindfulness is one way to help lighten that load.
I believe that by learning about and implementing more mindful, scientifically proven brain-based approaches to education, I can equip my students with skills to thrive, be healthier and create a more successful, compassionate, world.
Coalition of Schools Educating Mindfully (COSEM) is an educator-led 501c3 nonprofit that supports school communities by connecting them with mentors, trainings, and resources for mindfulness-based social, emotional, and cognitive learning. This conference will feature many experts and professionals in the field. I am so excited to learn from them and then pass along the knowledge to my co-workers and students in my school and in my state. My goal is to help students be more compassionate, mindful and resilient, which will lead to healthier, happier, more productive students.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Anderson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
