At the YMCA Academy, we integrate training and concepts by the organization Mindfulness Without Borders. It’s been part of our daily classroom life at the school for almost five years, and is the focus of many of our all-school gatherings. We’re proud to be ahead of the curve in bringing mindfulness training to our students (a practice that the Toronto District School Board began implementing this practice at the beginning of the school year).
In an essay on The Huffington Post, The Connect Group Founder & Executive Director Lee-Anne Gray, PsyD, argues that our school “demonstrates a high level of empathy and compassion for the lived experience of modern students.” She conducted research into the benefits of mindfulness for young people, and her conclusions demonstrate why we continue to make these practices a part of our learning environment:
“[T]he negative effects of traditional education upon students result from stress and pressure that can accumulate as Educational Trauma. When the YMCA Academy adopted Mindfulness Without Borders’ MAC program, it became a nexus for co-learning, promoting 21st century skills and emotional intelligence, while healing Educational Trauma. Beyond innovative, it represents transcendental education for the 21st century.”
Read the full article here.