About Mindful Schools Workshops
Expand your toolkit for practicing, teaching, and implementing mindfulness in your school. Mindful Schools workshops take a deeper dive into the most important topics in mindfulness in education. Join these experiential and inspirational sessions, and learn tools and strategies to immediately integrate into your work with youth.
Every 90-minute live virtual workshop integrates:
- Mindfulness: Experience mindfulness practice to support your well-being
- Skill-Building: Learn tangible skills that expand your instructional capacity and professional competency
- School Culture: Explore strategies and considerations to create a culture of mindfulness and well-being at your school
Our experienced Mindful Schools faculty guide these live events. All of our trainings are designed by educators, for educators.
Educator voices from workshops:
Upcoming Mindful Schools Workshops:
Workshop Registration
Wednesday,
April 12, 2023
Registration Deadline: April 11 at 11:59PM PT
This workshop is offered on a sliding scale basis. $145 suggested tuition for families making over $75,000 a year. Register below:
Workshop: Building a Trauma-Sensitive Classroom
Wednesday, April 12, 2023
4PM–5:30PM PT | 7PM–8:30PM ET
with April Frazier and Devon Sangster Rath
Discover strategies to create welcoming and safe learning spaces, and nurture healing relationships with students.
Whether or not we are aware of it, every classroom is impacted by the effects of trauma. Join this workshop to examine a nervous system framework and understand the ways that traumatic stress shows up as recognizable behaviors in both students and educators. In this training, we will explore practices that support nervous system settling––in ourselves and our students. Learn strategies to be both proactive and reactive when traumatic stress is triggered.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Learn how trauma impacts the brain and behavior, and how it shows up in the classroom
- Experience mindfulness practices that empower you to settle your own nervous system
- Explore strategies, practices, and classroom routines that support nervous system regulation
Mindful Schools 90-minute live virtual workshops take a deeper dive into the most important topics in mindfulness in education. Join us in these experiential and inspirational sessions, and learn tools and strategies to immediately integrate into your work with youth.
Every 90-minute live virtual workshop integrates:
- Mindfulness: Experience mindfulness practice to support your well-being
- Skill-Building: Learn tangible skills that expand your instructional capacity and professional competency
- School Culture: Explore strategies and considerations to create a culture of mindfulness and well-being at your school
All registrants receive a recording one week after the workshop. The recording expires 90 days after the workshop.
Certificate of Attendance is provided for attendees who meet the criteria, see FAQs.
This workshop is offered on a sliding scale basis.
Registration Deadline: April 11 at 11:59PM PT
This workshop is offered on a sliding scale basis in an effort to create access for as many educators as possible. We depend on you to select the option that most closely represents your financial capacity. Our intention is to uphold this sliding scaled option for as long as it is sustainable. We thank you for your thoughtful selection. $145 suggested tuition for families making over $75,000 a year.
Meet the Mindful Schools faculty guiding this workshop:
April Frazier (she/her), Mindful Schools Faculty
April considers herself a lifelong learner of mindfulness and yoga as a tool for self-empowerment and social justice in diverse, resilient communities. She has served as a middle school teacher at an under-served school in the South Bronx. In 2010, she completed her 200-hr teacher certification through Dharma Yoga certification and has since held space for yoga in under-performing schools, trauma centers, and addiction centers to cultivate inner healing. April was part of the first year cohort at the Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Columbia University where she combined education, social activism, entrepreneurship and mindfulness. April has also been certified in laughter yoga, yoga for 12 step recovery, off the mat and into the world, and various trauma-informed and mindfulness in-schools programs.
Devon Sangster Rath (she/her), Mindful Schools Faculty
Devon is a queer woman who cares deeply about the power of mindfulness practice to increase peace and freedom. She has practiced meditation since 1997 and has been formally teaching mindfulness since 2010. Devon served as a social worker at a San Francisco public high school for ten years. She is passionate about making mindfulness accessible to all, specifically people who have experienced trauma, are recovering from addiction, and historically marginalized populations, including people of color, trans and LGBQ folks, and people of size and different body abilities.
Why Workshops for Educators?
In our 101 and 201 courses, educators learn that mindfulness practice and facilitation skills are not something that we “achieve” and then check off as complete. We are in an ongoing process of learning and investigation into ourselves, our experience, and the experience of the students we work with. Workshops provide ongoing opportunities to build competencies in the Mindful Schools Domains of Mindful Teaching framework (see pg 4), supporting educators to create mindful learning environments that nurture curiosity and compassion.
Faculty
Mindful Schools courses and training programs are designed by educators, for educators.
Workshops are developed and guided by the Mindful Schools faculty. Our team of classroom teachers, administrators, and implementation specialists draws from lived experiences and expertise in classrooms, schools, districts, and a wide variety of educational settings. You can learn more about our Program Facilitators on our “Meet Our Team” page.
Educator voices from workshops:
Workshops FAQs
How do I join the live event? When you register, you will receive an email with call-in instructions to join the zoom room as well as a 1-hour reminder on the day of the event.
What if I can’t make the live event? If you’re unable to attend the live event, you may still register to access the event recording. The recording will be sent one week after the event. The recording expires 90 days after the event.
Who is this workshop for? Do I need a certain level of mindfulness experience to participate? Our workshops are appropriate for all levels of experience. Mindful Schools programs are designed for educators, counselors, parents, and a wide range of school community members who are excited to share mindfulness with young people. While there is no prerequisite for registration, we encourage workshop participants to take our 101: Mindfulness Foundations course so you may participate with a shared understanding of the Mindful Schools framework of secular mindfulness.
Cancellations: In order to receive a full refund, cancellations must be made at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled event. Refunds will not be granted after this time. If you need to cancel and request a refund, please contact support@mindfulschools.org.
Certificate of Attendance:
To be eligible for a Certificate of Attendance, participants are required to:
- Register and pay for the workshop by the registration deadline (published on the event page)
- Attend in full. Attendance will be verified if you complete the following:
- Join the workshop, by web browser or Zoom App (not dialing in by phone) within the first 10-minutes of the start of the workshop.
- Join the workshop using the same email as used to register.
- Stay logged-in, and engaged, for the duration of the workshop.
- Complete the event survey within 1 week of receiving the link to access the survey. The survey link will be emailed on the day of the event.
Certificates of Attendance will be emailed to those who complete the attendance requirements and submit the survey within the stated time frame. Certificates will be emailed 2 weeks after the event.
Important Notes:
- Certificates are available only for those who complete the attendance and survey requirements, without exception.
- It is the responsibility of the participant to ensure adequate internet reliability and bandwidth.
- Incomplete attendance nullifies eligibility for the certificate. Attendance is considered incomplete if the participant joins more than 10 minutes after the start time, has gaps in attendance, or leaves early. We are unable to give partial credit for incomplete attendance.
- There is a $20 fee to reissue certificates, and certificates are available only if the attendance and survey requirements were met.
Past Workshops
PAST WORKSHOP:
Workshop: Nurturing Self-Compassion
Wednesday, February 22, 2023
4PM–5:30PM PT | 7PM–8:30PM ET
with Jelena Popovic and Nathalie Monin Voelker
As educators, our jobs can be all consuming. We are often focused on meeting the needs of others and can forget to put on our own oxygen masks and create space for self-care.
Self-care for educators is more than jeans on Fridays and weekend plans to relax and treat ourselves. While those things are nice, educators need practical strategies that can be embedded into our daily lives that nurture and sustain our physical and mental well-being.
In this workshop, you’ll learn about the power of self-compassion as a form of self-care. You’ll discover simple, yet powerful strategies to incorporate mindfulness and self-compassion practices into your day (including while teaching). Join us to explore personal and professional practices to avoid burnout and nurture well-being.
In this workshop, participants will:
- Discover practices and resources for preventing and alleviating burnout and for integrating self-compassion into everyday life (including while teaching)
- Leave the workshop with a toolbox of strategies to cultivate and nurture self-compassion personally and professionally
- Develop a greater awareness and understanding of self-compassion and how it can be practiced in community
Mindful Schools 90-minute live virtual workshops take a deeper dive into the most important topics in mindfulness in education. Join us in these experiential and inspirational sessions, and learn tools and strategies to immediately integrate into your work with youth.
Every 90-minute live virtual workshop integrates:
- Mindfulness: Experience mindfulness practice to support your well-being
- Skill-Building: Learn tangible skills that expand your instructional capacity and professional competency
- School Culture: Explore strategies and considerations to create a culture of mindfulness and well-being at your school
All registrants receive a recording one week after the workshop. The recording expires 90 days after the workshop.
Certificate of Attendance is provided for attendees who meet the criteria, see FAQs.
Registration is closed.
This workshop is offered on a sliding scale basis in an effort to create access for as many educators as possible. We depend on you to select the option that most closely represents your financial capacity. Our intention is to uphold this sliding scaled option for as long as it is sustainable. We thank you for your thoughtful selection. $145 suggested tuition for families making over $75,000 a year.
Meet the Mindful Schools faculty guiding this workshop:
Jelena Popovic (she/her), Mindful Schools Faculty
Jelena shares her expertise from over 20 years in education. She is a school psychologist by training and a peacebuilder by heart. She aspires to educate, advocate, and mobilize others in co-creating a culture of peace. Her expertise and passion is facilitating dialogs that are grounded in circle practices, mindful awareness, and empathy. She believes in the transformative power of inquiry, storytelling, playfulness and the importance of cultivating conversations that create genuine connections, propel us to reimagine possibilities, cultivate mutual acceptance, and help us foster nonviolence.
Nathalie Monin Voelker (she/her), Mindful Schools Faculty
Nathalie shares her expertise from over 20 years in education. She practiced dance for seven years before taking her first yoga class in 2003 just after her daughter’s birth. Yoga and meditation have been long and interesting journeys ever since. For fifteen years, she led education and arts programs serving low income and immigrant families. Combining her passion for movement and philosophy, she currently teaches yoga and mindfulness to students, teachers, and parents in NYC public schools.
Wednesday,
November 9, 2022
Registration is closed.
Meet the Mindful Schools faculty guiding this workshop:
Dia Penning
Lucy MacGregor
PAST WORKSHOP:
Workshop: Mindful Communication in the Classroom
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
4PM–5:30PM PT | 7PM–8:30PM ET
with Dia Penning and Lucy MacGregor
Communication is at the heart of what we do as educators, and the practice of mindful communication can be transformative in the classroom.
Join this experiential workshop to explore different ways to connect, practice empathy, and create solutions collaboratively––rather than trying to persuade, “win” arguments, or force compliance. Learn how to pay closer attention to your own feelings and needs in order to attune to those of others. Discover techniques you can apply in interactions with colleagues and students to build connection and healthier relationships.
Learner Outcomes:
- Learn the fundamental components of mindful communication
- Understand the ways in which student behavior is a form of communication
- Practice identifying feelings and needs––both yours and others’
- Discover strategies to foster greater trust and collaboration in your classroom
Mindful Schools 90-minute live virtual workshops take a deeper dive into the most important topics in mindfulness in education. Join us in these experiential and inspirational sessions, and learn tools and strategies to immediately integrate into your work with youth.
Every 90-minute live virtual workshop integrates:
- Mindfulness: Experience mindfulness practice to support your well-being
- Skill-Building: Learn tangible skills that expand your instructional capacity and professional competency
- School Culture: Explore strategies and considerations to create a culture of mindfulness and well-being at your school
All registrants receive a recording one week after the workshop. The recording expires 90 days after the workshop.
Certificate of Attendance is provided for attendees who meet the criteria, see FAQs.
This workshop is offered on a sliding scale basis.
Registration has closed for this workshop.
Meet the Mindful Schools faculty guiding this workshop:
Dia Penning (she/her), Mindful Schools Faculty
Over 15 years in education as a teacher trainer, program administrator, Director of Education and Curriculum, and Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging in the SF Bay Area
Lucy MacGregor (she/her), Mindful Schools Faculty
Over 20 years in education in classroom and therapeutic settings ranging from pre-K to teens; co-founder and facilitator of professional communities of practice cultivating restorative school communities
Wednesday,
September 28, 2022
Registration is closed, thank you.
Meet the Mindful Schools faculty guiding this workshop:
Fontashia Johnson
Sarah Rudell Beach
PAST WORKSHOP:
Mindfulness and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) for Educators
Wednesday, September 28, 2022
4PM–5:30PM PT | 7PM–8:30PM ET
with Fontashia Johnson and Sarah Rudell Beach
As educators, we don’t (and shouldn’t) leave our emotions at the door when we’re working with young people. Attending to our own social and emotional needs is critically important, especially if we’re tasked with teaching social emotional learning (SEL) to our students.
In this workshop, we will share strategies that you can use during the school day to navigate challenging and stressful classroom moments. The latest research shows that teachers and principals are experiencing increasing stress rates––in fact, twice the rate of the general working public (1). This workshop is designed to resource you for the year ahead. Join us to explore mindfulness practices that support your well-being and your own social-emotional competencies as an adult.
Workshop objectives:
- Learn how mindfulness is a powerful foundation for and complement to SEL
- Explore mindfulness exercises that support SEL competencies for adults
- Understand how educators that embody SEL skills support greater learning
- Develop strategies that can be used during the school day to navigate challenging moments
All registrants receive a recording one week after the workshop. The recording expires 90 days after the workshop.
Certificate of Attendance is provided for attendees who meet the criteria, see FAQs.
Registration for this event is now closed, thank you!
This workshop is offered on a sliding scale basis in an effort to create access for as many educators as possible. We depend on you to select the option that most closely represents your financial capacity. Our intention is to uphold this sliding scaled option for as long as it is sustainable. We thank you for your thoughtful selection. $145 suggested tuition for families making over $75,000 a year.
Meet the Mindful Schools faculty guiding this workshop:
Fontashia Johnson (she/her), Mindful Schools Faculty
Restorative justice teacher; founder of a non-profit serving underserved communities focusing on financial literacy, mindfulness, and workplace readiness skills in Raleigh; graduate of the Mindful Schools Teacher Certification Program; parent of four boys
Sarah Rudell Beach (she/her), Mindful Schools Faculty
Over 20 years in education; high school social studies teacher for 17 years in Wayzata Public Schools and honored as an Esteemed Teacher seven times by the district; Curriculum and Research Manager at Mindful Schools
Wednesday,
August 10, 2022
Registration has closed for this workshop.
Meet the Mindful Schools faculty guiding this workshop:
Alan Brown
Solissa McKay
PAST WORKSHOP:
Building a Trauma-Sensitive Classroom
Wednesday, August 10, 2022
4PM–5:30PM PT | 7PM–8:30PM ET
with Alan Brown and Solissa McKay
Discover strategies to create welcoming and safe learning spaces, and nurture healing relationships with students.
Whether or not we are aware of it, every classroom is impacted by the effects of trauma. Join this workshop to examine a nervous system framework and understand the ways that traumatic stress shows up as recognizable behaviors in both students and educators. In this training, we will explore practices that support nervous system settling––in ourselves and our students. Learn strategies to be both proactive and reactive when traumatic stress is triggered.
Workshop objectives:
- Learn how trauma impacts the brain and behavior, and how it shows up in the classroom
- Experience mindfulness practices that empower you to settle your own nervous system
- Explore strategies, practices, and classroom routines that support nervous system regulation
All registrants receive a recording one week after the workshop. The recording expires 90 days after the workshop.
Certificate of Attendance is provided for attendees who meet the criteria, see FAQs.
This workshop is offered on a sliding scale basis.
Registration has closed for this workshop.
Meet the Mindful Schools faculty guiding this workshop:
Alan Brown (he/him), Mindful Schools Faculty
Educator for over 15 years as a teacher, dean, and Director of Integrative & Co-Curricular Learning in NYC; advisor for GLSEN (the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network)
Solissa McKay (she/her), Mindful Schools Faculty
Over 10 years in education; 7th grade teacher; college academic counselor; program manager for a non-profit youth college access program in Kansas City