EVENT DATE: NOVEMBER 15, 2014    

Over 50 people gathered at our restorative retreat to “Re-Discover the Present Moment” at Rackham Assembly Hall. We enjoyed a variety of mindfulness activities include meditation, yoga, walking meditation, and loving-kindness. Rita Benn, PhD gave a presentation summarizing the latest published findings related to mindfulness in school communities. What a wonderful way to refresh ourselves and connect with each other.

EVENT DATE: APRIL 24, 2014

In April  we held our first public event, a film showing of the documentary, “Room to Breathe” in Rackham Amphitheatre on the University of Michigan campus. The film is a moving story of the transformation of struggling students in a San Francisco middle school when mindfulness practice is introduced. It shows how even the most difficult classrooms can be positively affected with patience, teaching skill and partnership with school staff.  It was heartening to see the groundswell of community support for this work with almost 200 people in attendance.  We were moved and inspired by the film and had a wonderful panel discussion about bringing mindfulness into the classroom. 

EVENT DATE: JUNE 17, 2014

Thank you to the thirty-five community members who met with the board of MC4ME on June 17 to continue the conversation about bringing mindfulness into education in Michigan. The evening began with a simple gratitude practice and was followed by examples of exercises from the curriculum of Mindful Schools and the SMART-in-Education. A discussion followed about the vision and possibilities for the organization, and how it can best serve the community’s needs. Participants expressed interest in receiving teacher training, in mindfulness courses geared toward teens, tips on funds and resources to support this training, such as grants and grant writing workshops, and in creating a support network for those teaching mindfulness practices in schools.