Furthering Teen Wellbeing Through Teacher Transformation
150 Hour Mindful Studies Teacher Certification
“It’s been a life changing, invaluable opportunity.”
In January 2024, a group of 10 educators from 7 high schools in California and Oregon embarked on a historic training: 150 hours of in-depth mindfulness education to certify the educators to teach Peace in Schools Mindful Studies™.
For 10 years, Peace in Schools has methodically developed the Mindful Studies curriculum for teens and tested the program through rigorous evaluation and independent university research. Evidence-based practices, including mindfulness meditation, conscious communication, and self-compassion, empower teens to live healthy, courageous, and joyful lives in and outside the classroom.
To date, the for-credit, research-backed Mindful Studies curriculum has only been delivered by Peace in Schools employees. That will change this fall when the newly certified Mindful Studies teachers bring the course back to their high schools through the new Mindful Studies Partnership Program - an initiative to bring Mindful Studies to teens and high schools across the country.
With an average of 13 years’ teaching experience, this cohort brought a wealth of knowledge from the start. The group includes teachers from all disciplines - English, Math, Social Science, Health, English Language Arts - as well as a school counselor and mental health specialist. However, the previous mindfulness experience among the group was mixed, with some brand new to the practice.
“I am so deeply moved and changed from this training.
I feel like I am kinder to myself.
I feel that I catch myself in more moments of feeling like I am present.”
How do you learn to teach the nation’s most in-depth high school mindfulness class?
Building off of a decade of experience, Peace in Schools designed a thoughtful, in-depth training that is also realistic for the demanding life of a high school teacher.
“First and foremost - the Mindful Studies Teacher Certification focuses on the presence, embodiment, and liberation of the educator themselves,” says Janice Martellucci, Executive Director of Peace in Schools.
“In Mindful Studies, so much of the learning is transmitted through the modeling and the embodiment of the teacher. If we want transformative mindfulness to reach more teens, we need it to reach more teachers.”
The intensive training ran October through June and included two week-long, immersive retreats at the Menucha Retreat and Conference Center in Corbett, Oregon. Participants completed the remainder of the training virtually, meeting as a cohort with Peace in Schools trainers twice a month.
By the end of the certification program, the teachers needed to demonstrate proficiency in the Peace in Schools pedagogical approach, which consists of five pillars (see photo right) that are the foundations to the Mindful Studies curriculum. These pillars, woven through all of the Mindful Studies content, class structure, and facilitation style, are what makes Peace in Schools Mindful Studies™ transformational and unique.
Teachers also needed to demonstrate proficiency in Peace in Schools’ ten core concepts, including inherent wholeness, the conditioned mind, and duality. Trainees were assessed through written submissions throughout the program and live teaching during the final retreat.
The initial results of the 150 hour teacher training are in:
100% of trainees would recommend the Mindful Studies Teacher Certification Program to other educators
100% of administrators said they would recommend the Mindful Studies Partnership Program to other schools
Our pre and post assessments show statistically significant improvements in Mindfulness in Teaching (both intrapersonal [internal] and interpersonal [relational]) and self-compassion
“The winter retreat was life altering. I learned concepts I never understood or didn't have vocabulary before.
I have never spent so much time with myself without distraction, and even though I had some discomfort, it was important for me to have that understanding of how I was often pushing down my emotions with distractions, and I know that is going to be a big learning opportunity for some of my students.”
What’s next?
Now that the teacher training is complete, the cohort has received their curriculum and can begin the mentorship phase of the program.
“We know that so much of learning to teach Mindful Studies happens once you are teaching it,” says Maggie Steele, Head of Training and Curriculum at Peace in Schools, “so it was important to us that we build in significant support to maintain the fidelity and impact of Mindful Studies.”
Each teacher will receive mentorship support for the next two years, including one-on-one calls with a Peace in Schools mentor and monthly group sessions.
This inaugural cohort of the Mindful Studies Partnership Program is part of a larger plan to expand Mindful Studies and is made possible with the support of more than $2.4 million pledged (to date) by the Visionary Investor Circle. Outreach for the second cohort of the Mindful Studies Partnership Program is underway. Peace in Schools looks forward to inviting ten new Oregon, Washington, and California schools into the program which starts the fall of 2025. To learn more and find out how to partner with Peace in Schools, visit our Mindful Studies Partnership Program page.
