Impact & Research
Independent Research
In 2018, Peace in Schools launched its first independent research study in partnership with Johns Hopkins University. Led by researcher Gia Naranjo-Rivera, PhD Candidate, the study is pioneering in its focus on the impact of mindfulness for youth with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Dr. Naranjo-Rivera's research was recognized with the 2019 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Partnership Award for Excellence in United States Public Health Practice. The research points to the Mindful Studies class being an effective mental health intervention for teens, and particularly for LGBTQ+ and low income students.
It is one of the largest adolescent mindfulness studies conducted to date. 115 students from three high schools (McDaniel, Cleveland, and Lincoln) participated in the study.
Mindful Studies gives teens tools to profoundly:
Increase
Wellbeing
Emotional regulation
Self-compassion
Sense of Belonging
Anxiety
Depression
Judgment
Decrease Social-Emotional Suffering
Centering wellbeing through a holistic approach:
Student Reporting
% of teens reported positive outcomes in acceptance as a result of our class
% of teens reported that what they learned supported them in relation to anxiety or depression
% of teens reported feeling more present, aware, or in the moment as a result of our class
% of teens reported positive outcomes in compassion for self and others as a result of our class
Unique Depth
Since we launched in 2014, we’ve offered 216 semester sections of Mindful Studies to 10 high schools in the Portland Public Schools District.
276,000
teen participant hours demonstrate the unique depth and duration of our mindfulness class.
On average, each student receives 72 hours of in-depth mindfulness education per semester.
We are always looking to deepen our research!
If you work with an organization that would be interested in partnering with us to further the research in our field, let us know!