Why Mindfulness in Schools?

Every member of the school staff and student population deserves an environment where they can thrive.​

With mindful awareness skills, educators can intentionally cultivate the abilities to feel more calm, connected, and centered in the demanding environment of the classroom.  Equipped with tools and resources to implement these evidenced-based, actionable practices, educators learn to:
  • guide and co-regulate with youth
  • develop and model nourishing habits
  • foster an environment of safety and social and emotional literacy
  • positively impact the culture of the whole community​


As adults nurture and plant seeds for healthy lifelong habits, it puts students in a better position to learn and achieve academically, and flourish as citizens, community members and our future leaders.
How educators benefit from mindfulness

Use the buttons below to navigate this page:

We are data driven!

Data is critical, so we measure the effects we have.  Below are some statistics we have found. 
We will also track the impact we have on your school!

Between 2016-2020, we have worked with over 3300 K-12 educators.

The Results Are Clear
In Addition

Teachers at MPS using Mindfulness

This wonderful video  from Milwaukee Public Schools in 2017 showcases some of the Milwaukee Public Schools that Growing Minds has worked with and allows the school administrators and students to discuss how mindfulness is used in their schools and benefits their staff and students.

Schools we have worked with

  • K-12 Institutions
  • Higher Education Institutions
  • ​ Milwaukee Public Schools-virtually every k-8 educator
  • Milwaukee Area Technical College: Leadership
  • West Allis - West Milwaukee School District- every school educator 
  • Milwaukee Area Technical College: Executive team
  • Kohler School District- every educator
  • ​UW-Milwaukee: Residential Life 
  • Grafton School District
  • UW-Milwaukee: School of Education
  • West Bend School District
  • UW-Milwaukee: Coping and Resiliency Grant
  • New Berlin School District
  • ​Alverno College - Teach for America
  • University School of Milwaukee
  • Mount Mary College
  • ​Bruce Guadalupe School

What they're saying...

Teacher Testimonials

Increased Empathy
“Sometimes character building is the most abstract challenge a teacher faces. It has been wonderful to finally find a simple, realistic way to help my students be the best individuals they can be. By being mindful we are able to create a classroom environment for each other that lowers stress, improves focus and self-control, and creates peace.”
Lesley Zylstra, 5th Grade Teacher at 
​Hawley Environmental School
A better learning environment
“When I am calm, relaxed and focused, it helps students and creates a peaceful environment for learning.”
A K4 Teacher at 
Audubon Elementary School

Social Workers Share

BETTER FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION
“The techniques used have been easily adapted in the school setting and are often used by classroom teachers to increase the attention of their students. You will often hear classroom teachers reminding their students to “get into your mindful bodies.” It has been incredible to observe the transformation of some of our students and classrooms through this simple, yet effective practice.”
​Jessica Helminski, Social Worker at 
​Hawley Environmental School

Administrative Accolades

Improved School Culture
​“As the principal of this K-8 school, I am grateful for the positive impact mindfulness classes have had on the overall climate of our school. I am excited about the continued decrease in suspensions and increase in mutual respect displayed by our staff and students."
Tyrone Nichols, Principal at Cass Street School

Learn how mindful awareness skills fit seamlessly into ​education priorities.

 ► Social and Emotional Learning

Building social and emotional literacy isn't so different from learning math or the "a, b, c's." We have seen that when mindfulness concepts are made relatable and actionable, with regular practice, calmer and kinder school cultures are cultivated and sustained. When the needs of all school members are addressed using common practices and terminology, efficacy can be expedited proactively, positively enhancing the well-being of the whole community.

Today, we all agree that an education that focuses solely on cognitive skills while neglecting emotional intelligence and social competencies is incomplete. More than ever, thought leaders, classroom teachers and students alike who embody the knowledge and skills to manage emotions, connect with others compassionately and set positive goals, setting the stage for communities to thrive together.​

To respond to this imperative, evidenced-based social and emotional learning (SEL) curricula is being implemented worldwide. Growing Minds provides these foundational skills that boost efficacy of SEL programming. We begin by focusing on training the mind’s ability to pause in the moment, reflect to gain self-awareness and then choose behaviors intentionally. Learning to manage one's emotions skillfully is key to peacefully getting along with and successfully collaborating with others.  Social awareness and social connectedness can be cultivated more readily once a person can regulate the body's stress response.  Ultimately, mental and emotional clarity and interpersonal literacy are outcomes of a calmer, more spacious mind and safer, kinder communities.

► Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support


Growing Minds is a preventative and proactive program that addresses PBIS Tier 1 student behavior.  Know that the Growing Minds’ lessons have been designed to be fully inclusive of all students and faculty across educational contexts.  As teachers, faculty, and administrators become familiar with the principles of mindfulness, they are able to integrate the practices into their classrooms and school community in ways that are authentic to their teaching and leadership styles and responsive to the needs of their particular students.  

Pausing in an intentional way to ground one’s awareness and calm the nervous system is foundational to the practice of mindfulness.  This habit of mind makes space for adults and kids alike to shift from reactive to responsive, accessing the parts of the brain responsible for predicting consequences of one’s actions, planning for the future, goal setting, decision making, impulse control, and executive functioning.  With practice and repetition, every student and teacher can cultivate clarity throughout the day while laying the groundwork for long term emotional and interpersonal wellbeing. 

Our philosophy is “practice in low stress environments so that these skills are available in high stress environments.” Our research-based outcomes include decreased negativity, overwhelm, and burnout, and enhanced perceptions of efficacy and purpose among teachers.  Students benefit from improvements in focus and concentration, ability to manage stress, and increased compassion for self and others.

Other benefits which support academic goals include more teaching time resulting from fewer class disruptions, enhanced emotional safety, calmer transitions to and from classrooms and fewer conflicts between students.  When integrated as a PBIS whole-school initiative, the benefits of a mindful educational environment positively shapes school climate.

► Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Mindful awareness skills are unique in being able to help educators acknowledge their own biases in a structure that allows for conditioned patterns of inequities to be challenged. Unpacking uncomfortable and internalized predispositions can safely be done through mindfulness so educators can learn to understand their belief and behavior systems. Without confronting unconscious and internalized beliefs, unfair disciplinary habits will continue.

​Moving from noticing one’s patterns to modifying one’s action has been broken down by Barbara Dray. Rather than interpreting or evaluating student behaviors, teachers can learn to step back and bring a metacognitive approach of observing and describing behavior, without the stereotypical judgments and interpretative biases. Mindfulness is that universal tool that provides unique awareness into one’s own patterns.

These mindful tactics contribute to lasting change in an environment where additional structural and systematic changes are being addressed.

► Professional Development Plans

Professional Development Plans play a critical role in the continuing growth of K-12 educators. Content relating to creating safe and supportive relationships in the classroom top the list of courses taken by educators. With the growing Minds’ goal being “to create calm classrooms and caring schools”, we fall into the sweet spot of professional development, providing concepts and skills for both adults and youth.

Integrating the Growing Minds’ Foundations of Mindfulness training and our Growing Minds’ Curriculum training is a scaffolded plan for those who want to receive guidance in differentiating instruction, developing social and emotional learning and supporting diversity and inclusion.

​With the goal of building culturally and emotionally responsive classrooms and a stronger sense of belonging and connection, educators will have skills for greater personal efficacy, and a happier classroom environment. Our outcomes reflect that participants rate our content extremely high and integrate what they learn into their own life and in their classroom. Of participants who choose to take our courses, 99.7% say they enjoyed our training. For those who were conscripted, 91% say they enjoy our classes. We’re proud!

Bring Growing Minds to Your School: Funding Opportunities

We have both online and in-person opportunities to engage with your school’s parents and caregivers.
Contact us to discuss us how we can tailor our content to meet your goals and objectives.

ESSA - Title II Part A

Growing Minds courses meet eligibility requirements for federal grant ESSA - Title II Part A funding. Our Foundations of Mindful Living series provides “high quality, personalized professional development that is evidenced based” and can be used for the development and support of educators, paraprofessionals, school leaders at all levels, as well as parents in support of their children’s education.   

Title IV, Part A Flexible Block Grants

Additionally, funds obtained from Title IV, part A flexible block grants made available through the Support and Academic Enrichment Grant can be used to bring Growing Minds to your school. SSAE prioritizes programs that focus on enriching school environments that “improve school conditions for learning to ensure safe and healthy students.” It is the core of our mission.

Title 1, Part A ESEA: Parent and Family Engagement Funding

Through Title I, the U.S. Department of Education provides funding for districts and schools to engage with parents, families and communities as one important way schools can narrow gaps of opportunity or achievement and help all children learn and succeed.
Don't hesitate

Get in touch with us