BROOKLYN COLLEGE ACADEMY LAUNCHES
PIONEERING MINDFULNESS CENTER
Center is Sole New York State Finalist in
100K Dream Big Teacher Challenge
Brooklyn, NY: Brooklyn College Academy (BCA), an
early college high school, has launched an innovative Mindfulness Center that
will support more than 600 students' social emotional well-being. The center is
one of only two such spaces in a New York City public school to help students
beat stress and build the resilience they need to remain mentally healthy and
strong.
The
Kensington-based school stands to win a $100,000 award for the center as the
only New York State finalist in the Farmers Insurance Dream Big Teacher
Challenge—a national competition that funds teachers with big dreams—and one of
only 15 finalists nationwide. The public is invited to vote for the winning
award recipient at https://lnkd.in/gywwhDq
from September 29 through October 30, 2017.
The Mindfulness Center is the brainchild of
humanities teacher Linda Noble, PhD, who champions students' mental health. “Now,
more than ever, we need mindful engagement," says Noble.
“Our
students need time to focus on their mental health. There's an epidemic of
depression and anxiety among the nation's high school students, and many are
witness to or victims of violence. These stressor how a powerful impact on
students; emotional core," explains Noble.
Studies have shown that mindfulness in schools can
build young people's coping skills, reduce stress, increase happiness in
students, and even fight teacher burnout.. Practicing mindfulness has also been
linked to increased brain activity in the regions associated with positive
emotions. BCA's Mindfulness Center builds on this impact in innovative ways. The
Center will add to BCA's carefully coordinated guidance program, and expand the
school's nurturing environment.
BCA is a highly successful “early-college” high
school, serving primarily low-income students who are typically both underserved
by their communities and underrepresented in college. Many
experience stress, depression, and myriad socio-economic/emotional challenges
that can overwhelm their ability to balance a rigorous curriculum (including
college coursework) and competitive college admissions. Even with these
stressors, 99% of the students graduate (compared with 69% citywide), and 93%
go to college.
With a $10,000 Fund for Public Health—New York City
Mental Health by Design in Schools Award, BCA renovated a storage room to make
room for the Mindfulness Center, which will support students, staff, parents,
and eventually, the broader community, with practices that include meditation,
reflection, self-soothing, and deep breathing.
David Perrin, director of MNDFL Ed, and BCA's programming partner
for the Mindfulness Center says: "The Mindfulness
Center at Brooklyn College Academy demonstrates the school's commitment to its
students. Health and well-being are integral to a well-rounded education.
Academic success is only possible when a student develops positive self worth,
the ability to listen and empathize with others, and the skills to manage stress
and overwhelm.
"We believe mindfulness and compassion practices should be
the anchor of any good curriculum, not an additive. The Mindfulness Center at
BCA fosters academic success through health and wellbeing. It is a model for
many schools to follow and learn from, "explains Perrin.
BCA would use
a $100,000 Big Dream award to support mindfulness professional development for
all of its teachers, who would in turn use these practices in the classroom and
for themselves. Students would also be trained to become mindfulness
practitioners, leading meditation and other sessions for their peers in the
dedicated space.
Finally, award
money would fund a research component to demonstrate how a dedicated space for
mindfulness, involving student practitioners and promoting a mindfulness
culture across a school, can have far-reaching effects in nurturing a healthy
school environment.
The
Mindfulness Center aligns directly with an initiative spearheaded by the New
York City Mayor's Fund mental health initiative and reinforces New York City First Lady
Chirlane McCray’s call for better school-based services to help students on
this front.
VOTE FOR BROOKLYN COLLEGE ACADEMY TO WIN 100K!
Support Linda Noble’s Mindfulness Center
The Mindfulness Center is unique: a designated room in which students regroup and decompress. 100K gets its programs going. And helps many young people.
Brooklyn College is located at 350 Coney Island Avenue, between Kermit Place and Caton Place.
