The mission of Peace of Mind is to create kinder, more inclusive schools, reducing bullying and increasing student engagement, by helping students:
- Prepare themselves to learn: Students learn to calm themselves and focus their attention.
- Form healthy relationships: Students develop the habits of kindness and compassion.
- Solve conflicts skillfully: Students become peacemakers who know how to stand up against bullying.
We do this through publishing The Peace of Mind Curriculum Series for elementary school, and supporting teachers and schools who choose to use it. The Peace of Mind program recognizes mindfulness as the essential foundation for students’ acquisition and mastery of social and emotional skills and conflict resolution tools. The Peace of Mind Curriculum Series addresses the needs of PreK/K, Grades 1-2 and Grades 3-5 through weekly, year-long lessons. Peace of Mind also publishes a storybook series and supporting materials that enrich the curriculum. Peace of Mind is research-based and teacher-created, and we love the way it works for students and schools.
Our home school is Lafayette Elementary School in Washington DC. Peace of Mind has been developed since 2003 at Lafayette, the largest public elementary school in DC, and is still taught to 700 children a week by curriculum author Linda Ryden, the school’s full time Peace teacher, and Counselor Jillian Diesner. Children in this racially diverse school come from varied socio economic backgrounds and a range of nationalities.
Our first pilot program outside of Lafayette began in Fall 2016 at Horace Mann Elementary, with a dedicated “Peace teacher” working with all first, second and third graders at this diverse, multinational public school in Washington DC. In addition, teachers, social workers, and counselors in 11 states and overseas have invested in Peace of Mind for their students, and are invited to regular Community of Practice gatherings. Let us know if you would like to be included!
We hope to be able to share Peace of Mind with schools, teachers, counselors and social workers dedicated to creating more compassionate students, schools and communities. Please let us
know if we can be of help to you!
Please don't hesitate to contact us if you would like to know more about Peace of Mind.
In peace,
Linda Ryden and Cheryl Dodwell
Location
Washington, D.C., USA
Website
