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- 1. The Problem Distraction, stress, and mental health issues are rampant in schools. High school students are now the most stressed demographic in the United States. Rates of anxiety, depression, and ADHD among teenagers are increasing, Meanwhile, most students report paying attention in class less than half of the time. These intersecting challenges affect the academic achievement and well-being of millions of teenagers each year, and schools are struggling to find solutions. A Promising Solution Considerable scientific evidence indicates that cultivating attention through mindfulness training gives students greater influence over the thoughts and emotions that shape their lives. A recent meta-analysis found that mindfulness can significantly improve the mental health of students, and research shows that mindfulness training programs designed and taught by our team lead to clear benefits: Increase in GRE reading scores 23% Greater emotional resilience Reduction in stress Increase in focus Reduction in anxiety 20% 41% 32% 23% Mindful Education Initiative Ourmission is to ensure that everyhigh schoolstudent— regardless of location or resources—has access to evidence-based mindfulness training that empowers them to be better stewards of their own minds. With the support of the U.S. Dept. of Education and the National Science Foundation, we are creating the first digital mindfulness course that can share optimally effective mindfulness training with students everywhere. CENTER FOR MINDFULNESS AND HUMAN POTENTIAL
- 2. Our Approach to Digital Mindfulness Training Despite the proven benefits, only a tiny fraction of teenagers ever receives mindfulness training. While a few schools are able to offer in-person training by qualified teachers, this is not an affordable or feasible solution at scale. Meanwhile, existing digital mindfulness programs have limitations that prevent them from achieving adoption and success in schools. Our digital course has many features that allow us to provide scalable and effective mindfulness training to high schools everywhere. On-demand video-based training Accessible on computers or through our mobile app Interactive lessons that keep students engaged Unique daily exercises that are entertaining and relaxing Provided questions to facilitate class discussion Personalized content based on student interest Teacher interface to easily track student progress Unlimited student access to training that never expires Designed in collaboration with high school students Continually refined through rigorous research with student users ∞
- 3. Interactive lessons teach students how to use attention to better steward their own minds. Students complete a 15-minute lesson each week for four weeks. Attention is a skill, so it takes practice. A unique 5-minute daily exercise unlocks every day of the course. Course Overview How You Can Help Based on the growing unsolicited demand for our course, we see an emerging opportunity to help potentially millions of students harness the power of their minds. We are seeking $440,000 in increments of any size to help us attract and retain the key personnel who can help us create a truly exceptional course commensurate with this opportunity. For more information, please contact: Lesson 1: Attention Lesson 2: Thoughts Lesson 3: Evaluations Lesson 4: EmotionsStudents learn about how to most effectively relate to distracting or counterproductive thoughts. Students learn how to identify and release the evaluations and attitudes that are not helping them. Students learn how they can use attention to manage difficult emotions and cultivate positive ones. Students learn how to develop greater focus by anchoring their attention on a chosen target and releasing distractions. Michael Mrazek, Ph.D. Director of Research Center for Mindfulness & Human Potential Dept. of Psychological & Brain Sciences University of California Santa Barbara mrazek@ucsb.edu 507-398-6776