In the Fall semester of 2023, Dr. Miriam Liss and a group of psychology students worked with Lisa Dolan, head social worker of Spotsylvania County Schools, and Dr. Beth Jerome, Mary Washington class of 2002 and head of WellSpring Child and Family Psychology, to implement a mindfulness curriculum to 3rd graders at Spotswood Elementary Schools. The curriculum was developed by Dr. Jerome and included original art as well as sound recordings.
This mindfulness curriculum was developed to offer local schools a free, easy-to-implement, engaging curriculum that teaches students mindfulness skills that can help them navigate challenges more effectively, engage more fully in learning, and learn to be compassionate toward both themselves and their peers. Dr. Jerome trained UMW students to implement the curriculum. The UMW students then worked with a network of local school social workers and counselors to place them in elementary school classrooms where they teach the mindfulness curriculum to 3rd-5th graders.
Dr. Jerome commented on the experience working with students at her alma mater:
As a UMW (then MWC) alumnus myself, it has been such a joy to collaborate with Dr. Liss and her students on this project. I have been impressed by the UMW students’ ability to take on this project with autonomy, creativity, and a drive to improve the lives of the students they are working with.
UMW psychology major Sarah Baliff (2024), a member of Dr. Liss’s research team, commented:
I was surprised and excited by how interested the kids were in the mindfulness lessons. They were so engaged and constantly had meaningful examples to contribute to our conversations. At times, the kids would describe how they had used what they learned in between the lessons. I was excited every week to see them again because I always left the school with a smile on my face and a positive attitude that would last the rest of the day. These sorts of lessons would have been so encouraging for me, at their age, so I hope they are able to take the core lessons of non-judgement to heart.”
UMW students were trained in the 9-week curriculum and went once a week to schools. They collected data from teachers on mindfulness, self-compassion, and burnout before and after the intervention. Although the UMW team did not get statistically significant results due to the small number in the sample, teachers did experience somewhat increased mindfulness and reduced burnout throughout the semester. The team also collected impressions of the program from students and teachers and the teachers noted that the program was beneficial to the classroom and helped them frame curriculum and behavior management in terms of some of the skills learned in the curriculum. Students noted that they liked learning about their brain and how to calm themselves down. This mindfulness curriculum is now being implemented at more schools in the Spotsylvania County school system through a newly developed internship between WellSpring, Spotsylvania County schools, and UMW.
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