What: Press Conference on Proposed Mindfulness Program for Norfolk Public Schools
When: Saturday, August 3, 11 a.m.
Where: New Macedonia United Church of Christ, 1426 Marshall Ave, Norfolk VA 23504
Norfolk, Va.— The Norfolk Chapter of Virginia Organizing has been hard at work collecting pledge cards for a proposed mindfulness program for Norfolk Public Schools (NPS). On Saturday, August 3 at 11 a.m., the chapter will update the public on the support they have garnered for the program and nudge NPS to implement the program in time for the upcoming school year.
Mindfulness is the act of learning to be still and breathe before acting. It can help with stress reduction, trauma care, and promote positive behavior within students. It has also been shown to improve test scores. For these reasons and more, the proposed mindfulness program would be accessible to students from Pre-K through high school.
In May, Virginia Organizing met with NPS administrative leaders to present a platform called Inner Explorer, an online mindfulness program that can go in every classroom. Using this platform, teachers can learn mindfulness alongside their students with the push of a button.
Laurie Grossman, Director of Social Justice and Educational Equity for Inner Explorer, noted that the platform is “easily accessible, with no teacher training required,” and that the daily mindfulness lessons can “calm the nervous system making students available for learning and teachers available for teaching.”
Furthermore, “with less stress, self-regulation rises dramatically, reducing behavioral issues and allowing academic achievement to flourish. Spending 3% of the school day practicing mindfulness with Inner Explorer improves the other 97%,” says Grossman.
This summer, the Norfolk Chapter of Virginia Organizing has a goal of collecting 500 pledge cards from Norfolk residents before September 1. The chapter collected 200 pledge cards in the month of July by canvassing, tabling, and talking with Norfolk residents at libraries and recreation centers. The chapter also plans to present the pledge cards at a School Board meeting at the beginning of the school year, to provide evidence of community support for the program.
To interview a spokesperson for this event, please contact Cassandra Waters at 434-282-8805 or cwaters@virginia-organizing.org.
