The Center strives to make a variety of mindfulness-based teaching practices available to the University, the larger Pittsburgh community, and colleagues at other institutions. Participants in our workshops and seminars will be able to gain a deeper self-awareness, achieve an embodied understanding of the pedagogical aspects of mindfulness, and learn to apply principles and related research to their own specific challenges. The practices we offer can nourish and support both students and teachers in K-12 and community-based settings as well as in undergraduate and graduate courses.

While research on the application of mindfulness in education has only just begun, existing studies suggest that even a basic level of integration of mindfulness in the classroom can improve attention and concentration in students, and lead to increased levels of academic performance. Similarly, the practice of meditation in university counseling environments and the adaptation of mindfulness training to enhance college student retention both show a great deal of promise.

Our Education Goals:

• Develop and foster interdisciplinary, non-sectarian mindfulness-based strategies for teaching and learning
• Support mindfulness-based curricular development in departments and schools at the University of Pittsburgh and in the larger educational community
• Assess and disseminate career-oriented applications of mindfulness for professional students, faculty and staff