Peace of Mind Curriculum Series: an integrated program of mindfulness, brain science, social emotional learning and conflict resolution for PreK-8. Watch this short video to learn more about The Peace of Mind approach.
Brain Science Workshops
for Grades 5-8
Basic brain science is a critical component of The Peace of Mind Curriculum. Kids love learning about their brains. What do you do when they want to know MORE?
“What’s On Your Mind?” workshops are the answer! Neuroscientist Dr. Elizabeth Hoffman has designed this 45-minute interactive workshop to address kids’ questions like: What is my brain made of? If we all have the same brain parts, what makes us different? What happens in my brain when I feel an emotion? If I keep practicing a new skill does that change my brain? Interactive, educational and fun, virtual and in-person workshops complement Peace of Mind lessons. Read more here.
The Peace of Mind Program integrates mindfulness, brain science, social and emotional learning, including conflict resolution and social justice, into a weekly curriculum for PreK-8 students. The Peace of Mind Curriculum is taught by classroom teachers, counselors and social workers nationwide, reaching over 10,000 students a year in public, public charter and independent schools.
The Peace of Mind Program teaches children to notice and manage their emotions using mindfulness techniques, understand the related brain science, connect with peers and teachers, and apply their skills to face challenges with skill and compassion. By becoming more self-aware, students can experience greater success and well-being in school and in life.
Peace of Mind is developed nad supported by Peace of Mind Inc, a nonprofit organization. Our mission is to encourage and support the implementation of effective, innovative, mindfulness-based social and emotional learning in our schools. Recognized by the Catalogue for Philanthropy as one of our region’s best nonprofits in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022, Peace of Mind envisions a world in which all students in Washington, DC and beyond are equipped with the skills to notice and manage their emotions, build healthy relationships, de-escalate, and solve conflicts peacefully, and become changemakers.
Peace of Mind is taught by classroom teachers, counselors and social workers in public, public charter and independent schools.
To teach Peace of Mind, you need:
- A 30-45 minute block of time each week in your schedule
- A supportive school leader
- A desire to teach mindfulness-based SEL
- The Classroom or Counselor Bundle of Resources for your Grade Level(s)
- A Bell or Chime
We highly recommend signing up for our Peace of Mind Online Training Courses or scheduling a live or virtual group training session before you begin teaching.
We also hope you will take part in our regular community of practice gatherings and The Peace of Mind Annual Conference. Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop.
You may order your resources through the Peace of Mind Shop.
Grants are available for Title I Schools.
Peace of Mind (PoM) teaches students skills that help them develop their own capacity to manage big emotions, solve conflicts skillfully, and work for what they believe in. It is not a behavior management program, though it can lead to kinder and more connected classrooms.
PoM is teacher-developed, and curriculum authors continue to teach the Curriculum to over 900 children every week in Washington D.C.’.s largest public elementary school, keeping our resources current and relevant.
The PoM curriculum teaches mindfulness and brain science as the foundation for effective acquisition of social emotional learning (SEL) and conflict resolution skills. This combination is more effective than one set of skills on its own.
PoM teaches applied mindfulness – mindfulness in service of effective conflict resolution, relationship building and working for social justice. Our Social Justice Lesson Supplement for Grades 3-5 and our Middle School Curriculum help children apply their mindfulness and compassion skills to help engage in challenging topics like recognizing and reckoning with identity, bias, and standing up for what you believe in.
PoM’s weekly lessons are flexible and may be used in many different formats, adaptable to the needs of your teachers and students.
PoM respects teachers as skilled professionals and believes that any teacher interested in developing their own mindfulness practice can successfully teach this curriculum. We keep barriers to entry low so that as many children as possible can benefit from this work.
Yes! Peace of MInd is a Tier I intervention that benefits all students in a school. It works well with other programs such as Second Step, Responsive Schools, Conscious Discipline and others.
We get it! We’re teachers too. We think you’ll be very pleasantly surprised with Peace of Mind.
First, the Curriculum is designed by teachers for teachers. Each lesson is easy to follow and requires minimal extra preparation. You won’t need to create anything to teach a lesson – it’s all there for you.
The mindfulness skills Peace of Mind teaches help students manage big emotions and self-regulate, work well with their peers, and solve conflicts peacefully. Most teachers find this actually gives them MORE time to teach.
In this time we find ourselves in now, we know we can’t meet the academic needs of students unless we meet their social and emotional needs first. Peace of Mind skills help kids manage big emotions and focus their attention, helping them re-engage in learning.
The skills you will be sharing with your students will help you manage stress, too. As you learn and practice with your class, you may find that you feel more at ease and less anxious, too!
Yes! Peace of Mind’s approach is extensively classroom-tested and research supported.
We have seen consistent positive results across three years of surveys of students, teachers and parents at Peace of Mind’s ‘home” school and 5 pilot schools. Students in Grades 3-5 perceive that PoM helps them: stay calm when they are angry, remember to be kind, to get along better with others; to be a better friend; to remember to be grateful; to listen in class; and to take tests. Students report using what they have learned at home as well as at school. Teachers are very enthusiastic about PoM for themselves and their students, particularly relative to other SEL curricula. 100% of our pilot school teachers were “very likely” to use PoM again or recommend it to a colleague.
Our program has largely grown by word of mouth – one educator or school having a positive experience and spreading the word to their colleagues. This tells us the program is meeting the needs of real kids in real classrooms.
The cost of the program depends on the number of educators who will be delivering it. Our Classroom and Counselor Bundles include everything an educator will need to teach Peace of Mind, including access to the Peace of Mind’s Online Training Courses, excellent self-paced preparation for diving into the Curriculum. Please find Bundle Pricing here and contact Cheryl for a personalized estimate for your school or classroom.