Our Lineage, Our Mission

Gratitude to the many dharma teachers who have protected and guided us.

Blessings to our teachers whose insights, words, writings, and actions have, like diamonds, cut through the illusions of our society.

Ease to our teachers who have struggled on our behalf to “break it down” and lay bare the obsolete foundations of our world.

Respect to our teachers for creating new tools, new languages, and new lenses to help us craft this generation’s mission of building a new foundation for society.

May we lay a foundation for the next generation

… with a Charter guided by the Five Mindfulness Trainings of Life, Justice, Relations, Language, and Sustenance,

… with a Pledge to the Three Jewels of Student, Learning, and Community,

… & with Support in the form of Dana, Participation, and Creative Exchange,

for the benefit of the next generation and all beings.

More Friends: NYCoRE

www.nycore.org

New York Collective of Radical Educators (NYCoRE) is a group of public
school educators committed to fighting for social justice in our
school system and society at large, by organizing and mobilizing
teachers, developing curriculum, and working with community, parent,
and student organizations.  We are educators who believe that education
is an integral part of social change and that we must work both inside
and outside the classroom because the struggle for justice does not
end when the school bell rings.

More Friends: Planting Seeds of Learning

Parkway High School for Peace and Social Justice – Philadelphia, PA

http://www.examiner.com/x-1813-Philadelphia-Education-Examiner~y2008m12d5-Teacher-plants-seeds-of-learning-with-social-justice-aproach

http://www.examiner.com/x-1813-Philadelphia-Education-Examiner~y2008m12d5-Student-Community-Development-Center-at-Parkway-keeps-things-moving

http://webgui.phila.k12.pa.us/schools/p/parkwaynw

http://www.pccy.org/peace_school.htm

More Friends: The Freedom to Learn

Padres Unidos/Jovenes Unidos – Denver, CO

www.padresunidos.org

With roots in the struggle for educational justice, we have evolved into a multi-generational organization led by people of color who work for equality and justice in education, racial justice for youth, immigrant rights and the right to quality healthcare for all.

The  ( ( ( Freedom to Learn Campaign ) ) ) is the umbrella that encompasses all of our work for educational justice.  It is based on the ideas that education is a right, not a privilege. All students, regardless of race, income, or immigration status, deserve a high-quality education and have the right to attend quality schools, be prepared for college, and succeed. Through youth and parent led and owned organizing campaigns, ( ( ( Freedom to Learn ) ) )  directly addresses the root causes of institutional racism and poverty that manifest themselves as low expectations and lack of investment in the education of low-income students of color. Through inter-generational, school-based and community organizing, our issues, needs, and demands have coalesced into a powerful, comprehensive model for educational reform.

Making of MALA (((MoM))) Roadtrip Ideas

MAKING OF MALA ROADTRIP (working document)

WHAT IS THE MALA ROADTRIP?

• An opportunity to meet, interview, document and experience first-hand the creative work happening in various communities around the United States related to contemplative education, mindfulness and learning, awareness practices for youth, transformative education.

• An exploration of communities engaged in transformative learning – - – transformative learning as a social movement!

• A working retreat for ~X & C:~ using experiential learning as a methodology for understanding. To “workshop” the MALA idea with others in the field.

ORGANIZATIONS, PEOPLE & PLACES TO VISIT*

*use Garrison Institute Report for more contact information

Omega Institute’s Mindfulness in Education Conference, August 2009 (New York)

Freedom School (Chicago)

Grace Lee Boggs (Detroit)

Sister Chau Nghiem (mindfulkids.wordpress.com)

The Lineage Project (Brooklyn)

Naropa University Contemplative Education Master Theses presentations (Boulder)

InnerKids Foundation (Los Angeles)

Park Day School (Oakland)

Dharma Bums Meditation in Schools Program (San Diego)

Mahidol University’s Contemplative Education Center for Transformative Learning (Thailand)

PRESENTATIONS OF LEARNING

1) “Documentary” (interviews, images and footage of various sites) in partnership with globaloneness.org site to include contemplative education and/or transformative learning into their collection of short films.

2) Resource website featuring “best practices” in mindfulness education and transformative learning for young people.

3) Publishing a “handbook of activities” for use with MALA and others who might be interested in implementing such activities at their locations.

4) MALA Proposal and “fundraising letter”

Garrison Institute Report: Current Status of Contemplative Education in the US

A report describing various programs in contemplative learning and teaching occurring around the US.

www.garrisoninstitute.org/programs/Mapping_Report.pdf

Garrison Institute NY: Contemplative Education Retreat for Educators

http://www.garrisoninstitute.org/programs.php?type=contemplation_education

2009, August 7 – 13

Garrison Institute Initiative on Contemplation and Education, Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) Training, Second Annual Retreat for Teachers Open to educators

Teaching is one of the most rewarding professions; it can also be one of the most difficult. Growing demands—from the academic workload to working with students impacted by poverty, violence and divorce—can add up to a highly stressful environment for teachers. Studies show that helping teachers cope with such stress effectively does more than reduce burnout: it allows them to be role models for healthy social and emotional behavior and improves educational outcomes for students. The Garrison Institute’s Initiative on Contemplation and Education offers this innovative training for teachers introducing an evidence-based set of practical skills. These skills will help you reduce stress, improve your mental concentration and emotional awareness and facilitate responsiveness. You will be able to apply these in the classroom so you can consistently be the caring, compassionate teacher you are. These skills include relaxation, movement, deep listening, emotion-awareness training developed by Paul Ekman, Ph.D., and much more. The training has been developed by a team of researchers, educators, psychologists and experts in contemplative practice and will be conducted by former teacher and teacher educator Patricia Jennings, M.Ed., Ph.D., director of the Initiative on Contemplation and Education and a Research Associate with the Prevention Research Center at Penn State University. The retreat offers 37 hours of training over four days. Tuition includes training, housing and meals Saturday evening through Thursday afternoon. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available for an additional cost. For more information on the retreat, email the Garrison Institute at retreats@garrisoninstitute.org or call registrar Alexandra Khoobani at 845-424-4800 x106.

All events are held at the Garrison Institute, 14 Mary’s Way, Route 9D in Garrison, New York.

More FRIENDS!

EASTERN SUN ACADEMY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL in Boulder, CO.

www.easternsunacademy.org

CONTEMPLATIVE EDUCATION CENTER IN THAILAND!!!  (ooooooOooOoo!)

http://www.ce.mahidol.ac.th/english/?go=home

Opening Dharma Doors (Br. Larry Ward)

“the seeds of the pure land on earth are here…” (begin ~4:00)

“…the promise to not leave anyone behind, the promise not to ignore the suffering of any being, the promise to remember our noble calling…has not changed, it is still to wake up, wake up, wake up…”

Dharma & Clarity

Dharma: (Sanskrit, dhr ~ to hold; ma ~ mother, earth, universe) that which holds, upholds, and sustains Creation; protection; teachings that guide us toward wisdom and compassion

Clarity: (Chinese character  is comprised of the signs for water, life, and moon) the quality of moonlight that cuts through illusion and reveals the true emptiness of water; lucidity; freedom from confusion and obscurity