Talks in the field of CE
Learn more about Contemplative Education (CE) in different settings, e.g. a panel discussion with and a talk by Katherine Weare.
Voices from the CCE
Watch videos from members of our Community of Contemplative Education who talk about topics like their experience.
CCE presentations
Watch different presentations held by active members of the Community of Contemplative Education (CCE), e.g. on the whole school approach.
Talks in the field of Contemplative Education (CE)
Contemplative Science Symposium 2019: Education Panel
At our Contemplative Science Symposium in 2019, experts discussed the role of education in today's society and its development towards integration of more contemplative elements. The panel was led by Andreas Roepstorff and included the following speakers: Katherine Weare, Mary-Helen Immordino-Yang, Jamila Tressel and Dan Siegel.
We thank our partner Auditorium Netzwerk for providing free access to this video.
Mindfulness in Schools Conference (June 20, 2020)
This talk was held by Katherine Weare (Principal Investigator of the Community of Contemplative Education) at the Mindfulness in Schools Conference on June 20, 2020.
Voices from the CCE
Katherine Weare, United Kingdom
Katherine Weare, Principal Investigator of the Community of Contemplative Education (CCE) at Mind & Life Europe talks about the richness of education that goes beyond conventional ways of schooling and is closely linked to what matters to contemplatives, e.g. questions of human values, compassion and kindness or the ability to make sense of the world.
I've been very struck with working across the fields of education and mindfulness about how both fields don't always understand the sheer depth and complexity of one another. - Katherine Weare, United Kingdom
Paloma Sainz, Spain
In this video, Paloma Sainz, current member of the Community of Contemplative Edcuation (CCE), talks about her personal experience in the area of mindfulness and how she travelled the world to learn more about its application in schools.
And then the big connection we have between all human beings. We are so, so similar. (...) We all want to be in a safe place, loved, and that's why I'm doing what I'm doing now. - Paloma Sainz, Spain
Bryndís Jóna Jónsdóttir, Iceland
Bryndís Jóna Jónsdóttir from Iceland talks about her work related to research on a holistic approach in education which needs to include contemplative elements. Being a member of the Community of Contemplative Education (CCE), she feels a connection based on the joint passion for the topic of wellbeing in education.
I believe there is no education without educating the mind and the heart, educating the whole child. (...) We don't know what skills future occupations will need, but we know that the world needds good people with good social and emotional skills. - Bryndís Jóna Jónsdóttir, Iceland
Hans Burghardt, Spain
Hans Burghardt teaches mainly Buddhist philosophy and is involved in bringing SEE learning into Spain. He talks about how the potential to be compassionate and become ethical human beings is not explicitly included in education today - and how Contemplative Education can offer the tools, the knowledge and the space to let students find out who they are.
(...) for me it's pretty clear that Contemplative Education is education par excellence. It is great to have education to train ourself, develop our technical skills, scientific skills, but somehow I have the feeling that we have focus on what we are. We are human beings, we are social beings. - Hans Burghardt, Spain
Salla-Maarit Volanen, Finland
Salla-Maarit Volanen from Finland is a leader and researcher for healthy learning and explores the effects of mindfulness practices in the school context. Moreover, she also teaches mindfulness to teachers, educators and students across the whole educational sector from primary schools to administration.
(...) To me, education should start from strengthening and establishing our attention which is the building block of all learning, including also so-called future meta-skills such as curiosity, collaboration, resilience and self-regulation skills. - Salla-Maarit Volanen, Finland
Pilar Aguilera, Spain
Pilar Aguilera talks about her own experience of applying contemplative studies in the field of education. Not only students, but also teachers can gain great value like increased focus, more enthusiasm and less stress.
Mindfulness and contemplative education is a key aspect in schools today. From my experience (...) I have seen that when teachers practice mindfulness, they feel calmer and more grounded, they are more innovative and enthusiastic about teaching. - Pilar Aguilera, Spain
Kami Dvorakova, Czech Republic
Kami Dvorakova talks about her work related to projects in mindfulnes and mental health in education. The main reason she chose to work in mindfulness-based education is her interest in progress.
We need to wake up to the reality that the traditional educational system does not serve the whole child. Math and history are not enough. - Kami Dvorakova, Czech Republic
Orlaith O'Sullivan, Ireland
In her work, Orlaith O'Sullivan supports people to practise mindfulness and cultivate happiness, especially in the context of education. Her aim is to create happier communites.
So we learn how to take care of ourselves, so that we can take care of everyone else in our life. (...) When we create a space where everyone can participate just as they are, at their level, then it's true inclusion. - Orlaith O'Sullivan, Ireland
Vera Kaltwasser, Germany
Vera Kaltwasser from Germany is a qualified MBSR teacher and has been working in teacher training for a long time. Together with colleagues, she's started to interweave mindfulness into teacher training.
It is very important that teachers - before they convey the attitude of mindfulness to their students - that they themselves really embody mindfulness, so that they can become a role model by being really present.- Vera Kaltwasser, Germany
Helle Jensen, Germany
How can Contemplative Education (CE) can support us during challenging times? Helle Jensen talks about the program she's involved in as well as about particular issues during the pandemic.
We work at the ability to create, maintain and, when necessary, restore healthy and mutually beneficial relationships. - Helle Jensen, Germany
Oren Ergas, Israel
Oren Ergas is involved in research and teaching of contemplative practices in higher education in general and specifically in teacher education. He talks about what might mindfulness practice can contribute to teaching in the classroom.
What makes me work in this field? It all begins with my personal journey into these practices that has begun over twenty years ago, struggling to figure out life. (...) - Oren Ergas, Israel
Rony Berger, Israel
Rony Berger, from the Compassion and Mindfulness Center at Tel Aviv University, talks about the development of a social-emotional and contemplative practices program to be implemented in schools around Israel.
We know that contemplative practices are very useful on an individual basis - I know it from my own personal experience as well as from my colleagues. - Rony Berger, Israel
Hai Nguyen Phuoc, Vietnam
Hai Nguyen Phuoc from Vietnam talks about the Happy Schools Project centered around mindfulness where students and teachers learn how to care for themselves and care for others.
We want to create a place where students can contribute to a sustainable society. - Hai Nguyen Phuoc, Vietnam
Presence and Empathy in Public Schools. A Film about Relational Competence
This film on the "Relational Competence Project" was produced at the Teacher Education in Aarhus. The video is in Danish with English subtitles.
Presentations
Current events of the CCE
| EVENT TYPE | TOPIC (click on the title to learn more) | EXPERT / HOST | DATE |
| Presentation | The Community of Contemplative Education (CCE) | Prof. Katherine Weare Principal Investigator CCE, MInd & Life Europe | September 15, 2018 Rotterdam |
| Presentation (online) | Teacher training for mindfulness and empathy in education Dr. Arist von Hehn presented the AVE Institute Teacher Education Programme in Germany, which has been going now for a few years and to my mind has a very distinctive whole school approach from which we all might learn. It focuses on training teachers to help lead their schools in integrating mindfulness and empathy into classroom processes, and on outreach to parents and the school administration, to not only improve wellbeing and learning but in ways that may help shift the very culture of the school. | Dr. Arist von Hehn AVE Institut gGmbH | April 20, 2020: 12:30 CEST |
| Presentation (online) | ?Empathie macht Schule? is a model project at three primary schools in Berlin, Germany, which has several unusual and innovative features that will be of interest to those developing mindfulness based approaches in schools within the context of social and emotional learning and a whole school approach. This presentation will outline the theoretical base for the programme - that children learn better when adults succeed in building a sincere relationship with them, and for that adults need relationship competencies, empathy and mindfulness and the willingness to reflect on difficult situations. We will explore how the project teaches teachers to use mindfulness practice and dialogue to enhance the empathy, compassion and presence in the school/classroom in an attempt to create a sound environment for wellbeing, learning and development, including in challenging situations. We will outline how we are evaluating the project using an innovative mixed method research design approach. | Helle Jensen & Corina Aguilar-Raab
| June 25, 2020: 15:00 CEST |
| Presentation (online) | SEE learning (Social, Emotional and Ethical Learning) is a ground breaking SEL programme for 5 -18 year olds, which contains a unique combination of evidence based components on social and emotional learning,mindfulness/attention training, the cultivation of compassion for self and others, resiliency skills based on trauma-informed care, systems thinking, and ethical discernment. It contains age-specific curricula for early and late elementary, middle school and a high school curriculum is under development. SEE Learning is the culmination of over two decades of academic cross-cultural collaboration between Emory University and the Dalai Lama, who has long called for an education of heart and mind. If you would like more information and download of the free SEE Learning materials please visit the website: seelearning.emory.edu. | Mikkel Kristiansen, Hans Burghardt & Tyralynn Frazier
| September 17, 2020
15:00 CEST |
| Presentation (online) | Developmental Contemplative Neuroscience in education: what do we know so far? Research on cognitive and neural changes resulting from contemplative training in schools is still in its early stages but there is an emerging pattern of findings pointing to changes in two key capacities underlying wellbeing ? the self-regulatory capacity and the capacity of existential awareness. We will explore what these mean and how they relate to everyday life and to education. Examples of research from the Well Minds Lab investigating changes in these capacities as a result of contemplative training will be presented. The initial overarching picture of findings is encouraging but also suggests that longer-term training is needed for these kinds of neurocognitive changes reliably to appear particularly in children. We will look at the implications of this research for contemplative education. | Dusana Dorjee | October 29, 2020
15:30 CET |
| Presentation (online) | The Sagol Purple Schools Program ? a mindfulness-based whole-school 3-year program ? is part of her larger vision of a mindfulness-based social change in Israeli society. The Purple Schools Program emphasizes the levels of school leadership, school as an organization, and the school?s teachers to foster a culture and climate that is caring and need-supportive and an education that is contemplative. From its beginning the program has been developed so it can be brought to scale in the future. In the talk, Nava will share the structures and processes the Project?s ?R&D Purple Lab? has create towards developing a scalable and sustainable program and the challenges and dilemmas that the project has been facing in this path. | Nava Levit-Binnun
| December 10, 2020
16:00 CET |
Presentation (online) | Agency: how is mindfulness a foundational capacity for intentional action in urgent times? Jamie Bristow, a member of the Community of Contemplative Education (CCE) since the initial meeting in Rotterdam in fall 2018, gave a presentation on his recent publication ?Mindfulness: Developing Agency in Urgent Time?. As the director of the 'The Mindfulness Initiative', Jamie addressed the ?multiple interconnected crises call for skilful response on a global scale?. It seems that ?our capacity for intentional action in our collective best interest is underdeveloped and increasingly undermined.? This paper will open a dialogue on the contribution of evidence-based mindfulness training to individual and collective agency. | Jamie Bristow | March 25, 2021
16:00 CET |
| Presentation (online) | 'Mindfulness and the Education of Character' Prof. Guy Claxton, cognitive scientist by training and writer of over 30 books on psychological processes and education and CCE member will give a presentation on his latest book ?The Future of Teaching And the Myths That Hold It Back? (Routledge). | Guy Claxton | May 27, 2021
17:00 CEST |
Please note: these presentations are directed towards current active members of the Community of Contemplative Education (CCE). If you wish to participate in one of the upcoming presentations, please send an e-mail to office(at)mindandlife-europe.org.
Katherine Weare, United Kingdom (part 1 + part 2)
Prof. Katherine Weare's presentations (part 1 + 2) at the inaugural CCE meeting September 2018. To view the full presentations please click on it.
AVE Institut | Arist von Hehn, Germany
This presentation was done as part of Mind & Life Europe's Community of Contemplative Education (CCE). It was held by Arist von Hehn of the AVE Institut für Achtsamkeit Verbundenheit Engagement about their Teacher Training Modules. To view the full presentation please click on it.
'Empathie macht Schule' - Whole school approach | Helle Jensen & Corina Aguilar-Raab, Germany
This presentation was done as part of Mind & Life Europe's Community of Contemplative Education (CCE). It was held by Helle Jensen & Corina Aguilar-Raab on the whole school approach project 'Empathie macht Schule'. To view the full presentation please click on it.
Social, Emotional, and Ethical Learning (SEEL) | Mikkel Kristiansen, Hans Burghardt and Tyralynn Frazier, United States/Europe
This presentation was done as part of Mind & Life Europe's Community of Contemplative Education (CCE). It was held by Mikkel Kristiansen, Hans Burghardt and Tyralynn Frazier on September 17, 2020. To view the full presentations and the video of this call, please click on it.
Developmental Contemplative Neuroscience in education: what do we know so far? | Dusana Dorjee, United Kingdom
This presentation was done as part of Mind & Life Europe's Community of Contemplative Education (CCE). It was held by Dusana Dorjee on the research project 'Developmental Contemplative Neuroscience in education: what do we know so far?'. To view the full presentation please click on it.
The Sagol Purple Schools Program - can we go both DEEP and BROAD with a mindfulness-based whole-school program? | Nava Levit-Binnun, Israel
This presentation was done as part of Mind & Life Europe's Community of Contemplative Education (CCE). It was held by Nava Levit-Binnun on the whole school project 'The Sagol Purple Schools Program - can we go both DEEP and BROAD with a mindfulness-based whole-school program?'. To view the full presentation please click on it.
Agency: how is mindfulness a foundational capacity for intentional action in urgent times? | Jamie Bristow, United Kingdom
Jamie Bristow, a member of the Community of Contemplative Education (CCE) since the initial meeting in Rotterdam in fall 2018, gave a presentation on his recent publication ?Mindfulness: Developing Agency in Urgent Time? on March 25, 2021.
As the director of the 'The Mindfulness Initiative', Jamie addressed the ?multiple interconnected crises call for skilful response on a global scale?. It seems that ?our capacity for intentional action in our collective best interest is underdeveloped and increasingly undermined.? This paper will open a dialogue on the contribution of evidence-based mindfulness training to individual and collective agency.
'Mindfulness and the Education of Character' | Guy Claxton, United Kingdom
This presentation was done as part of Mind & Life Europe's Community of Contemplative Education (CCE). It was held by Guy Claxton on his new book ?The Future of Teaching And the Myths That Hold It Back? (Routledge).To view the full presentation please click on it.
