Mindfully Creative Learning Project
2019 – 2020
Summary:
A year-long project producing a final book with the aim to show the benefits not only on mental wellbeing and self-esteem but also increased engagement with learning particularly literacy amongst children at risk of disengagement with learning and with complex needs.
What We Did
This was a project that had been a long time in the making, having first been identified as a priority need.
Our trustees undertook Mindfulness training to be able to teach the wonderful “Mindfulness In Schools” curriculums of “Paws B” and “Dot.B” as well as the new “The Present” course by the fabulous Sarah Silverman. Working with a local qualified teacher who is also a well established and respected author (Nurse Ted and Fly Me Stories), Dr. Ffion Jones, we devised a year-long project with the aim to show the benefits not only on mental wellbeing and self-esteem but also increased engagement with learning particularly literacy amongst children at risk of disengagement with learning and with complex needs. By equipping these children with the benefits of mindfulness understanding, empowering them with the awareness/understanding of what is happening inside their own brains and bodies. Enabling improved self-regulation of behaviour and allowing them to explore their thoughts, feelings, who they are, their community, etc via the non-threatening medium of creative arts expression.
The Results
The Project was amazing, benefiting so many home educated children with learning difficulties and although unable to end in the manner we had originally planned due to COVID Pandemic, we were able to quickly adapt and move online bringing Digital Art skills to the children and the fabulous Clicker 8 software to develop and empower their creative writing.