The Positive Impact of Mindfulness on Young People

In January 2012, after working for nearly a decade as a coach and classroom teacher, JG Larochette learned about mindfulness and finding great benefit in his life started teaching its principles and practices to his 3rd graders. They immediately engaged and wanted to build their mindfulness practices both individually and as a class.

For those unsure of what mindfulness is or may dismiss is as solely a spiritual construct, the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as: the quality or state of being mindful – the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis.

Piloted at the school JG spent nearly a decade at, Coronado Elementary School in Richmond, California in the Bay Area of northern California, he knew that even more students needed to explore mindfulness. Within months, JG applied to be a teacher for the district on special assignment to teach mindfulness in schools. When he was denied, JG started his own organization – Mindful Life Project (MLP) – and by year end they were partnering with 3 elementary schools in South Richmond.

"I care most about mindfulness being implemented with best practices and growing to reach every student." – JG Larochette, Founder and Executive Director, Mindfulness Life Project

Starting in 2012 with 4 part-time employees, 2 volunteers and a budget of just over $100K, MLP is now in more than 50 schools and has launched their direct-service programming outside of the Bay Area. JG’s team has 70 full-time employees and an annual budget of $5.2 million.

IMPACT

MLP has grown to deliver weekly mindfulness programming to more than 40,000 Title TK through 8th grade students and educators with trauma informed, research-based, and culturally relevant programs and curriculum. A 52% reduction in disciplinary actions has been realized and more than 80% of teachers report positive impact in their students’ self-awareness, self-regulation, ability to pay attention and in their ability to relate to peers in healthy ways. Additionally, 87% of teachers report gaining about 21 minutes of quality learning time per day, and 96% have recommend MLP programming to other schools.

WHAT’S NEXT?

When I asked JG, what’s next, he shared that their #1 impact goal is to “Share the impact of MLP’s direct service programs to make the case for them and their expansion.”

Today I’m doing my part to support that goal by shining a light on the Mindful Life Project and their desire to create a movement that touches and benefits the lives of young people. And today I’m grateful that JG reached to connect and share his story.

LinkedIn can work in many magical ways and meeting JG was one of them for me this year. He is a thoughtful, heart-centered leader who does this work from a genuine place of wanting to improve the lives of young people and others in the classroom in ways that other programs and initiatives do not. This is a lifelong commitment for JG!

As you’re doing your year-end giving or planning where to share your resources in 2024, read more about MLP and follow them on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and more. They are about doing good things to advance the wellness of young people and their educators and helping transform schools from historically often stress inducing spaces to places based on wellness, connection and belonging.

#thankfulthursday #education #youngpeople #mindfulness