Mindfulness Youth Team
Patricia Ward, M.Ed.
Patti has been teaching the Mindful Schools Curriculum since the spring of 2013. She has taught PS/K – 12th grades in both private and public school settings. She has had a personal mindfulness practice for many years and will confirm that it has changed her life in immeasurable ways. She completed a yearlong course with the Mindful Schools group based in California, to become a certified Mindful Schools Instructor. She has also received training from Patricia C. Broderick, Ph.D, author of "Learning to Breathe" an adolescent mindfulness curriculum. She has completed the yearlong evidenced based, Koru Mindfulness Training program for Emerging Adults (ages 18 - 29) e.g. college - aged students. In July 2017 she completed a week long intensive training in Making Friends with Yourself, a self compassion training for adolescents and young adults. She is currently a Guiding Teacher for Mindful Schools Year long teacher certification program.
Certified Mindful Schools Instructor Phone: 616-204-2099 Email: pattiward@gmail.com |
Brenda Schroeder, LMSW
Brenda has been a School Social Worker and Behavioral Consultant for over 30 years, servicing students from pre-school to post-secondary. The principles of mindfulness have been a major focus in her professional and personal life. She has completed the Mindful School Fundamentals and Educator Essentials courses and is finalizing her certification in the Koru Mindfulness program for teaching emerging adults. Currently, she is working in an alternative high school where the student population has struggled with significant trauma, school failure and other major barriers to earning a high school diploma. In that setting and with other student groups, Brenda has found that Mindfulness instruction and practice holds significant promise in addressing the challenges of emotional regulation and attention control, as well as managing stressful and traumatic experiences and overwhelming feelings of fear and anxiety.
Certified Tai Chi and Qigong Instructor, Licensed Social Worker 616-450-8944 Email: bschroeder@chartermi.net |
Cheryl Blackington, M.Ed.
Cheryl Blackington had 37 years of teaching in the public schools before retiring and becoming involved teaching mindfulness to youth. She is certified to teach mindful stress reduction through Mindfulness in Schools (.b), and has been teaching mindfulness to youth for the past six years. She has numerous other trainings in the mindfulness arena: Adult 8 week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Self Compassion classes, a variety of Mindful Schools courses, Koru for the college age, and a Self Compassion week long training to teach youth self compassion and heartfulness. Cheryl has taught students ranging from 2nd grade through college age through Grand Rapids Center for Mindfulness and in area public schools.
Certified .B Instructor 616-581-9127 Email: teensjustbreathe@gmail.com Website: www.teensjustbreathe.weebly.com |