Core Components

Youth Mindfulness Kids Programme is a universal school-based programme for 7–11-year-old children across the full range of socio-economic levels including children with additional learning needs in mainstream education.  Mindfulness aims to empower young people to realise their potential regardless of their social circumstances. The Kids Programme intends to foster an environment where children can imagine the future they could shape for themselves, how they could transform their own minds, grow compassion and develop resilience to meet challenges that they will face. The programme aims to build mindfulness with a progressive structure, cultivate the key foundations of mindfulness - intention, attention and attitude – and provide a foundation for growing gratitude, resilience and kindness.

Youth Mindfulness Kids is delivered, in the classroom over 16 one-hour lessons.  The programme utilises games, videos and activities to inspire and interest children to help them to become fully present for each moment of their lives, bringing ease and relaxation to their nervous system, enjoy more deeply the good things in life and learn to bring compassion to what they find difficult. 

The programme includes a structured, comprehensive teacher’s manual with teacher guidance, full lesson/session plans, as well as videos, PowerPoint presentations and resources needed to deliver the programme. 

Fidelity

Fidelity is supported by (1) standardised materials including a manual (2) standardised training and, (3) lesson/session plans.

Modifiable Components

All core elements of the programme are strongly recommended for implementation and programme lessons can be integrated into the school day dependent upon the teacher’s schedule.  

Youth Mindfulness for children was developed by Youth Mindfulness based in Glasgow, Scotland.

Support for Organisation / Practice

Implementation Support

Support is provided from the Youth Mindfulness team of trainers.

Licence Requirements

A licence is not required to deliver this programme.

Start-up Costs

Training costs are £649 per participant. This includes training, training materials, digital resources and delivery of manuals.

Building Staff Competency

Qualifications Required

Training is suitable for schoolteachers, therapists, social workers, yoga teachers, mindfulness practitioners, counsellors and youth workers who have some form of introductory mindfulness training and have been putting the learning into regular mindfulness practise for a minimum of 3 months. The introductory training can be completed via an introductory 8-week mindfulness course or by using the free Healthy Minds App developed by the University of Wisconsin over a 3-month period.

Training Requirements

Online training is delivered over 12 weeks, with a one-week break in weeks 5 and 9.  The core of the training is weekly 2-hour long online sessions which covers all 16 lessons as delivered to the children. Teachers will also have access to more than 30 video meditations to support personal engagement as well as on-demand lectures exploring the science and theory underpinning the programme.  In addition to this, in weeks 1-3 and weeks 6-8 there will be an additional one-hour online mindfulness practice session. In weeks 10-12 the course participants will meet in small group practice pods with fellow course participants to practice the key teachings skills.

Supervision Requirements

There are no supervision or coaching requirements for this programme.

Theory of Change

The Youth Mindfulness Programmes draw on a large research base showing that mindfulness practice increases the activation of important areas of the brain, particularly the neocortex.  As such the programme aims to bring improvements to attentional control, executive function, emotional regulation, and impulse control. Through gratitude and kindness practices, the programme aims to increase the experience of positive emotions, reduce negative emotions, and support empathy and prosociality.  The programme seeks to positively impact a number of inner resources that are key to flourishing and wellbeing.

Values

The Youth Mindfulness Programmes believe mindfulness empowers children to connect with themselves, to discover their innate strengths and to realise their potential regardless of their social circumstances.

• Is promoting mindfulness to support the development of children’s mental health and wellbeing a key value of your service/organisation?

Priorities

Youth Mindfulness Kids aims to foster an environment where children, aged 7 – 11 years, can imagine the future they could shape for themselves, how they could transform their own minds, grow compassion and develop resilience to meet challenges that they will face.

• Is working with children aged 7-11 years in a prevention approach priority for your service?
• Is teaching children mindfulness skills, with the aim of improving their chances of social and academic success a priority for your service?

Existing Initiatives

• Does your service already provide prevention programmes aiming to improve children’s mental health outcomes and coping strategies?
• Does your area have practitioners trained in delivering the Youth Mindfulness Kids Programme?
• Do you have links with CAMHS, Adult Mental Health Services and Child Protection Services to refer onto if required? (9)

Workforce

It is recommended that practitioners who train to deliver the Youth Mindfulness Kids Programme have already practiced mindfulness for at least 3 months, with ongoing regular practice and have a passion to put this into practice. Training is delivered over 12 weekly two hour long online sessions and the programme is delivered in school over 16 one-hour lessons.

• Do you practitioners willing to commit to practicing mindfulness?
• Do you have practitioners who are able to commit to the training?
• Do you have practitioners available to commit to delivering the full extent of this programme?

Technology Support

Online training requires technology that enables web access to teaching, resources, and zoom.

• Do you have access to adequate technology to support participants to effectively undertake training online and to access all elements of the programme?

Administrative Support

Preparation for each session is minimal requiring only basic administration needs such as printing and scheduling.

• Do you have enough administrative capacity to meet these needs?

Financial Support

Training in Youth Mindfulness Kids Programme cost £649 per participant which includes training, training materials, digital resources and delivery of manuals.

• Do you have the finances to purchase the training and programme resources?

Comparable Population

The Youth Mindfulness Kids Programme is designed as a universal programme for all school children aged 7-11 years across the full range of socio-economic levels.

Qualitative research conducted has included primary 6 children aged 9-10, at school in Glasgow.

• Is this comparable to the population you serve?
• Does your organisation have existing contacts with this population?
• Are you likely to receive enough referrals/demand for eligible schools and services to populate a recurring programme of the Youth Mindfulness Kids Programme?

Desired Outcome

Youth Mindfulness Kids Programme is a classroom based preventative programme designed to promote mental health, emotional well-being and aims to improve children’s coping skills and social skills.

Evidence of its effectiveness includes improvements in regulation of emotions, focus and concentration, reduction in over-reactiveness and aggression and improvements in relationships and ability to enjoy life.

• Do these outcomes align with the desired outcomes for children accessing your service?
• Do you have other existing initiatives that would be supportive of addressing this need and achieving these outcomes?