Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village Community of monastic and lay members have over 30 years of experience practicing and teaching mindfulness, and developing a path of ethical living for modern society. We have shared these practices with thousands of people, including teachers, parents, children, social workers, therapists, police officers, health care workers, politicians, businesspeople, and artists, many of whom have become teachers of mindfulness and community-builders in their own right. In particular, we have led hundreds of retreats for families with children and teens programs, as well as retreats for educators and students, in which we have developed and refined a rich and effective range of practices for transmitting mindfulness to young people.
What is Wake Up Schools?
We recognize the importance of creating sustainable and lasting programs in schools that support the happiness and well-being of teachers, administrators, students, and parents. The Wake Up Schools initiative is the manifestation of this aspiration.
Wake Up Schools uses mindfulness, the energy of being aware and awake to what is happening inside and around us in the present moment, to nourish education communities that excel in social emotional learning, moral/ethical education, experiential learning, stress reduction, and inner resilience. In doing this the classroom and school become a family, enabling participants to lead happy, healthy, and meaningful lives.