Applications are now open for:
A One-Year Wake Up Schools Level II Training Program for North American Educators
Sponsored by Wake Up Schools and the North American Dharma Teacher Sangha
Accepting Applications through June 30, 2019
Wake Up Schools training consists of three levels.
– Level I training is focused on Taking Care of Oneself, learning the Plum Village basic practices in an educators retreat in the Plum Village tradition or a Wake Up Schools Level I Training course.
– Level II training is a one-year group or individual mentorship with a lay Dharma Teacher, sharing about personal practice and practice with students and/or other educators.
– Level III training, currently under development, will broaden and deepen Level II, preparing the educator to be a Wake Up Schools trainer.
The Wake Up Schools Level II training program couples groups and individual school teachers, counselors, and administrators; academics; and other educators residing in North America with lay Dharma Teachers from the Plum Village tradition to participate in monthly mentoring meetings with each other. With the support of Thich Nhat Hanh and Katherine Weare’s new book Happy Teachers Change the World: A Guide for Cultivating Mindfulness in Education, mentoring will focus on offering basic Plum Village practices: being with the breath, listening to the bell, sitting, walking, coming home to the body (e.g. total relaxation and mindful movement), mindful eating, practicing with strong emotions (e.g. belly breathing and being with anger) and being together (e.g. sharing and beginning anew) to students and/or other educators.
We invite educators (classroom teachers, school counselors, school administrators, and academics) who have:
• participated in an Educators Retreat in the Plum Village tradition or a Wake Up Schools Level I Training
• received and practiced the Five Mindfulness Trainings for at least one year
• and actively participated with a Sangha in the Plum Village tradition for at least one year
to apply by downloading the attached application, filling it out electronically, and sending it as an attachment to applications@wakeupschools.org accompanied by:
• The name and phone number of your Sangha contact person as a reference for you.
• One letter from a school or university administrator or program supervisor recommending your participation in the Wake Up Schools Level II Program.
• One letter from a professional colleague recommending your participation in the Wake Up Schools Level II Program.
Applications and supporting letters should be sent by June 30th.
We seek applicants with a breadth and depth of experience from diverse personal and school backgrounds.
Level II specifically calls for a one-year group or individual mentorship with a lay Dharma Teacher from the Plum Village tradition, sharing on personal practice and bringing Plum Village practice into educational settings. Mentees are expected to participate in a minimum of nine, monthly, one-hour mentor-mentee meetings. Meetings will utilize Skype, Google Hangouts, or Zoom. Prior experience with these is not a requirement.
Upon completion of these requirements, prior to receiving a Certificate of Commitment from Wake Up Schools, mentees will submit the following:
• A letter about her/his Level II training experience
• Two letters from students and/or educators who have benefitted from mindfulness teaching of the mentee
• One letter from the mentee’s lay Dharma Teacher mentor
Mentors will determine which mentees in their group will be invited to continue to Level III.
There is no charge for those selected to participate in this program. Those who wish to do so are invited to contribute dana to the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation.
To apply, download the application form linked below, fill it out electronically, and send it as an attachment to applications@wakeupschools.org by June 30th.
We are sorry that we are unable to accept applications from educators living outside of North America.
