The Center for Investigating Healthy Minds

GETTING INVOLVED

I’m a teacher from a local school, how do I become involved in one of your current studies?
To become involved with our research, you and your school/district must be working directly with the Center. This often starts with your district administration contacting the Center to express interest. We currently do not have any research studies where teachers can participate without involvement of the school and/or district. We also do not have stand-alone courses, programs or training designed to teach mindfulness. For resources on mindfulness training, see our resources webpage.

Will there be future opportunities for myself, my classroom or my school to become involved in one of your studies?
As we expand our current research, we hope to have more opportunities to include more classrooms and schools. In the short-term, we’re working primarily with Madison-area schools at specific grade levels and with specific populations of students.

I would like to collaborate with CIHM on my current research/work related to mindfulness, education and children. Who do I contact about next steps?
We receive numerous requests from individuals and organizations wishing to collaborate on research and outreach projects. When our team discusses possible collaborations, we consider how central the partnership is to our greater mission, how much time and resources we have available and how the work will build upon our research priorities. If inquiring about a possible collaboration, we request you put this inquiry into a proposal form, with as many details as possible. Email your proposals to info@investigatinghealthyminds.org or a CIHM staff member if that’s the direction given to you. Without a funding source, it is unlikely that CIHM will add projects to their agenda in the near future.

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MATERIALS/CURRICULUM

Do you have any materials or instructional lessons that I can use in my classroom?
Not at this time. Our materials and lessons are currently used for research purposes only. For available lessons and materials, see our resources page.

When will your materials and curriculum be available to the public?
Our goal is to provide the public with information about effective and useful practices based on rigorous scientific research. As the research progresses and we evaluate the effectiveness of these practices, we can begin making information available. 

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EXPERTISE/ADVICE

How can I become someone who teaches mindfulness or serves in the role of a mindfulness instructor/expert?
The first step in becoming someone who teaches mindfulness is to begin and cultivate your own mindfulness practice and to have teaching background. If you are from the Madison area, we recommend utilizing local resources. You can find these and other national resources here.

I/we would like to incorporate mindfulness into our curriculum. Can the Center be involved in designing or offering advice on what might be most effective?
We currently do not design or write mindfulness curriculums except those directly related to CIHM research. On a case-by-case basis, we will offer advice to schools and/or organizations seeking advice and resources. Prior to any meetings or conversations, we ask that you fill out our community outreach form.  Our website lists mindfulness books and programs to assist learning more about this field of study.

I need a mindfulness expert to review the lesson/course I’m preparing for my class – can someone from CIHM help me with this?
At this time, unless it is in coordination with a CIHM research study, it is rare for our staff to review lessons and materials from outside organizations. We encourage you to utilize our resources page to find alternative resources that might be able to offer guidance. You are welcome to request expertise by filling out our community outreach form.

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INFORMATION/EVENTS

Does the CIHM have any opportunities for me to learn more about what the Center is doing with regard to education and mindfulness in the classroom?
Yes. We have a quarterly newsletter that highlights our latest research, events and activities. We also host public events related to the topic of education. Our website also contains information about our research related to education. The best way to stay connected is to use our CIHM sign-up form. And, if you are on Facebook, follow us!

Outside of CIHM, what are the local and/or online resources related to mindfulness?
The CIHM has a resources webpage dedicated to providing information and online resources related to mindfulness.

Can someone from CIHM come to my classroom (or organization, work group, etc.) to talk about what mindfulness is and/or provide a mindfulness workshop?
On a case-by-case basis, we do provide informational talks and presentations to organizations and community groups. Prior to considering community requests, we ask that you complete our community outreach form. We receive over a dozen requests each month and due to staff availability and time, we can only accommodate one or two per month. Please be as specific as possible when providing information.

I have a group of interested students/individuals who would like to tour the Center and learn more about your work and research. Do you offer these opportunities to the public?
On a case-by-case basis, we will provide tours of the CIHM space, Waisman Brain Imaging Core and offer information about our research and work. Prior to considering requests, we ask that you complete our community outreach form. Please be as specific as possible when providing information, particularly with dates and group size. We receive over a dozen requests each month and due to staff availability and time, we can only accommodate one or two per month. Please be as specific as possible when providing information.

I’m very interested and enthusiastic about your work in education. How can I stay connected and become involved?
We greatly appreciate the overwhelming community interest and support of our work. We encourage you to visit our website, become part of our Facebook community and sign-up to receive our CIHM Newsletter. Once signed-up on this list, you’ll also receive event notices and research news.

I am writing a story/article on the specific work at CIHM, can I schedule an interview with one of your scientists and/or staff to learn more about your work?
Yes, many of our scientists and staff are happy to talk with reporters and members of the press. Interviews depend on availability of CIHM scientists and staff, as well as the desired topic you wish to cover. You may submit an interview request via our community outreach form. If you have a deadline (less than 24 hours), you can also contact our director of communications. If emailing directly, please note your specific topic, person to interview and story deadline.

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PURPOSE

Why is the Center doing research on mindfulness and children? What does it hope to find?
The Center is studying whether and how mindfulness practices can positively impact students and teachers in their learning environments. Previous research focused on adults has demonstrated the effectiveness of mindfulness-based practices, yet far less research has been conducted examining how these practices might benefit younger children and adolescents. We also know that our brains are highly plastic and adaptable when we are young. Over the next few years, we’ll be investigating how to promote healthy habits of mind – like kindness and focused attention – during childhood and whether improvements in self-regulatory skills and behaviors that are important to social and academic competence are observed.

Why is the focus only on mindfulness? Does it plan to branch out and incorporate other contemplative practices?
We are just beginning our research, and so far it has included practices related specifically to mindfulness and kindness. We are deeply committed to exploring the most effective methods, tools and language that can most naturally bring about these healthy qualities of mind. We continue to explore practices as we expand the scope of our research.

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