on Education: February 2012

For those of us who teach mindfulness in educational settings, building an evidence base for our work is critical. Mindfulness programs in educational settings are growing in popularity, but if this trend is to continue, and not become a passing fad, it needs research.

I am often approached by people who have developed a mindfulness-based or contemplative program and want me to help them prove its efficacy. These conversations both hearten and dismay me. I’m heartened by the inspiration to help children and the ambition to build an evidence-based program. And I’m also discouraged by the lack of wherewithal to do the necessary research, both in terms of financial resources and the knowledge needed for the developer/researcher partnership to work.

I’m in a position to understand and empathize with the dilemma because I’ve seen it from both sides.