Lessons from High School
As a high school student, I took Bio, Chem and Physics. I finished my high school’s math requirement with a year left of school. Not knowing any better, I heeded my guidance counselor's advice and took Accounting my senior year instead of pursuing more advanced Math. When I got to college and met students who were studying something I'd never heard of called "Engineering" I felt blindsided. Why had no one let me know it was an option? I'm not sure I would have chosen to study Engineering (or been accepted to a program), but I certainly couldn't choose to pursue something I didn't even know existed.
This is one of the reasons why I’m so personally passionate about the work we do at Community Mindfulness Project: Agency - a person’s opportunity to choose something for themselves - only exists alongside Awareness of the options available, and Access to pursuing those options.
For the past month, we’ve had the honor to work with a group of students from Bridgeport’s Central High School as they explore six different mindfulness practices, select the one that most resonates with them, and then create guided meditation videos in their own words for other teens. These videos will be even more Access-expanding in that they will be recorded in Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. Authentic peer-to-peer learning and leadership are powerful tools for raising Awareness and Access, and for unlocking Agency.
Click below for the videos!
5-4-3-2-1 - In Spanish
Rollercoaster Breathing - In Portuguese
Gratitude Meditation - In Spanish
And thank you for your partnership in this work. We couldn’t be on the ground in schools or organizations working directly with community members if it wasn’t for the support - in all its forms - from the Community Mindfulness Project community.
May we all have the agency to make informed choices, and chances to work together to create the change we want to see in the world,
Erika Long
Co-Founder
Miguel and Daniela, two of our talented Mindfulness Ambassadors at Central High School