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CALM Kids is the Sean O’Shea Foundation’s dynamic mindfulness program designed for use in school settings. CALM stands for Chair-based Activities for Learning Mindfulness and consists of focused breathing, stretching, and mindful centering exercises that can be led by teachers, social workers and counselors using the resources provided in our CALM Kids training workshop. Research has shown that when practiced regularly, even in small doses, a dynamic mindfulness program like CALM Kids can have a positive impact on student behavior, mental state, health and performance.
When children experience ongoing stress in their lives - whether due to the challenges of poverty or the pressures of high expectations in more affluent communities - their ability to recognize and cope with stress and other strong emotions becomes a critical skill that helps determine whether they thrive academically and socially. As breakthroughs in neurobiology confirm the benefits of meditation and dynamic mindfulness practices in dealing with stress and behavioral issues, more schools are trying to find ways to incorporate them into their classrooms.
Recognizing that most schools lack the budget for a full-time dynamic mindfulness instructor, the Sean O’Shea Foundation developed the CALM Kids program and training as a way to make dynamic mindfulness an accessible and sustainable classroom practice. In our training, participants learn simple, effective exercises that they can easily implement with their students. Over time, CALM Kids can become a useful tool to help students develop emotional intelligence and to help educators create an inclusive, supportive, and stimulating academic environment.
“Thank you for clearly presenting easy, practical, and beneficial techniques that I can immediately begin using in my classroom.” -Clark Middle School teacher.
“This workshop opened my eyes to fixing and helping the root of students’ behavior problems instead of just temporarily silencing them.” -Harriet Tubman Charter School Teacher
When children experience ongoing stress in their lives - whether due to the challenges of poverty or the pressures of high expectations in more affluent communities - their ability to recognize and cope with stress and other strong emotions becomes a critical skill that helps determine whether they thrive academically and socially. As breakthroughs in neurobiology confirm the benefits of meditation and dynamic mindfulness practices in dealing with stress and behavioral issues, more schools are trying to find ways to incorporate them into their classrooms.
Recognizing that most schools lack the budget for a full-time dynamic mindfulness instructor, the Sean O’Shea Foundation developed the CALM Kids program and training as a way to make dynamic mindfulness an accessible and sustainable classroom practice. In our training, participants learn simple, effective exercises that they can easily implement with their students. Over time, CALM Kids can become a useful tool to help students develop emotional intelligence and to help educators create an inclusive, supportive, and stimulating academic environment.
“Thank you for clearly presenting easy, practical, and beneficial techniques that I can immediately begin using in my classroom.” -Clark Middle School teacher.
“This workshop opened my eyes to fixing and helping the root of students’ behavior problems instead of just temporarily silencing them.” -Harriet Tubman Charter School Teacher
How to Bring CALM Kids to Your School
CALM Kids Training for School Teachers and
Professionals Working with Kids
CALM Kids Teacher Training:
*To save money and the environment, SOSF provides only digital copies of all workshop materials. The hosting school or organization must either print or provide these materials via email to participants.
To launch CALM Kids a school may choose to have SOSF instructors facilitate the program in the initial phase. This allows teachers to observe and practice CALM Kids themselves, while stimulating their own creativity, curiosity, and suggestions for adapting the practice to their student population. We can provide a SOSF instructor for as little as one month or a whole semester. Our instructors visit three classrooms per hour, spending about 15 minutes with each class. We recommend timing the classroom visits during the earlier half of the school day. Below is a cost breakdown to have SOSF come to your school and teach your students the CALM Kids program weekly.
CALM Kids Classroom Program:
Hour(s) Classes (3/hr) Cost/hour Cost/week
One 3 $50 $50
Two 6 $45 $90
Three 9 $40 $120
Four 12 $35 $140
Five 15 $35 $175
($35/hour for four hours or more)
- CALM Kids training open to the public - $25/person
- CALM Kids training for school groups - $250* (18 Maximum)
- CALM Kids training for assemblies or conferences - $395*
- Junior CALM Kids Trainings – Free to students participating in SOSF programs
- CALM Kids programs taught by SOSF teachers - $35-$50/hour*
*To save money and the environment, SOSF provides only digital copies of all workshop materials. The hosting school or organization must either print or provide these materials via email to participants.
- The CALM Kids Teacher Training is an interactive two-hour workshop designed for schoolteachers, counselors, psychologists, administrators and other staff.
- Our SOSF CALM Kids instructor will be available to answer any questions.
- Schools that sign up for the CALM Kids trainings will receive a free 30-minute review session one month after the initial training.
- Junior Mentors are students who have been practicing CALM Kids at their school and have expressed interest in assisting their teacher in the classroom. Junior Mentors receive free training with bi-monthly review meetings at the school.
- Individuals who have completed a CALM Kids training may be invited to participate in follow-up events throughout the year - workshops, lectures, and open houses on related topics.
To launch CALM Kids a school may choose to have SOSF instructors facilitate the program in the initial phase. This allows teachers to observe and practice CALM Kids themselves, while stimulating their own creativity, curiosity, and suggestions for adapting the practice to their student population. We can provide a SOSF instructor for as little as one month or a whole semester. Our instructors visit three classrooms per hour, spending about 15 minutes with each class. We recommend timing the classroom visits during the earlier half of the school day. Below is a cost breakdown to have SOSF come to your school and teach your students the CALM Kids program weekly.
CALM Kids Classroom Program:
Hour(s) Classes (3/hr) Cost/hour Cost/week
One 3 $50 $50
Two 6 $45 $90
Three 9 $40 $120
Four 12 $35 $140
Five 15 $35 $175
($35/hour for four hours or more)