Art & Mindfulness for School Children-XX

Welcome to Art & Mindfulness for Schools. Workshop for Creativity and Well-being aimed at children and their parents. This is a single face-to-face intervention offered to elementary schools located in Mexico City.

I am Veronica Huacuja, a professional artist (painter, sculptor), and art educator. Additionally, I serve as the founder and CEO of Multimedios Integrales (https://multimediosintegrales.com), an educational and Social Responsibility consulting firm, where I have developed this program that I present to you. (1)

My teaching encourages participants to a journey that provides them with tools that enrich their lives improving their intra and interpersonal life through artistic enjoyment and mindfulness meditation. Likewise, the program promotes a learning environment of mutual support among the group.

Background. Primary Goal for the School.

The primary goal of this program is to improve the quality of life for the children in your institution. The education I offer can be aligned to the school’s internal Social Responsibility Program (SRP), because it addresses a human aspect of your institution. Therefore, this intervention, that improves the school community, leads the school to a better performance and its overall results.

The efforts that schools do for these stakeholders (children and their parents) are essential strategies that enhance the public image of the school’s reputation, increases it and improve its worth. The school authorities can include this learning and its results in the School’s Annual Social Responsibility Report. 

Specific Program's Goals for Participants.

1. The encourage of participants to incorporate an artistic hobby into their daily lives (drawing, painting, or clay sculpting). This artistic journey provides individuals with an avenue for self-expression and self exploration. Artistic creation on an intrapersonal level evoke a wide range of emotions, provoke introspection, and spark contemplation, leading to personal growth and a deeper understanding of oneself.

Moreover, art transcends the boundaries of the individual and extends into the realm of interpersonal connection. By integrating art into group settings it becomes a powerful tool for fostering social bonds and encouraging meaningful conversations. Engaging in artistic activities as a collective promotes collaboration, empathy, and a shared sense of purpose and belonging, where diverse perspectives converge and mutual understanding is cultivated.

These strategies encompass not only the practical aspects of artistic creation, but also the facilitation of a supportive and inclusive environment. I guide participants through exercises and techniques that unlock their creativity, nurture their artistic skills, and these enhance their overall well-being.

2. Adopt a daily mindfulness practice. This program is aimed to be an introductory practice to mindfulness meditation. It encourages participants to embrace its practice because it entails self-awareness, stress relief, self-regulation, and with it, achieve physical well-being.

The schools' interest in giving their community the mindfulness experience to enhance their lives are grounded in a multitude of research studies. These studies show the wide-ranging benefits of incorporating the mindfulness practices within diverse populations. (1)

3. Recognizing the family importance. The workshop fosters the participants to communicate their experiences within the family. Parents in this workshop are a key element to achieve the goals because their children need their support at home (pre and post activities). The educational components, as you will read further on, seek to arouse  parental interest in the topic and to engange them. 

Other Relevant Aspects.

I teach the workshop face-to-face in the school facilities. There's an assistant facilitator that accompanies me throughout the session. 

Educational Components.   

I provide the following components to the School Leader, the children, and their parents.

A. School Leader's Guide. I give a comprehensive guide to the School Leader in charge of the workshop. This document is a detailed resource that explains the educational method and specific content covered in the intervention. It also includes an overview of the aims and its outcomes, as well as step-by-step instructions for its implementation through a Session Plan. I recommend the School Leader review these documents to gain a full understanding of the workshop and its benefits for its community. 

B. Previous Family Exercises. With the support of the School Leader, I provide the participants—a week before the workshop—a home exercise that prepare them in advance for the workshop and its goals. These are 3 exercises, one for each parent (with the same contents) and another for the child. The parents must support this last exercise at home. 

C. A Family Guide. After the workshop, I give each family a printed invitation to digital links and other contents that intend to achieve the goals of the workshop in the long term.

The Workshop Characteristics.

Materials.

I prepare the workshop’s materials and take them to the school 2.5 hours before the workshop schedule.

The Workshop's Length.

1 hour (60 minutes)

Calendar & Schedule.

The School Leader defines the date and schedule according to the school agenda and my own. 

Technical Characteristics.

I use a projector to display a presentation that supports my speech during the workshop. 

I present to the School Leader other technical needs, such as a room with enough ventilation for all the participants, chairs, tables, electrical plugs, etc.    

Groups' Organization.  

Is important that each group comprises at the most 20 parents and their children. That is 60 persons:  20 students, and their respective parents (40). In this way, the workshop comprises the teaching for 60 people which I divide into work teams. If the number of participants is over these numbers, I recommend generating a second group.

Costs.

The cost per workshop includes its materials and the educational implementation (pre-during-post). Please contact me to give you the cost of the workshop. It's important to say the school must pay the cost for the entire workshop in advance 2 weeks before the implementation's date.

I will provide a contract to the School Leader to ensure that I comply with what the workshop entails.

Payment Methods.

You may use credit or debit cards through PayPal, or wire transfer.

Billing.

I will deliver an electronic invoice for your payment. 

Contact Me.

Contact me to learn more about the workshop. I'd send you an invitation via Zoom to discuss the learning method and ask me other questions you may have. This does not generate any commitment on your part.

Or you can email me at art@veronica.mx or call me at (52) 55 52 50 05 71 Ext. 801. Mexico City (Central Standard Time, CST), on working days, during business hours from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Thank you for your interest.

Welcome!

1. I invite you to choose the following link to know more about my academic training and professional experience: English, Spanish, https://multimediosintegrales.com

Bibliography.

American Psychological Association, APA. (no date).  What are the benefits of mindfulness. Retrieved on June 27, 2023 from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/07-08/ce-corner

Eline Snel, Myla Kabat-Zinn, Jon Kabat-Zinn. (2013). Sitting Still Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids (and Their Parents). Publisher: Shambhala

Jon Kabat-Zinn. (1990). Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness. Publisher: Random House. 

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, NIH. (no date). "Meditation and Mindfulness: What You Need To Know". Retrieved on June 2, 2023 from https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/meditation-and-mindfulness-what-you-need-to-know