“Wellness Works in Schools”

Youth in underserved, urban communities may be at risk for a host of negative achievement and psychosocial outcomes. This may include, but not be limited to, social-emotional difficulties, behavior problems, and poor academic performance that are the byproduct of chronic environmental stressors. Mindfulness has the potential to lessen anxiety, promote social skills, and improve academic performance through the use of meditation, coping, and mindful awareness strategy instruction. This chapter deals with a discussion of Wellness Works in Schools, a mindfulness-based program in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States, which is designed to motivate, educate, and support students, teachers, and families in developing the mental, emotional, physical, and social competencies needed to handle life’s challenges. Research has shown a convergence of findings from correlational studies, clinical interventions, and experimental studies of mindfulness which show that mindfulness is positively associated with cognitive outcomes, socioemotional skills and psychological well-being.