We exist because of our vision: we want to ensure all students are well and whole. All of us at Space Between, board, staff, and others who work with us, are involved because we have experienced the transformative nature of the practice of mindfulness. It is our joy, honor and pleasure to teach and serve others so they may experience it as well. Let’s face it, life is hard sometimes, especially after the global pandemic, and our teachers, students, and schools have been significantly impacted. Teachers are more stressed than ever (Forbes, January 2022) and student mental health and well-being continues to decline (US Surgeon General, 2021) and (Education Week, January 2022).
Who Are We?We are a non-profit organization, a 501(c)(3) founded in 2016 in Seattle, WA. We are the only Seattle Public Schools mindfulness non-profit partner with a singular purpose of cultivating integration and wholeness for school-aged youth through trauma-informed, mindfulness-based social emotional learning practices. When integrating mindfulness practices into school communities, teachers are able to be more effective in their relationships with students, and students are better able to learn, develop friendships, and remain an integral part of school communities.
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The space created between the stressor and our response gives people more agency for wise choices for much needed change in our systems and institutions. Being intentional about mindfulness today brings a brighter future to school communities.
Mindfulness creates systemic support for the mental health and well-being of students, teachers, and families in school communities. Almost forty years of research indicates that the practices of mindfulness, breathing, and intentional movement create a relaxation response in the nervous system. |
Between stimulus and response there is a space.
In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
- often attributed to Viktor E. Frankl
In that space is our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
- often attributed to Viktor E. Frankl
What Is Mindfulness?Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment with compassion and curiosity (Dr. Christopher Willard and Dr. Ruth King). Over time, the practices help people experience life in a more responsive way and improve the functioning of the brain. This includes increasing executive functioning, reducing the activity in the amygdala (fight, flight, freeze center of the brain), and creating more mental and emotional well-being. Benefits that have been shown in various studies include: increased focus; a greater sense of being grounded; improved compassion and understanding for self and others; decreased anxiety and stress; more skilled responses to difficult emotions; like anger, better understanding of self; and many other benefits.
A significant and growing body of evidence shows that school-based mindfulness programs, such as Space Between, reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, improve self-regulation skills, support physical health, and assist youth in engaging in healthy relationships (Pennsylvania State, 2020). This is supported by what we find in our student and educator evaluations. |
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Our Mission, Vision & ValuesMission:
We facilitate human and school transformation through mindfulness practices. Vision: We want to ensure all students are well and whole. |
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Values:
We believe in integrated mindfulness practices that promote:
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At our core, we approach our work with a race and social justice lens. This means that we need to serve and support students and communities in ways that mitigate and eliminate injustice and inequities. We believe deeply that mindfulness can facilitate awareness that helps to reduce inequities by working and changing systems from within. This also means that we are responsible for both our intention and our impact.