Mindful Campus Initiative
The Mindful Campus Initiative is a partnership with the Centre for Mindfulness Studies (@mindfulnessstudies), Canada’s leading organization for mindfulness programs for depression, anxiety and stress. The program is fully funded by a Public Health Agency of Canada grant and led by OCAD University. Student tuition is not paying for this program and all parts of Mindful Campus is free for all students.
This new program, developed by the Centre for Mindfulness Studies in Toronto, was created specifically for art and design students – however students in other KPU programs are welcome to join us too! This year we’re offering online ‘Mindfulness for Resilience’ training sessions with the Centre for Mindfulness Studies, weekly hybrid ‘Mindful Gathering Sessions’, on-campus pop-up events and activities, and self-paced videos to support your mindfulness practice at home.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is paying attention to whatever is happening in the present moment. Practicing mindfulness can help you manage stress and anxiety and build resilience. When we are feeling stressed or overwhelmed, we can spend a lot of time worrying about what might happen in the future, regretting the past, or judging ourselves in the present for how we feel. This takes time away from what matters in life - friends, family, fun, work and creativity. A mindfulness practice helps us to slow down and notice how our thoughts and emotions affect our behaviours.
ABOUT THE CENTRE FOR MINDFULESS STUDIES
The Centre is a mental health charity founded in 2011, in Toronto. It is Canada’s leading professional development and service delivery organization for mindfulness-based programs for depression, anxiety and stress. Since 2011, the Centre has delivered programs to more than 20,000 people.
Mindfulness for Resilience Training
Whether you're a beginner or have some experience with mindfulness, this course is suitable for everyone looking to deepen their mindfulness practice. Students are welcome to register in one or more courses, in any sequence, and are encouraged to complete all four courses. Each course will be offered once during the fall and once during the spring semesters, and certificates will be issued to students who complete each course.
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Course 1: Mindfulness Building Blocks
Join us for an introductory course on mindfulness, its benefits for health and well-being, and simple practices to train attention and develop awareness of the present moment.
Mindfulness Building Blocks is the first course in the four-module Mindfulness for Resiliency Program. Over the course of four, one-hour group classes, mindfulness facilitators from the Centre for Mindfulness Studies will teach you about the basic concepts and principles of mindfulness. You'll learn how to use a mindful practice to identify thoughts, emotions and body sensations, and tools to help regulate your attention. Sessions will offer group discussion, small group work, meditation and reflective activities.
This course will be offered again during the spring semester over a period of four sessions:
- Monday, January 22nd
- Wednesday, January 24th
- Monday, January 29th
- Wednesday, January 31st
Registration Deadline: Thursday, January 18th
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Course 2: Personal Mindfulness
Join us for a course on mindfulness and its strategies for enhancing psychological flexibility, self-efficacy, and reducing reactivity.
Personal Mindfulness is the second course in the four-module Mindfulness for Resiliency Program. Over the course of three, one-hour group classes, mindfulness facilitators from the Centre for Mindfulness Studies will explore what can be helpful or harmful in our habits of mind, mood, and behaviour, and how we can work with that. You'll learn how to use a mindful practice to bring awareness to automatic thoughts and reactions, and strategies for responding rather than reacting. Sessions will offer group discussion, small group work, meditation and reflective activities.
This course will be offered again during the spring semester over a period of three sessions:
- Monday, February 5th
- Wednesday, February 7th
- Monday, February 12th
Registration Deadline: Thursday, February 1st
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Course 3: Interpersonal Mindfulness
Join us for a course on mindfulness and explore the power of mindful communication and connection in building resilience and fostering well-being. Through practical techniques and exercises, students will gain a deeper understanding of how to respond mindfully during challenging communication and build stronger relationships.
Interpersonal Mindfulness is the third course in the four-module Mindfulness for Resiliency Program. Over the course of three, one-hour group classes, mindfulness facilitators from the Centre for Mindfulness Studies will explore the principles and practices of mindful communication and their role in building stronger connections. You'll gain a deeper understanding of how mindfulness can teach us to communicate more effectively, reduce judgment, and help cultivate empathy and compassions. Sessions will offer group discussion, small group work, meditation and reflective activities.
This course will be offered again during the spring semester over a period of three sessions:
- Monday, February 26th
- Wednesday, February 28th
- Monday, March 4th
Registration Deadline: Thursday, February 22nd
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Course 4: Building Your Mindful Toolkit
Join us for a course on mindfulness and learn additional concepts and practices that help you maintain and enhance resilience on an ongoing basis. Classes will focus on developing mindful attitudes, gratitude, self-compassion, savouring positive experience, and self-care through discussion, activities and mindfulness practices.
Building Your Mindful Toolkit is the fourth course in the four-module Mindfulness for Resiliency Program. Over the course of three, one-hour group classes, mindfulness facilitators from the Centre for Mindfulness Studies will show you how to build your own personal toolkit of skills, practices, and exercises that can be used in everyday life to maintain and enhance well-being. Sessions will offer group discussion, small group work, meditation and reflective activities.
This course will be offered again during the spring semester over a period of three sessions:
- Monday, March 11th
- Wednesday, March 13th
- Monday, March 18th
Registration Deadline: Thursday, March 7th
Weekly Mindful Gathering Sessions
Weekly Mindful Gathering Sessions – From September 22nd – November 10th, we will be running Mindful Gathering Sessions from on Fridays from 12:15 – 12:45pm. All students are welcome to join us either in person or online. Drop-ins are permitted, and no registration is required. Please check the WSD Community Moodle site for each week’s gathering location (on campus) and web link for those joining online.
Mindful Campus was developed in collaboration with the Centre for Mindfulness Studies. The Centre is a mental health charity and was founded in 2011, in Toronto. It's Canada's leading professional development and service delivery organization for mindfulness based programs for depression, anxiety, and stress.
Contact Us
For questions about the program, please contact:
Melanie Bland
Project Coordinator, Mindful Campus Initiative
Email: mindfulcampus@kpu.ca
