Mindfulness is the deliberate, investigative form of awareness that can offer individuals a way to come off habituated behaviors. Through activity and discussion participants will experience this scientifically proven and life changing practice.
The workshop will:
distinguish the similarities and differences between mindfulness, relaxation and meditation
teach a variety of relaxation, meditative, and mindfulness practices
experience activities that teach and support the neuroscience related to contemplative practices
develop a more authentic connection with one’s self and others
learn about awareness and its role in self regulation
develop strategies to establish a daily mindfulness practice
The six Full Value Behavioral Norms: Be Here, Be Safe, Be Honest, Set Goals, Let Go & Move On, Care for Self and Others, are foundational to social emotional learning; they dovetail with and extend the CASEL 5 Core Competences. Full Value teaches self-regulation and giving participants a voice. Key components are the group process, goal setting, co-creation of behavioral agreements, and learning through experience.
This program is offered in partnership with The Browne Center
Dr. Maizell has over 35 years of experience as an educator in the New Jersey Public Schools. He holds a Doctorate in School/Community Psychology. His lifelong passion has been in the area of social/emotional learning. Dr. Maizell founded Project Quest, a diversionary group-counseling program for court-involved youth in Sussex County, NJ. The program served students from nine county high schools, later expanding into middle and primary schools as an after school primary prevention program. In partnership with Project Adventure, a nationally known provider of experiential learning, Dr. Maizell conceptualized and constructed a universal playground in the Sussex-Wantage Regional District (NJ), which allowed for general education and differently abled students to play together on uniquely designed playground equipment.
In his last district, the Kinnelon Public Schools, Dr. Maizell implemented a district wide primary prevention program called Full Value Schools. As a result of this implementation harassment, intimidation, and bullying referrals and confirmed incidents fell significantly over a three-year period. Students reported, via school climate surveys, feeling far better equipped to self-regulate and confront inappropriate behaviors with their peers. Dr. Maizell’s program has been presented at national and regional conferences. Most recently he delivered a session to educators at The New Jersey Alliance for Social Emotional, and Character Development Conference (2019). He is the co-author of the book, Exploring Islands of Healing (2002) and the principal author of The Full Value School: A social emotional learning community (2019).
Mr. Grund has over 28 years of experience in the public schools serving as a member of child study teams, and Student Assistant Counselor and anti-bullying specialist. He holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from New York University and certifications as a New Jersey Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified School Social Worker, and Certified Student Assistance Coordinator.
Post-graduate training has included the Institute for the Advancement of Group Studies, UMASS’s Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy Training, the Stanford Forgiveness Therapy Training and Stanford Cultivating Compassion Training, and the Nalanda Institute Contemplative Psychotherapy Training. Mr. Grund is a certified Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapist and Mindful Education Teacher, Contemplative Therapist, Wilderness Medicine First Responder, and Stanford Project Forgiveness Therapy Trainer. Mr. Grund is currently in private practice as a licensed clinical social worker. He is a senior trainer for Project Adventure, Inc. providing workshops for educators and therapists in the areas of experiential therapy. He also works extensively with New Jersey school districts on integrating mindfulness into educational settings, presenting to administrative teams, teachers, parents. He most recently offered trainings to administrators in the Chatham, Montville, North Hunterdon, and Mountain Lakes Public Schools. Mr. Grund has also trained over 150 teachers in the Kinnelon Public Schools in order to implement their Full Value Communities primary prevention program. Mr. Grund was the recipient of the Somerset Hills Schools 2015 Educational Professional of the Year award.
