Violence, drug use, sexual assault: constant exposure to these realities of some communities contribute to profound traumatic stress, especially in the developing minds of children. As a result, epidemic-level numbers of young people find it difficult to learn and succeed in school and in life. You can see the devastation in their eyes. Too often, this stress leads to mental and physical health issues such as anxiety, depression, substance use disorder, insomnia, eating disorders and even suicide.
Teachers and administrators suffer too. Their stress leads to burnout and high turnover and accelerates a downward spiral of schools and communities that already have the odds stacked against them. The David Lynch Foundation’s Quiet Time program is so consistently effective in reducing stress and violence and improving academic performance in under-resourced schools, that the recognition – and demand – are growing worldwide.
For example, a recent study by the University of Chicago Crime and Education Labs of three Quiet Time programs at high schools on the city’s south side found that students in the TM treatment group collectively had 30-50% fewer arrests than those not receiving treatment. There was also a marked increase in school attendance. This study will soon expand to New York City, where Quiet Time will be implemented in eight public high schools over the course of five years, ultimately reaching more than 3,500 students.
Quiet Time is a proven, easy-to-implement program that offers Transcendental Meditation to at-risk middle- and high-school students in schools with high rates of student absenteeism, behavior challenges, teacher turnover, academic achievement gaps. Among youth served to date, 96 percent are non-Anglo and 64 percent live in low-income homes.
Quiet Time operates school-wide and consists of twice-daily 10- to 15-minute meditations in class as part of the school curriculum. The program reaches youth, teachers, principals, administrative staff and parents in order to transform the school’s culture.
The Quiet Time program provides a lifetime of support for all participants throughout their lifetimes, through the network of Transcendental Meditation centers nationwide.
“There were many things that had an impact on my life, but the one event that changed my life was when my school introduced Transcendental Meditation.”
Since the launch of the David Lynch Foundation’s first school-wide Quiet Time program in San Francisco in 2005, Quiet Time has been shown to reduce school violence and increase student performance and well-being in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. These model programs are proving so successful, they are fast expanding to communities across the country. Many studies confirm the Quiet Time program’s effectiveness in transforming schools that were breeding grounds for stress and violence into more positive, nurturing spaces for young people to learn.
To learn more about Quiet Time, please contact: info@dlfcaucasus.org
Together we can help heal the trauma and improve the health of millions of at-risk children and adults and help to create healthier, happier and more peaceful communities. Our partnerships with public school systems, research institutions, policy makers and more have enabled us to expand the reach of the Quiet Time program. Interested in becoming a partner? Click below to find out how we can bring Quiet Time to your community.
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