Envisioning contemplative learning and living, and the formation of a student organization

• In Event: Highlighted Session: The Power of Contemplative Learning for Integrating our Body, Heart, Mind and Spirit, and for Radical Re-envisioning of Education

Proposal

Arts have the capacity to empower personal and social change (Bentz & O’Brien, 2019). The summer class I took with Professor JL has presented to me how extended, mindful practices of arts and other contemplative exercises can optimize the benefits to us and the community. When the course was over, I reached out to all the class members about the idea of initiating a student organization on contemplative learning and living. We believe what we experienced in class was truly beautiful and powerful, which every member of our university community and beyond should have the opportunity to enjoy, just like us. It is about reconnecting to ourselves, to others, to the environment, and to the world.

We need to call out and address the issues of disembodiment, the lack of holistic development of learners, and the negligence around cultivating our body, mind, heart, and spirit (Zajonc, 2006). It is not until we understand more about and stay true to ourselves can we start being humble, respectful, compassionate, and open to others to build genuine and meaningful relationships, hence moving towards a more equitable world. Ultimately, we need to acknowledge that we are interbeings and we should utilize this interconnectedness to work towards a more collaborative, peaceful, and loving future. It is difficult to achieve without honing our attention, stimulating a deeper understanding of the material, developing social connectivity, and allowing learners to explore personal meaning.

Starting a student organization would be extremely beneficial to our community as we seek to cultivate a safe and trusting space, immerse in holistic educational experiences, and build solidarity to face local and global challenges. Taking action right after the summer class, we have drafted the constitution of the student organization, have been in talks with different departments on campus to collaborate with, from developing art prompts, securing workshop and exhibition spaces to bringing in trained dialogue facilitators for raising our awareness of physical and mental wellbeing. For the Fall semester new student orientation, we have included nature walks on campus for incoming students and interested parties to join during the first two weeks of the Fall semester.

This presentation will first discuss the relationships between incorporating mindful, artistic practices with facilitating dialogues and personal, community transformation. Next, it will focus on our engagement with various campus actors while exploring and pitching partnership opportunities with the student organization that we will establish. Practical strategies related to partner identification, rapport building, funding search, and community building will be shared. We aim to showcase an encouraging example of a student-led initiative which sparks a cross-departmental effort in transforming education for a more equitable world.

References

Bentz, J., and O’Brien, K. (2019). Art for change: Transformative learning and youth
empowerment in a changing climate. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene 7: 52.

Zajonc, A. (2006). Love and knowledge: Recovering the heart of learning through
contemplation. Teachers College Record, 108(9): 1742-1759.

Author

• Shue-kei Joanna Mok, University of Maryland, College Park