IFS in Schools
In November 2017, the Foundation has proudly launched its first yearlong pilot program at two urban middle schools in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, to teach teachers about notions of IFS. And since July 1, 2019, another two-year program has been running at three schools in Connecticut, building on the success of, and learnings from, the first one.
The focus in both programs has been on schoolteachers and staff. Given the challenges they face on a number of fronts, the opportunity to engage in their own emotional explorations and discover their own inner resources in a safe space will go a long way in expanding their capacity for teaching, mentoring, and supporting students. It is expected that they will navigate their classrooms better, deal with stress and burnout more effectively, reinvigorate their professional work by feeling more centered and better about themselves, and, just as importantly, become better role models for their students.
The ultimate goal is to bring notions of inner Self and parts to children. If one teacher inspires the minds of 1,000 students over a teaching career, the Foundation’s goal is to inspire the minds of 1,000 teachers.
When they exhibit calm and composure in the face of challenging moments in the classroom, teachers will elicit curiosity from among their students. Using the language and lens of Self and parts is expected to set the tone in the classroom and inspire students to think and behavior differently when faced with conflict.
These pilot programs have taken different approaches: the MN project involved an immersive experience for teachers; the CT project adopted a full-school model, engaging staff at different levels. Both have incorporated independent-evaluation efforts. The objective of the evaluation is to observe progress and examine changes experienced by participating teachers and learn how such change may eventually affect students’ thinking, behavior and even academic performance and the overall school climate.
This page will include notable developments about the program.
Give the gift of Self-discovery…The Foundation invites financial support from members of the community and other individuals and organizations interested in bringing the qualities of Self leadership to our schools. Please donate at www.FoundationIFS.org/Donate.
