GARRISON INSTITUTE Bridging contemplation, science and social change. 2013 ANNUAL REPORT GARRISON INSTITUTE For over a decade, the Garrison Institute has been a pioneering force in the spread of contemplative wisdom and practices throughout society. We offer a space communication where awareness skills, ethical leader- and openhearted- ship and compassion ness are nurtured as – qualities that essential skills for strengthen resilience navigating our at the personal, complex lives and community and facing the pressing systems levels. social challenges of Over the next few our time. years, we will deepen The Garrison the impact of our Institute works at programs by the interface of disseminating them mind training, more widely through scientific research and the practical application of contem- various partnerships and digital platforms. We will also plative methods in the fields of education, trauma care and expand into new arenas to support international humanitarian the environment. We welcome lay people and professionals aid workers and front-line professionals who help low-in- from all walks of life, including educators, caregivers, aid come communities affected by climate change. And we workers, and environmental and social justice advocates will continue to ground our work in scientific research to serving on the front lines of social change. They come to show the efficacy of contemplative-based approaches to engage in deep reflection, cultivate wisdom and compassion, human development. connect more deeply with others, and together seek Our programs are helping to catalyze a seismic shift in solutions to intractable social and environmental problems, society, as recognition of the benefits of contemplation from underperforming schools to climate change. continues to grow. We are privileged to be at the forefront Our work has helped to raise awareness of the practical and of this exciting change as participants in our programs take contemplative practices into their lives, work and personal benefits of mindfulness and other contemplative communities. practices, which are widely trumpeted in the media these days. In addition to supporting personal development We are deeply grateful for the interest and support of people through retreats, our programs have established contempla- like you who are helping us build a more compassionate and tive-based models that foster discernment, greater resilient future. 1 “ My previous experience participating in the CARE for Teachers retreat was life-changing. My experience in the facilitator training “ I hope to be able to use the regulation strategies I have learned to has strengthened my commitment to help it grow worldwide.” change the way I react to students when they push my buttons.” contemplatiVE teaching AND LEARNING CONTEMPLATIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING Our Contemplative Teaching and Learning Initiative Documenting and Disseminating CARE (CTL) introduces educators to contemplative techniques CARE for Teachers (Cultivating Awareness and Resil- Educating that enhance their well-being and help them create ience in Education) is the Garrison Institute’s professional healthy school environments that support children development training program for K-12 educators, “ In classrooms across the emotionally, socially and academically. designed to help them handle stress and improve learning country and around the environments and outcomes. In 2012, the US Depart- world, teachers are Research shows that contemplative practices deepen incorporating mindfulness open hearts ment of Education’s Institute of Educational Services teachers’ resilience, compassion, attention and emotional and other contemplative self-regulation. They also help reduce teacher stress and (IES) awarded a major grant to Pennsylvania University, practices into their work as burnout, while improving classroom environments and Fordham University, and the Garrison Institute for a educators. In the course of a ten-year career, a single and minds. educational outcomes. four-year, in-depth study of CARE’s impact on students teacher will impact the lives and teachers in 32 New York City elementary schools. In November, we held our annual contemplative educa- of 250 students. In the same The Garrison Institute is a The first two phases of the research were conducted time, a single teacher- tion symposium, supported by the 1440 Foundation and educator will influence how pioneer and leader in the entitled, “Mindfulness in Education: Cultivating the Social during the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 academic years, 1,000 teachers will teach. movement to bring a and Emotional Competencies of Educators.” It convened gathering data on hundreds teachers and thousands of That’s a big responsibility Sharn Rocco, Ph.D is an about 100 professionals who train and support educators, students. and a powerful opportunity.” contemplative approach to Australian researcher and teacher including faculty at schools of education, district staff, and As demand for CARE continues to build, we are working teaching and learning. At educator who also teaches professional development specialists. The symposium to develop ways to disseminate the program. In March, the Institute, teachers work Mindfulness-Based Stress explored how contemplative practices can be integrated we conducted the first CARE training in the San Fran- Reduction and calm abiding together to develop ways into formal systems of teacher training, and laid the cisco Bay area, supported by the Panta Rhea Foundation, they can apply the wisdom groundwork for future collaborations with schools of the S. H. Cowell Foundation and the 1440 Foundation. meditation. In 2013, she was a of contemplation and the practice of mindfulness in education and other institutions that train teachers. scholar-in-residence at Garrison In February, CARE senior faculty met with educators to the classroom. Institute. Next year, she will lead design and implement a formal CARE facilitator training the first CARE training in and certification process, an important step in expanding Australia. the CARE program while preserving its integrity and quality. The first CARE facilitator training course was held in August concurrently with our Sixth Annual CARE Summer Retreat, which attracted 40 educators from as far away as Australia, Norway, Canada and Colombia. 2 GARRISON INSTITUTE 3 “ It was a rare luxury to be able to become totally immersed in “ I think one of the most interesting take-aways for me was the climate change and sustainability and learn the latest thinking on reflection on the overall state of the environmental movement in the subjects from such a broad range of participants. It has our moment of history and having the opportunity to discuss it certainly reinvigorated my efforts in climate change education.” within a broader perspective.” TRANSFORMATIONAL ECOLOGY Climate, Mind and Behavior The Climate, Mind and Behavior (CMB) program Strengthening explores the human dimensions of addressing climate and energy issues and building resilience. CMB tracks behav- ioral research on US energy consumption and emissions, identifies effective behavioral approaches, adapts them our response for the field and disseminates them through learning networks. CMB’s core operations are supported by the Betsy and Jesse Fink Foundation, the Kendeda Founda- to climate tion, the Kresge Foundation and the Lost & Foundation. Our partner organizations include leading research universities, Enterprise Community Partners, the Urban Land Institute, the U.S. Green Building Council change. In September 2013, we held our sixth annual Climate, (USGBC) and the Urban Sustainability Directors Buildings and Behavior symposium, supported by Network (USDN) of over 100 cities. Our Initiative on Transforma- Enterprise Community Partners, Inc., USGBC and tional Ecology (ITE) applies Symposia NYSERDA. It convened 60 for-profit and not-for- insights into patterns of In June, 100 researchers, environmental and community profit real estate professionals, building industry experts “ The potential energy thought and behavior from leaders, policymakers and journalists convened at our and social science researchers working to cut energy footprint of a well-designed eighth annual CMB symposium, “Variation and Diversity consumption and operations costs in multifamily building is often very current scientific research in in Sustainability and Climate Work,” supported by the residential and commercial buildings. different from the actual many disciplines, and draws energy footprint, because it Skoll Global Threats Fund and NYSERDA. Presenters Regional Activity all comes down to how we on contemplative-based included National Geographic Society Explorer Wade behave…The high-level Symposia participants in New York, Charlotte, Boston, Davis and Andrew Revkin, whose New York Times Dot approach to shifting approaches to develop Denver and the Pacific Northwest held professional Earth post about his CMB panel sparked a broad public behaviors is to work on strategies for shifting how we engage with the development sessions on resilient cities, transformative shifting awareness.” discussion of the symposium. environment and respond to the challenges of leadership, learning networks and marketing behavior climate change. Instead of striving to sustain a fixed Our second annual Climate, Cities and Behavior sympo- change programs. The Bullitt Foundation and Boeing sium, “The Human Dimensions of Resilient and Sustain- equilibrium with our planet, we can embrace our Global