FRIENDS
How to eliminate stress, negative emotions and disruptive behaviour in schools?
Now with the Quiet Time with Transcendental Meditation programme it can be done!
Discover more about the FRIENDS project – Fostering Resilience, Inclusive Education and Non-Discrimination in Schools.
Policy recommendations – Policy Making Framework
The project has developed a Policy Making Framework (PMF) to structure the introduction of the Quiet Time with Transcendental Meditation programme in schools on a larger scale. The Framework provides material and guidance for successful policy development, implementation and follow-up.
Promoting Inclusive Education through Wellbeing
An innovative approach to promote social inclusion, equality and non-discrimination in the learning environment.
The Quiet Time with Transcendental Meditation programme in education
FRIENDS final conference
On December 4th 2019, the Final Conference of the FRIENDS project was held in Sky Room 1 of the Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels. It was a unique moment during which the FRIENDS consortium shared with school communities, experts, and other stakeholders in the social inclusion and education field the main results and experiences of the project.
What do you feel
when you meditate?
THE PROJECT
The FRIENDS project aims at introducing an innovative approach in schools in order to promote respect for diversity, tolerance and social inclusion in the learning environments. Trough Quiet Time with the Transcendental Meditation programme, students have been proven scientifically to become less aggressive, more incline to establish positive relationships and improving also their academical results.
All this has a full advantage for the education systems which become effective spaces for fostering equality, integration, and intercultural understanding.
General objective:
The main objective of the FRIENDS project has been to disseminate and replicate on a wider European scale an innovative but well-researched whole school approach known as the Quiet Time based on the Transcendental Meditation programme (Quiet Time/TM programme) for schools. This scientifically proven approach has been implemented in 4 European countries (Portugal, Italy, Belgium and UK), targeting schools and non-formal educational institutions with minority and disadvantaged students, or with a migrant background and involving in the FRIENDS project a total of 1800 students and learners, 900 teachers and staff and 200 parents that have been trained in the QT/TM programme.
Specific objectives:
To promote inclusive education
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Promoting inclusive education, tolerance & non-discrimination in schools through an innovative whole school approach known as the Quiet Time based on Transcendental Meditation programme for schools.
TO DISSEMINATE AND SCALE-UP OUR GOOD PRACTICE
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Disseminating and scaling-up on a wider European scale the chosen innovative good practice in 5 countries (Portugal, Italy, Belgium, UK and Spain), targeting schools and non-formal education institutions with minority students and those with disadvantaged or with a migrant background.
ESTABLISHING SOLID EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE QUIET TIME/TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
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Establishing solid evidence-based Policy Recommendations on the Quiet Time/TM programme implementation to support policy reform in the continuous improvement of the education systems across Europe
To foster the role of Education
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Fostering the role of the Education, Training and Youth systems in Europe in promoting intercultural understanding, social cohesion, and mutual respect in societies and preventing discrimination, violence and radicalisation
What is the Quiet Time with Transcendental Meditation® programme for schools (QT/TMP)?
The Quiet Time with Transcendental Meditation programme consists in adding for a few minutes at the beginning and at the end of the school day the twice-daily practice of a simple, scientifically documented psycho-physiological technique Transcendental Meditation that has been found to be effective for the development of brain functioning, cognitive performance, personality integration and positive social behaviour. During the Quiet Time period students who volunteer and whose parents approve, practise the Transcendental Meditation technique while others are engaged in non-academic activities such as quiet reading or rest.