FRIENDS! Fostering resilience and non-discrimination in schools now is possible through the Quiet Time with Transcendental Meditation programme in educational systems across Europe!

Jan 10, 2019 | News

The FRIENDS project saw further advancement with the second Partners Meeting which took place in Brussels on November 30th 2018. On this occasion, partners met at the headquarters of Maharishi Institute of Vedic Science in Brussels to discuss the next steps of implementation and evaluation  of the project.

FRIENDS allows schools and other non-formal educational institutions in Europe to implement the innovative whole-school approach known as the Quiet Time based on the Transcendental Meditation programme. No changes in educational curricula are required other than adding twice-daily breaks for the practice of a simple, scientifically documented psycho-physiological technique, Transcendental Meditation, which has been found to be effective for the development of brain functioning and cognitive performance, promoting social inclusion and positive social behaviour.

Students who volunteer and whose parents approve, practise the Transcendental Meditation programme during the Quiet Time periods. Their levels of academic and personal satisfaction are evaluated alongside those of other school members (such as teachers and school principals) who, in the course of the FRIENDS project, have learned and practise Transcendental Meditation.

During the previous meeting all partners had the opportunity to discuss the first phase of project implementation. Newly obtained data and information were shared among the national networks, making a basis for the creation of local learning communities at national level in each country and making key relevant stakeholders acquainted with the Quiet Time/TM approach within schools.

Local learning communities and online communities were also one of the main topics of the first FRIENDS Face to Face Meeting held on November 29th 2018 at the Royal Library of Belgium.

Do you want to be part of our online community? Join our FRIENDS FB groups!

This introductory meeting gave schools interested in the implementation of the technique the chance to meet other schools already involved in the project. The channels and tools of dissemination that had been established were shared with interested stakeholders at grass-root level to explore and multiply the potentiality of the TM-based Quiet Time approach for social inclusion in schools and in non-formal educational institutions.

Partners agreed to hold the next (3rd) Transnational Meeting in May 2019 in Portugal, organised by  Cooperativa Cultural Ciencia e Tecnologia Vedica Maharishi – CCCTVM.

Are you a member of a school or of another non-formal educational institution? Do you want to know more about the FRIENDS project and its novel approach? Visit our website and join our FRIENDS Facebook communities, you will have the chance to be part of our team

For further information
Quiet Time /TM Implementation coordinators contacts:

 

About the project

FRIENDS: Fostering Resilience-Inclusive Education & Non-Discrimination in Schools is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme under the Key Action 3 Support for policy reforms – Social inclusion through education, training and youth.

Partners

The project partnership holds together: