We believe mindfulness has the power to transform societies, ease the suffering of individuals and communities, and support anti-racism and social justice in school communities. WholeSchool has a responsibility to disrupt systems that perpetuate injustice. We commit to the following actions:
School Partnerships
We view our work in schools as a lever for systemic change, and we seek to partner with schools that will collaborate in the dismantling of institutional oppression. We can be held accountable to:
- Partner with schools that demonstrate a willingness to engage in anti-oppression, anti-racism pedagogy
- Offer support to school administrators about the connection between mindfulness and social justice
Mindfulness Directors
We believe our Mindfulness Directors are well positioned to help create more compassionate, aware, and anti-racist communities. We can be held accountable to:
- Ensure all Mindfulness Directors and mentors are trained in anti-racism pedagogy
- Provide dedicated space and time for Mindfulness Directors to design and discuss anti-oppression pedagogy
- Mentor Mindfulness Directors around methods of integrating anti-racism work
- Seek input from Mindfulness Directors on the efficacy of anti-oppression curricula
Organizational Design
We commit to sharing power and actively addressing justice within our organization. We can be held accountable to:
- Maintain structures and ways of being that lead to inclusivity and belonging, collaboration, transparency, and feedback in all aspects of the organization
- Practice collaborative leadership/include Mindfulness Directors in governance
- Provide transparency around salaries
- Increase diversity in staff and governance
- Recruit and then select from a diverse pool of BIPOC candidates for Mindfulness Directors, WholeSchool staff, and governance roles
- Provide ongoing training for staff and board members around anti-racism, bias, and oppression
- Committing to work with outside experts to ensure accountability in this work
- Ensure that governance consistently reflects on the organization’s progress in regard to anti-racism and social justice
At WholeSchool, we acknowledge the harmful impact of systemic racism in our country and the effects of white dominant culture on the design of systems, laws, and societal norms that perpetuate oppression. We believe that mindfulness can help us become more aware of racial conditioning and bias, hold complexity, skillfully manage emotions, grow in empathy and compassion, and value the interconnectedness of our world. Through partnership with school communities, placement of mindfulness directors, and the design of WholeSchool as an organization, we strive to create a just society.