Community Impact
Using Mindfulness Science To Deliver Real Results
At Awaken Pittsburgh, our proprietary approach is firmly rooted in current research and scientific literature. We find that the impact of mindfulness practice reported by our students and unearthed through our own studies consistently aligns with the findings of institutions we follow and trust.
Our programs deliver the following results
Reduced Stress
In one 2010 study, participants in a mindfulness training group reported significantly decreased perceived stress and increased positive states of mind.
Decreased Emotional Reactivity
Mindfulness meditation has been shown to decrease the interfering effects of unpleasant or emotional stimuli on people completing simple tasks.
Less Burnout & Compassion Fatigue
Educators who practiced mindfulness found it effective in combating emotional exhaustion, among other widely-studied components of burnout.
Delivery of our programs to the community has expanded rapidly since our first pilot programs began in 2016. Since our beginning, we have delivered programs to 305 educators, 37 school support staff, 174 youth, 33 people in recovery, seven people recently released from prison, 93 helping professionals and 25 public-facing workers. These included our Mindful Connections™ and youth programs, train-the-trainer models and ongoing support to previous participants.
During the 2018-2019 school year, Awaken Pittsburgh delivered courses to schools and organizations across the region.
11 program sites
We worked in 8 schools, 1 non-profit, 1 family center, and 1 out-of-school program
20 programs delivered
We delivered 5 x Mindful Connections™ for Educators, 4 x Mindful Connections™ for Classrooms, 2 x Mindful Connections™ for Helping Professionals, 3 x Path of Freedom (youth) and two brand new train-the-trainer programs, as well as ongoing support to previous participants.
208 participants reached
We trained 112 educators, 37 school support staff, 45 adolescent students, and 14 helping professionals.
343 hours of programming
Our programs delivered between 12 and 25 hours of guidance spread over 4 to 35 weeks
Proving Our Impact Through Feedback
We conducted before-and-after surveys with participants of each program, alongside focus groups and other methods for students. Feedback was consistently positive and we were able to identify significant changes in mindfulness and quality of life in our participants.
Stress Reduction
17.4% average decrease in perceived stress amongst teachers and helping professionals
Quality of Life
Up to 10% increase in quality of working life indicators
- 10.5% average decrease in burnout
- 8.1% average decrease in secondary traumatic stress
Mindfulness
6-13% increase in mindfulness among teachers and helping professionals
- 9.1% average increase in observing their feelings
- 6.5% average increase in describing their emotions
- 11.4% average increase in acting in awareness
- 9.3% average increase in non-judgment of themselves
- 13.2% average increase in non-reactivity to inner experience
Classroom Impacts
Elementary school children taught by one of our educator participants were asked what mindfulness means.
- 64% responded feeling “calm”, “peaceful” or “relaxed”
- 45% responded “fun”, “cool”, “happy”, “great”
- 36% responded feeling “comfortable”
Adolescent youth participants were asked how their program had helped them.
- “I am more patient”
- “I calm down a lot easier”
- “I learned to get help”
- “I have grown to view others perspective”
- “Me coming to school”
Community Impact
Our participants reported:
- Being better able to tackle difficult conversations with parents
- Improved conflict resolution at work and home
- Doing a better job of listening to their students
- Helping students see that the school cares about them as a whole person
- More compassion towards students and clients
Survey Measures
SURVEY | MEASURE | EXAMPLE STATEMENT FROM SURVEY |
|---|---|---|
Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire | Observing | I pay attention to sensations, such as wind in my hair or sun on my face. |
Describing | My natural tendency is to put my experiences into words. | |
Acting with Awareness | In difficult situations, I can pause without immediately reacting. | |
Non-judging of inner experience | I tell myself that I shouldn’t be thinking the way I’m thinking. | |
Perceived Stress Scale | Perceived Stress | In the last month, how often have you been angered because of things that were outside your control? |
Professional Quality of Life | Compassion satisfaction | I feel invigorated after working with those I help. |
Burnout | I feel overwhelmed because my work load seems endless. | |
Secondary traumatic S | As a result of my helping, I have intrusive, frightening thoughts. |