APSS has received a total of HK$1.33 million in donations from the Hong Kong Buddhist Association Primary School Head Council to implement a school-based mindfulness curriculum in eight primary schools and mindfulness groups for students with special educational needs. The principal investigator Dr Herman LO, Associate Professor of APSS, attended the cheque presentation ceremony on 19 August 2022. Also in attendance at the event were the three project donors, including The Ling Wan Temple Foundation Ltd., The Sunny Lay Buddhists, and The Vineyard.
The first batch of the teacher training was successfully launched on 7 October 2022, at the Professional Practice and Assessment Centre (PPAC), where 20 primary school teachers took part in the training session delivered by Ms Angie Bucu from the International Academy of Mindful Teaching. Dr LO and his team projected that by the end of the 2022/23 school year, more than 700 P.1 and P.3 students, and 100 students with special educational needs, would benefit from the new curriculum.
Aside from fulfilling its social missions, this project also entails a research study to investigate student outcomes and assess capacity-building for implementing a school-based mindfulness curriculum.
Dr LO expects this project can generate evidence and knowledge about how mindfulness-based programme can be further promoted in the education sector in Hong Kong and elsewhere.
