Compassionate Schools

Overview

The Compassionate Schools Project (CSP) Flourish curriculum was developed by faculty at UVA's School of Education and Human Development and Youth-Nex: The UVA Center to Promote Effective Youth Development in collaboration with the Contemplative Sciences Center. The groundbreaking K-5 curriculum integrates lessons, daily practices, and other resources for schools to support the flourishing of students and a compassionate school culture. Students learn skills for focus, resilience, empathy, connection, and contribution as a basis for personal wellbeing and academic success. Particularly powerful is how Flourish interweaves learning in mindfulness, social-emotional skills, movement, and health behaviors, giving children a practical understanding of the interdependence of their minds, bodies, emotions, and relationships.  

The eight-year study on the Flourish curriculum was published in the journal, Prevention Science. The article, “Promoting 21st Century Health and Wellness Skills in Elementary School Children: a Group Randomized Trial” reports on a study that evaluated a whole-child health and wellness curriculum in elementary schools through a group randomized trial. The curriculum integrates Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) skills such as mindfulness, compassion, and physical awareness, with the goal of enhancing academic engagement, personal well-being, and student behavior. The study involved 45 elementary schools, divided into an intervention group (using the CSP Flourish curriculum) and a control group (education as usual), with effects measured over two years of directed implementation and followed up for two additional years.

The study found positive effects on several SEL skills and behavioral indicators, particularly in schools serving high-poverty communities. The impact was stronger in these schools, suggesting that the curriculum had a greater effect where the need was higher. Students in the intervention schools showed improved attention control, self-efficacy, and perceived peer support over time compared to those in control schools. These outcomes are significant as they are linked to long-term positive behavioral, academic, and social outcomes. In high-poverty schools, the curriculum was associated with improvements in social problem-solving, prosocial behavior, and reductions in conduct problems. These findings highlight the curriculum’s potential to promote resilience, particularly in more challenging school environments.

Flourish was designed with attention to fitting within existing school systems, which facilitated its integration and sustainability. The study emphasizes the importance of aligning such interventions with school priorities and operational realities to ensure long-term success. The study also underscores the importance of SEL-focused curricula in promoting health and wellness in elementary school children, particularly in high-poverty areas, and offers insights into the design and implementation of sustainable school-based interventions. 

The Flourish curriculum is now available for all educators. Thanks to our generous partners at Pure Edge, Inc., the curriculum is available in English and Spanish, and is free of charge in the digital format. Program reach has expanded to include Charlottesville City Schools and other districts in the U.S. and abroad, and is growing. For curriculum, video and training information and links, contact us at csp@virginia.edu or visit our CSP program site CSP Flourish - Program.