Compassionate Schools Project

The Compassionate Schools Project (CSP) began as the most comprehensive study ever undertaken of a 21st century health and wellness curriculum. Developed by teachers and education experts at UVA's School of Education and Human Development in collaboration with the Contemplative Sciences Center, the CSP curriculum integrates lessons in mindfulness, social-emotional learning, movement, and healthy eating into public school elementary education.

UVA researchers have gathered empirical data to measure the curriculum's impact through a five-year randomized controlled trial involving 20,000 students in 45 public elementary schools across the city of Louisville. While final results are still pending, participants in the study report calmer classrooms, teachers say they are more satisfied and motivated, and there are positive developments in discipline problem management. An important result is that based on their experience with the project, the Louisville school system has formally adopted the curriclum and is implementing it in more schools.

In 2019, the CSP projected expanded through a new pilot program in Charlottesville City Schools, which you can read about in the November 2021 issue of Amplify (an e-publication from UVA's Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), and is poised for nationwide expansion.