Our history
About... Centre for Mindful Education
The Centre for Mindful Education was founded initially as 'The Mindful Classroom' in 2017.
With a vision to introduce and expand mindfulness based programs in schools with students, teachers, leaders and whole school communities across Australia, we offered Mindful Teacher courses, whole school mindfulness programs, weekend retreats, 5 day 'Mindfulness In Action' immersions in Bali and even 'Mindful Teacher study tours' to India.
Our vision has evolved greatly over the last few years, and we now approach wellbeing with a holistic mindset that we need to nourish our body, mind and soul to live a balanced and healthy life. We now also extend our services to all who seek it.
All our programs embody the practices of meditation and mindfulness, and guide participants to explore their ever deepening connection with Self, Soul or Inner Being.
We know that when we come together to learn, practice and share our journey, the outcomes are greater than when we do this alone. We strive to build a community of like-minded souls that can support and provide encouragement to those who are seeking.
A little story about us…
What follows is a short history of our journey… from the initial founding of The Mindful Classroom in 2017, and our evolvement since…
As a school leader in a large primary school, I relied upon meditation and mindfulness techniques daily, to manage the role. Whether it was managing challenging behaviour of a student, helping to calm an over-anxious parent or supporting a stressed teacher, the benefits of focussing on breathing or taking attention to the feet, were invaluable for me personally.
What I also noticed was that many excellent teachers who really care about their students and the job they do, were getting burnt out and stressed by the demands of the profession. I saw brilliant teachers doubting their ability, being overwhelmed by challenging students or feeling personally affronted by tricky parents, and not having the tools to know how to take control and manage these situations any differently.
I also know, before I learnt mindfulness practices, this use to be me too...
I believe that the development of wellbeing skills for educators is as important as the wellbeing skills we teach our students. I felt so passionate about this focus, that I quit my school leadership role and started The Mindful Classroom, offering a series of mindfulness courses specifically for educators that address the issues that teachers face everyday in their lives and in their classrooms.
History of our evolution
April 2017 - The Mindful Classroom was launched. Over the following 12 months, we delivered our ‘Level 1 - Mindful Educator program’ to over a thousand teachers, including supporting whole school staff groups to learn about and implement mindfulness into their school practices. We also implemented an introductory ‘Mindful Student’ program across classes from K-7.
May 2018 - Our first Mindfulness and Wellbeing for Educators 2-day event was held, providing a ‘retreat-like experience’ and immersion into a range of mindfulness and wellbeing practices. We also developed our Mindful Teacher program online.
June 2018 - We evolved into the ‘Centre for Mindful Education Pty Ltd, which also saw the expansion of our programs to include a Mindful Leader program, and a level 2 Empowered Teacher Course. We also facilitated mindfulness training for early career teachers which included some teacher-education students still undergoing their training.
Jan 2019 - We led our first 10 day ‘Mindful Study Tour to India’., where educators learnt basic mindfulness practices and implemented these in various locations in Tamil Nadu. Highlights of the tour were visiting the projects of Help-A-School Foundation, and visiting two rural village schools and a Children’s Home.
July 2019 - Our ventures expanded to include our first 5-day Mindfulness in Action PD in Bali. This retreat provided a blend of content and activities including mindful cooking classes, sound bath in the Pyramids of Chi, mindful arts classes and sensory activities in nature.
Jan 2020 - We held another sell-out and amazing 5-day Mindfulness in Action PD in Bali. What a joy these group experiences are!
Due to the pandemic, we have been undergoing a transformation into an online platform. We are currently developing several online program.. Very exciting!
During 2020 - 2022 - I had the incredible experience to live and volunteer at a Holistic Centre in India during the pandemic. I spent time deepening my own practices and exploring the wonders of my inner landscape. These 2 years had a profound influence on the unfolding vision and direction for The Centre for Mindful Education. We held an online Teacher Well being Summit with over 20 presenters sharing holistic practices and wisdom teachings, and started talking about energy healing and the soul. This expansion was a significant step outside the conventional boundaries in the education setting.
We also opened our doors to all who were seeking. While I have a strong commitment and passion for supporting educators and schools, it was time to expand who we served.
2023 - We are now offering more holistic mindfulness, meditation and creativity programs. ‘A Mindful Life’ incorporates slow drawing and mark marking, reflective journalling and more building of community.
We are excited, and forever grateful that we have this opportunity to help others on their journey of self-discovery.
We look forward to meeting you soon
With much gratitude
Jan
About Jan Carey
Executive Director, Centre for Mindful Education Pty Ltd
Facilitator, The Mindful Classroom Programs
Jan Carey is a trained teacher with over 30 years experience in primary and secondary schools in metropolitan and rural locations across Australia. Jan’s interest in mindful practices began 15 years ago, and evolved to include; international training in the .b mindfulness program in the UK, the Mindful Schools Mindfulness Fundamentals course, Mindful Educator Course and the Mindful Instructor Certification training in New York.
Beyond the formal training, Jan has spent signifiant time in India over the past 8 years immersing herself into various meditation and spiritual practices. She attended silent retreats in Nepal, Dharamsala and Bodhgaya, and made numerous pilgrimages to sacred locations across India.
Jan currently works in the Education Department as a Policy Officer in Mental Health & Wellbeing. Her vision is to bring mindfulness and self-awareness practices to all who seek to develop a deeper knowing of Self.
You can contact Jan for more information at: centreformindfuleducation@gmail.com
Contact us.
Centre for Mindful Education
PO Box 334
Lobethal
South Australia, 5241
Monday – Friday: 9AM – 5PM
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed
Please send all inquiries to:
centreformindfuleducation@gmail.com