A School In Baltimore Replaced Detention With Meditation And Achieved Positive Results

Feb 24, 2020 by apost team

Students at Robert W. Coleman Elementary in West Baltimore don't get detention if they misbehave. Believe it or not, the students have to meditate instead.

This program was implemented in 2016 with assistance from the Holstic Life Foundation and principal Carillian Thompson says the results have been astounding. 

The school has a 'mindful room' that the kids are sent to when they misbehave. They have to sit there and think about what they have done. They sit in silence and meditate as per the coordinator's instructions. Interestingly, the kids are able to relax their minds after the meditation session and be more disciplined.

“They actually taught the students how to redirect that negative energy into something positive,”

Principal Carillian Thompson told CBS News. 

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In fact, the number of discipline cases has reduced ever since the school began implementing the program and they now have zero suspensions. The administration is especially grateful to the Holistic Life Foundation that has been helpful in helping the school to design the program.

The program was devised by Ali and Atman Smith from the foundation, who grew up nearby in one of Baltimore’s roughest neighborhoods. 

“There’s violence going on in the neighborhoods, there’s drug abuse in the neighborhoods, so it’s just, there’s all these things just getting dumped on these kids and they need a way to kind of deal with it,” Ali Smith said.

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