After the flurry of the end of the school year, The Benji Project team is reflecting on the moments of inspiration we experienced. 

Every school year has challenges, and this one seemed to carry more than its share. Through it all, we witnessed the heartfelt commitment of educators in Jefferson County and the resilience of the youth themselves.

Thanks to our school district partners, we were able to share mindful self-compassion skills with nearly 300 middle and high school students in Port Townsend, Chimacum, and Brinnon. They explored how to increase self-awareness and how to move past self-criticism to relate to themselves with more kindness.

In Chimacum, biology teacher Julie Jordan welcomed us into her classroom of ninth- and 10th-graders. She eagerly supported the link between the scientific study of organisms and our research-based approaches to calming the human nervous system.

At Port Townsend High School, we offered a series in Jen Kruse’s ninth-grade health class, and at Blue Heron we visited Melinda Pongrey’s sixth-grade Academic Success classes. In Brinnon, Alicia Simmons invited us to participate in the 4-H after-school program, incorporating mindful self-compassion into leadership development for middle schoolers.

The Benji Project also collaborated with OCEAN, the K-12 Alternative Learning Environment school in Port Townsend, to launch a new class called Living and Being Well (LABWell). Staff member Lisa Olsen and OCEAN high school students brought inquisitiveness and a sense of humor to this new endeavor. At the final class of the year, we applied our mindfulness to chocolate tasting!

We are grateful to work with open-minded and open-hearted teachers, school counselors, administrators, and support staff. And we deeply appreciate the perseverance and creativity of the young people we serve.

Cynthia Osterman, founder/board chair
Heather McRae-Woolf, program director
On behalf of The Benji Project board and staff