Compassionate Schools Project

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 Flourish curriculum has been evaluated in a large, randomized control trial involving 45 elementary schools in Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) in Louisville, KY. Results (manuscript under review) are quite promising, demonstrating that students at CSP schools experienced significant benefits in key skills and capacities compared to students in non-CSP schools. CSP Flourish has been sustained in 18 elementary schools, making JCPS the model district for program integration and sustainability.

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.