INWARD BOUND MINDFULNESS EDUCATION INC

Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme) is proud to be blazing a trail in developing and facilitating immersive mindfulness retreats for youth in the United States and internationally. Adolescence presents unique vulnerabilities and opportunities that make training in mindfulness and compassion at this life stage particularly important and transformative. Learning these skills as a teen can have lifelong, positive impacts that ripple out through families and communities.

Our mission is to provide in-depth mindfulness programming for youth and the parents and professionals who support them. Our programming guides teens and young adults in developing self-awareness, compassion, and ethical decision making, and empowers them to apply these skills in improving their lives and communities.

Mindfulness means paying attention to and knowing what's happening in the present moment with kindness and curiosity. At iBme, we introduce young people to mindfulness through guided meditation, mindful movement, group discussions, nature connection, and playful group activities. Participants in our programs explore how mindfulness can support them in daily life, sports, and creative arts, and how mindfulness and compassion skills can address issues like conflict resolution, environmental sustainability, and social justice.

Within the safe and supportive retreat setting, teens also learn relational mindfulness skills including empathy, compassion, ethical decision making, and mindful communication. By flowing in and out of silence, focusing on their inner experience and then engaging with the outer world in a mindful way, iBme participants build skills that deepen their connection to themselves, each other, and the world. They experience a deepened a sense of interconnection and begin to recognize their own inherent value as they connect authentically with their peers and are seen, heard, and loved for who they truly are. By unplugging from technology and engaging in deep and intentional community-building, many teens who feel hesitant at first, walk away saying it was one of the best experiences of their lives.

Teens and parents regularly share that iBme programs are transformative. More than 50% of participants return for future retreats, and demand for our programs continues to grow across the United States and internationally. Our retreat programs continue to flourish, with 500 participants attending our 14 retreats in 2017, including our first UK teen retreat.

Teen Retreats: Teen Retreats comprise the majority of iBme's programs, and each week-long retreat teaches awareness and concentration practices to youth ages 15-19. Through guided mindfulness meditation, small group discussions, and mindful movement, participants learn how to settle a busy mind, direct and sustain attention, investigate emotions and thoughts, cultivate compassion, and communicate with their peers.

Adult Retreats: iBme offers residential retreats that share our unique model with parents, teachers, and professionals. Our retreats incorporate periods of silence, relational mindfulness, movement, and free time. We continue to expand our adult program offerings through partnerships with several institutions, including UCLA and the Middlesex School.

School Partnerships: iBme partners with high schools, colleges, and universities to offer retreats as a complement to existing mindfulness curriculum. We have provided retreats for students, faculty, alumni, and parents through partnerships with Middlesex School, Harvard University, UCLA, and the University of Virginia. Our newest partnership with Koru will provide spring break retreats to young adults from over 50 universities.

Teacher Training: iBme's Mindfulness Teacher Training prepares professionals working with adolescents to implement in-depth mindfulness curriculum in high schools, colleges, and other youth settings. Participants learn mindfulness practices developed for adolescents and the skills to be effective mindful mentors. In 2018, we inaugurated our first year-long Teacher Training with a cohort of 39 teachers and youth advocates.

Since our founding in 2010, iBme has become one of the leading organizations in the United States to offer secular mindfulness training for youth. As mindfulness grows in popularity and introductory mindfulness programs spread to schools across the country, we provide teens with a unique opportunity to deepen these practices. The iBme retreat model allows participants to gain a level of insight into their own experience and an authentic connection with peers that is rare in everyday life. iBme's approach also emphasizes relational mindfulness and combines contemplative practices with conversations about social and global challenges.

iBme offers retreats to youth from a variety of backgrounds, and with the help of supporters at all levels, no teen is ever turned away for lack of funds. In 2015, iBme implemented a new retreat pricing model based on a radical sliding scale in which families are asked to contribute 1% of their family income. If families are unable to contribute 1% of their family income, we ask that they contribute a small fee of $35 towards offsetting the cost of the retreat. In 2017, iBme offered full or partial scholarships to 75% of participants and the scholarship funds given totaled over $380,000.

We are proud of our diversity in terms of class and identity: in 2017, 28% of our participants were teens of color, and 32% of our teen participants identified as LGBTQIA+. iBme intentionally does not target a particular demographic to participate in our programs. We deeply value the unfortunately rare opportunity for youth to connect authentically with peers from very different backgrounds.

In the future, iBme will continue our seven teen retreats, two adult retreats, and grow our residential retreats with increasing capacity and offerings. We will expand upon our partnerships with like minded organizations to bring meditation to teens and those who support them.