Goldie Hawn Helps Kids Get Zen – and Smart

By Stacy Lu, Today

Goldie Hawn built a successful career playing the lovable, brainless ditz. But these days, the actress is trying to get kids to use their brains to become smarter – and happier.

Following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and what she saw as an epidemic of stressed-out, depressed kids, Hawn created MindUP, one of a growing number of school programs aimed at teaching kids how to be more focused, aware and accepting of their emotions, and better able to control stress and conflict.

In a word, to become more mindful, by doing exercises like focused breathing and sensory awareness, role-playing, or positive thinking.

The new programs – variously called social and emotional learning, internal education, or mindful attention  – have been gaining traction over the past couple of decades as a way to help with rampant issues like bullying and absenteeism. These days, they are in place in thousands of schools across the country and the trend seems to be growing. Recently, CASEL (the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning) decided to partner with seven large public school districts, including Chicago, Austin and Cleveland, to bring social and emotional learning (SEL) programs to hundreds of thousands of children. . . . Read the full article in Today here!