The School Program Teaching Kids to Love Themselves

Amanda Wilson · 2026-09-09

What if the most important thing we taught kids wasn't math or reading, but how to actually sit with themselves? That's the question Janice Martellucci has been answering for years. As Executive Director of Peace in Schools, she's helped bring mindfulness training into regular school curriculum — not as a nice-to-have, but as a core life skill. I recently sat down with her to talk about what that looks like in practice, and why it matters more than most of us realize. ### Why Mindfulness Belongs in Schools When we think about school, we picture desks, tests, and bells. But kids are carrying a lot more than backpacks. Anxiety, pressure, social stress — it's all there, every single day. Janice puts it simply: mindfulness gives students a way to meet themselves. Not fix themselves. Not perform better. Just meet themselves — with honesty and kindness. "We're not trying to make kids calm," she told me. "We're helping them notice what's already happening inside. That's where real change starts." That shift — from fixing to noticing — is subtle but huge. It changes how a kid responds to a bad grade, a fight with a friend, or a wave of sadness they can't name. ### What It Actually Looks Like Peace in Schools doesn't hand teachers a script and walk away. The program is intentional and evidence-based. That means: - Training teachers to lead mindfulness practices themselves - Fitting sessions into the regular school day, not as an afterthought - Using age-appropriate language and activities - Tracking outcomes like stress levels, focus, and emotional regulation It's not about sitting cross-legged for 20 minutes. It's about weaving small moments of awareness into the fabric of the day. A breath before a test. A pause before reacting. A check-in with yourself after lunch. Those tiny moments add up. Over a semester, they become habits. Over a childhood, they become character. ### The Ripple Effect on Teachers and Families Here's something I didn't expect: the benefits don't stop with students. Teachers who practice alongside their classes report feeling less burned out. Parents notice kids talking about their feelings more openly at home. Janice shared a story about a student who used a breathing practice before bed to help with insomnia. His mom started doing it too. Now it's a family thing. That's the thing about mindfulness. It's contagious in the best way. ### Equipping Kids to Meet and Love Themselves Maybe the most radical idea here is this: kids don't need to be fixed. They need to be seen. And mindfulness gives them a way to see themselves clearly — without judgment, without shame. As Janice puts it, "We're uncovering our inherent wholeness. It's already there. We're just helping kids remember." That's not just a nice sentiment. It's a skill. And like any skill, it can be taught, practiced, and carried for life. If you work with young people — or have kids of your own — ask yourself this: what would change if they learned to meet themselves with kindness? I think the answer might surprise you.