The School Program Teaching Kids to Love Themselves

Evelyn Reed · 2026-09-09

What if the most important thing we taught kids wasn't math or reading, but how to simply be with themselves? That's the question Janice Martellucci has been answering for years as Executive Director of Peace in Schools. I recently sat down with her to talk about what happens when you bring intentional, evidence-based mindfulness training into a regular school day. Not as an add-on. Not as a special treat. As part of the curriculum, right alongside algebra and history. ### Why Mindfulness Belongs in Schools "We're not trying to fix kids," Janice told me. "We're trying to help them meet themselves." That distinction matters more than you might think. So much of what we do in education is about correcting, improving, pushing. Mindfulness flips that script. Instead of asking students to become someone else, it invites them to notice who they already are. And according to Janice, that simple shift can be life-changing. - It helps students manage stress and anxiety in real time. - It builds emotional regulation skills that carry into adulthood. - It creates space for self-compassion instead of self-criticism. - It improves focus and reduces reactivity in the classroom. These aren't just nice ideas. They're backed by evidence. Schools that have adopted Peace in Schools' curriculum report fewer disruptions, better attendance, and students who actually ask for more mindfulness time. ### The Far-Reaching Value of Meeting Yourself Here's what struck me most during our conversation: Janice doesn't talk about mindfulness as a tool for better test scores. She talks about it as a way to uncover our inherent wholeness. "Kids are already whole," she said. "They just forget sometimes. We all do." That idea feels radical in a world that constantly tells us we're not enough. Not productive enough. Not calm enough. Not successful enough. But when a teenager learns to pause, breathe, and notice what's happening inside without judgment, something shifts. They start to trust themselves. And that trust, Janice believes, is the foundation for everything else. > "We're not teaching kids to be mindful. We're reminding them that they already are." I keep coming back to that quote. It's simple, but it's not easy. Especially in a culture that rewards doing over being. ### What This Means for Mindful Living Professionals If you work in mindfulness, education, or well-being, Janice's approach offers a powerful reminder. We don't need to convince people they're broken so we can fix them. We don't need to sell mindfulness as a productivity hack. We can simply create the conditions for people to notice what's already there. That's true for kids in a classroom. It's true for adults in a boardroom. It's true for any of us, anywhere, at any age. So the next time you're with a group, whether it's students or colleagues or friends, try asking a different question. Not "How can I help you improve?" but "What do you notice right now?" You might be surprised by what unfolds. Because wholeness isn't something we achieve. It's something we uncover. And sometimes all it takes is someone who believes it's already there.