Mindfulness Ambassadors Council
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a way of learning to relate directly to whatever is happening in your life, a way of taking charge, a way of doing something for yourself that no one else can do for you – consciously and systematically working with the demands and challenges of everyday life. Mindfulness brings us in touch with what is happening inside us and around us – our feelings, our thinking, body and environment – with a willingness to respond in a non-reactive, caring, kind and compassionate way.
By being mindful and living in the moment, we allow ourselves to let go of past experiences and judgments that might inhibit our successes. Instead, we are able to live free of past grudges, anxieties, and expectations for the future with the presence of mind to handle things calmly, with a spirit of compassion.
Campers will …
- Learn skills to improve listening, attention and communication
- Reduce reactivity and impulsivity by learning to manage emotions and behavior
- Develop strategies to cope with stress and anxiety
- Champion positive leadership
- Learn to build a culture of mindfulness into daily life
- Build authentic friendships and create lasting bonds
Campers will also learn simple breathing and body awareness exercises to help them to develop present moment awareness. Outdoor treks, day canoe trips, use of cooperative games and high ropes course, and Wolf Howl in Algonquin Park are a few of the activities that campers will experience as part of the MAC Olympia program.
Why Mindfulness?
In the haze of today's rapidly changing and unpredictable world, we need to give greater priority to cultivating the emotional and social skills necessary to live in the moment. Awareness and presence of mind allow us to reduce stress, develop focused attention, and increase our capacity to effectively manage the complexities of life.
Mindfulness will do just that
When we are mindful, we recognize our emotions, those of others and the ways in which the two interact. This allows for more effective communication, with greater reflection, emotional balance and clarity.
Living mindfully is an art
Like any artist, you need the right tools to practice your craft and you need to constantly refine them to achieve your creative potential. Cultivating your unique gifts and developing confidence to express your emotional needs takes awareness and knowledge of special tools: EMOTIONAL and SOCIAL SKILL SETS.
To help youth achieve this necessary awareness level and social emotional skills, Mindfulness Without Borders, a non-profit organization, has created a number of Mindfulness Ambassador Councils (MAC) throughout the world;
- MAC Canada
- MAC USA
- MAC Rwanda
- MAC Nigeria
- MAC Uganda
Olympia is pleased to partner with Mindfulness Without Borders to offer MAC OLYMPIA – the first-ever such program offered at a resident summer camp.
What is a Mindfulness Ambassador Council?
Customized for high school youth, Minfulness Ambassadors Council (MAC) is a speaking and listening circle, adapted from Native Canadian tradition, where campers sit together and address the social and emotional competencies needed to effectively manage personal experiences and challenging life issues.
As participants, campers have the opportunity to voice their insights and be heard by the group without judgment and criticism. The council provides a safe place for honesty, personal sharing and authentic connection. Campers are encouraged to speak from the heart and develop real tools to make better choices.
Central to the MAC experience is advocacy. Campers will explore ways to advocate for peace within their own communities as Mindfulness Ambassadors.
Upon completion of the program, each camper will receive a certificate of recognition.
Weeks Available
Aug 19 - Aug 25
15-18
- Leah Gardiner is a program facilitator for Mindfulness Without Borders. She is passionate about philanthropy, wellbeing and affecting real, positive change - primarily through the empowerment of youth. Currently, Leah works as a development associate of individual living for Young People's Theatre in Toronto. From 2005 to 2009 Leah lived in South Korea teaching Kindergarten and travelling the world enjoying local customs, cuisines and cultures.
- Born in Tel-Aviv and raised in Northern California, Itamar’s professional focus has been investigating cross-cultural dialogue through the arts. Itamar is a member of Poor Dog Group, an experimental theatre collective based in Los Angeles, Ca. Since 2007, Itamar has served as a strategic advisor at MWB and has facilitated the MAC Program in Rwanda, Uganda, Toronto and Newark.
