How do we help children develop the inner steadiness and clarity needed to meet life with curiosity and care? In this session, we introduce the life skills framework of the Tergar Schools model with a focus on the first of three clusters: SEE (Awareness). These foundational skills help learners connect with their natural capacity to notice what’s happening within and around them—without judgment and with open curiosity—and begin to engage in an embodied and balanced way.

Participants will explore practices associated with:

• Settling: Steadying mind and body—even when we feel excited or stressed.
• Pausing and Opening: Creating space before we respond with openness and curiosity.
• Listening and Seeing: Paying close attention to what’s happening within and around us.

This session combines accessible contemplative exercises, real-world stories, and engaging group activities to bring the SEE skills to life. By supporting awareness in action, these practices lay the groundwork for wise, compassionate responses—at school, at home, and in life.

This workshop is part one of a two-part series with Susan Kaiser Greenland and Justin Kelley in the Contemplation By Design Summit. You are welcome to join one or both workshops. The other workshop is titled From Understanding to Action: Life Skills for a Wise and Compassionate Response on October 23, 2025. 

Susan Kaiser Greenland is a globally recognized mindfulness educator and bestselling author of The Mindful Child, Mindful Games, and Real-World Enlightenment. Her joyful, accessible approach integrates wisdom traditions and science to support children, parents, and educators. She pioneered the Inner Kids model and has been featured in major media outlets. Susan currently serves on the Board of Directors for Tergar Schools.

Justin Kelley, PhD is a contemplative educator, scholar-practitioner, and Executive Director of Tergar Institute and Tergar Schools.  He designs transformational learning environments that integrate Buddhist wisdom with contemporary education—ranging from K–12 classrooms to immersive graduate-level programs. Trained in Tibetan language, Buddhist philosophy, and meditation during a decade in South Asia, he later earned his PhD in Religion from Rice University, where he studied Longchen Rabjam’s Great Completeness tradition. Justin splits his time between southern Vermont and Kathmandu, Nepal, embodying a life of rural groundedness and contemplative immersion. His work bridges ancient insight and modern application, empowering learners to integrate awareness, compassion, and wisdom into personal practice and social impact.

To extend the experince enjoyed during this workshop, please consider attending the guided practice on Oct. 24 titled Resting in Awarenss: A Guided Contemplaion with Karma Shenden, a monk trained by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche at Tergar Monastery in India. He also serves as a Learning Leader in the Tergar School in Kathmandu, Nepal.

This session is part of the FREE Contemplation by Design Summit, Oct. 15-27, 2025.

The full summit schedule is posted at: https://med.stanford.edu/contemplation/summit.html.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stanford-contemplation-by-design-summit-2025-online-oct-15-27-registration-1520413249959