A Comprehensive approach to cultivating student mental well-being and resilience through meditation, community, and leadership

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Abstract This proposal requests additional support to implement a multi-faceted meditation program that cultivates wellness, resilience and leadership among Harvard graduate students in the biomedical sciences. The SKY Campus Happiness program teaches students tools to cultivate wellbeing and resilience, create positive-minded community, and nurture empathetic leadership. The SKY Campus Happiness program is a psychosocial, three component curriculum that incorporates evidence-based breathing techniques, meditation, belongingness and leadership. The SKY Program’s cornerstone practice is an evidence-based, rhythmic breathing meditation called Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY). We will collaborate with the Chemical Biology Ph.D. program and Molecules, Cells, and Organisms Ph.D. program on pilot programming, which will be available to their students as well as others in the Harvard Integrated Life Sciences Consortium (HILS). The full curriculum will consist of 3 components: a weekend workshop where students learn the SKY technique, a Silent Retreat, and a Leadership Training. Students are not required to complete all three components, and will have the opportunity for deeper self-reflection and development through the second and third components. This supplement will be used to support the implementation of SKY Campus Happiness programming on Harvard’s campus and ongoing activities to support the student community. The mental health of college students has steadily declined over the last decade, with increased prevalence of depression and rates of suicide. University counseling centers are struggling to serve a growing demand. Students need a broader set of tools and community to support their well-being. The SKY Campus Happiness Program will broaden the tools available to support mental well-being and resilience at Harvard to better prepare students for competitive careers in a variety of settings.