3 teachers at O'Brien in Ansonia receive grant to attend training conference

Pictured from left, O'Brien teachers Diane Salmeri, Mary Parady, and Francesca Ford./ Contributed photo

ANSONIA - Fund for Teachers has awarded Emmett O’Brien Technical High School teachers a grant to attend the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, N.Y. July 23 –July 28 to attend a conference, Mindfulness in Education Teacher Training.

The $4,800 grant award called “Mindful Teachers” will allow team leader, grant writer Mary Parady, EL & Language Arts teacher and team members Francesca Ford, English teacher, and Diane Salmeri, Hairdressing and Cosmetology teacher the opportunity to learn, explore and research effective techniques into the way of mindful education and to introduce and implement mindfulness into the academic and trade areas. 

Schools worldwide are turning to mindfulness and social and emotional learning as antidotes to rising stress, and attention deficit. Research shows students and teachers in school systems that have adopted mindfulness are happier, more focused, more compassionate, emotionally regulated and less impacted by stress.
Daniel Rechtschaffen, Morris E. Ervin Jr., and Rachel Brown will lead the conference. 

The teachers attended an orientation dinner at The New Haven Lawn Club May 2 with 125 Connecticut fellows. The O’Brien fellows spent the evening with an amazing group of teachers travelng around the world to enrich the lives of their students.

Fund for Teachers supports educators' efforts to develop skills, knowledge and confidence that impact student achievement. 

By trusting teachers to design unique fellowships, Fund for Teachers grants validate teachers' professionalism and leadership, as well. 

Since 2001, Fund for Teachers has invested $22 million in nearly 6,000 teachers, transforming grants into growth for teachers and their students.

This is a press release from the school.