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For some youth, tranquility, serenity and stability are not the backdrop for their lives. However, students in Project Success at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center (ESLC) are being exposed to a new program designed to bring calmness and help in mood stabilization.

The Compassion Approach to Learning Meditation (CALM) was introduced to a randomly selected group of Project Success students on Wednesday, Oct. 12.

“The SIUE East St. Louis Center’s Project Success program serves children (ages 5-14) who have experienced significant trauma at home or in their community,” said Jesse Dixon, ESLC executive director. “The CALM program equips our students with a new set of skills to manage the effects of those traumatic experiences and find emotional stability through their personal challenges.

“The Project Success program provides educational programming, tutoring and enrichment opportunities for our children,” continued Dixon, who initiated the program. “CALM adds to that set of rich interventions to build the capacity of students to find calm within themselves during times of distress and better manage their emotional responses.”

The importance of CALM in the lives of these students is crucial, added Janina Turley, Project Success program director. “Many of the Project Success students are living in foster homes, and a great number of them are angry and frustrated.”

One 10-year-old boy sits in his chair, eyes closed, with one hand on his chest and the other on his stomach. He has been told to block out distractions, focus on his breathing and listen to the audiotape.

A melodic voice instructs the children to think of a negative person who has perhaps harmed them. Then the voice asks the students to imagine a situation where that person has suffered.

“May you be happy. May you not hurt. May you be calm and at peace,” chants the boy along with the audiotape and his other classmates.

“Compassion meditation is a different approach,” said Jeremy Jewell, PhD, professor and director of Clinical Child and School Psychology Program, which administers the CALM program. “It is a way of positively thinking of someone and wishing them and ourselves well-being.

“The compassion chant is said for those who are suffering: a loved one, a stranger, an enemy and yourself,” Jewell explained. “It’s all part of developing compassion, improving one’s mood and decreasing anxiety.”

Teaching the eight-week, hour-long class are graduate assistant Taylor Herriman and senior Katie Beasley. Both are studying in SIUE’s Department of Psychology to become clinical child and school psychologists.

During the first part of class, students are taught lessons on such subjects as stress, anger, thankfulness, compassion, forgiveness and more. The last 15 minutes are devoted to compassion chanting.

Herriman has observed changes for the better among several of the students. “In the beginning, one student would constantly be interruptive and pick at other students,” she said. “Now, she is able to sit still and do some of the meditation. That’s a huge progress, and a step in the right direction.”

“One male student really seems to get it,” Beasley said. “He took to the program instantly and is quick to share his personal experiences as it relates to the various subjects we are addressing.”

The subject lesson for the Nov. 16 session was thankfulness.

“Have you ever done anything nice for someone or given someone something nice and they haven’t thanked you?” Herriman asked the students. “How did it make you feel? What things are you thankful for? I want you note something that you’re thankful for every day and see if it doesn’t make you feel a little bit better.”

With a focus on empowering people and strengthening communities, the SIUE East St. Louis Center is dedicated to improving the lives of families and individuals—from pre-school through adult—in the Metro East region. The Center offers programs that give the community renewed hope and an opportunity to reach educational, career and life goals. It does so by providing comprehensive programs, services and training in the areas of education, health, social services and the arts.

Photos:
Graduate assistant Taylor Herriman (left) and senior Katie Beasley, both in SIUE’s Department of Psychology, lead students of the SIUE East St. Louis Center Project Success program into Compassion Approach to Learning Meditation (CALM).

Herriman talks about thankfulness during one of the CALM sessions at the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus.