Date

12-2019

Document Type

Capstone Project (Campus-Only Access)

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Department

Health, Human Services and Public Policy

Major

Human Development and Family Studies

First Advisor

Jose Zabala

Abstract

At-risk youth are adolescents that have a higher chance of not succeeding academically and careerwise. They have experienced stressful life events such as sexual abuse, physical maltreatment, and emotional maltreatment during their childhood years and this affects their physical and mental health across their lifespan (Roberts, English, Thompson & White, 2018). Because of their challenging childhood experiences, they tend to have issues with their social skills, regulating their emotions, and staying on track with their academics. Mindfulness can positively help these youth with their personal and school lives. Mindfulness is being attentive to and aware of what is taking place in the present moment, and it can be cultivated (Tse-fu Kuan, 2008). I conducted a mindfulness workshop at Rancho Cielo in Salinas, California, which is a school that works with at-risk youth who are behind in school credits. The participants in the workshops were between 17 and 19 years of age and were from different cultural backgrounds. The mindfulness workshop focused on the benefits of mindfulness and compassion, and for the youth to develop an awareness of self in the present moment, as well as coming up with mindfulness strategies to use when dealing with a stressful situation.

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