Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
What happens when ancient wisdom, cutting-edge neuroscience, and educational innovation meet in the classroom?
Join UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) for this timely conversation with meditation teacher Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson, educator Dr. Justin Kelley, and mindfulness educator and author Susan Kaiser Greenland on the future of education—and the role of contemplative practice in helping young people flourish. GGSC Science Director Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas moderates the discussion.
Across the globe, students are facing unprecedented mental health challenges. Stress, disconnection, and a lack of meaning are becoming the norm. But what if school could be a place not just for learning, but for awakening—of mind, heart, and spirit?
In this discussion, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche shares insights from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, where meditation is more than a technique—it’s a way of being. Dr. Richard Davidson brings in the latest research on how these practices shape the brain and support human flourishing. And Dr. Justin Kelley, Executive Director of Tergar Schools, and Susan Kaiser Greenland, author and mindfulness educator, share how these perspectives are coming alive in real classrooms, where students are learning to regulate emotions, cultivate compassion, and rediscover joy.
What happens when ancient wisdom, cutting-edge neuroscience, and educational innovation meet in the classroom?
Join UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) for this timely conversation with meditation teacher Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson, educator Dr. Justin Kelley, and mindfulness educator and author Susan Kaiser Greenland on the future of education—and the role of contemplative practice in helping young people flourish. GGSC Science Director Dr. Emiliana Simon-Thomas moderates the discussion.
Across the globe, students are facing unprecedented mental health challenges. Stress, disconnection, and a lack of meaning are becoming the norm. But what if school could be a place not just for learning, but for awakening—of mind, heart, and spirit?
In this discussion, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche shares insights from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, where meditation is more than a technique—it’s a way of being. Dr. Richard Davidson brings in the latest research on how these practices shape the brain and support human flourishing. And Dr. Justin Kelley, Executive Director of Tergar Schools, and Susan Kaiser Greenland, author and mindfulness educator, share how these perspectives are coming alive in real classrooms, where students are learning to regulate emotions, cultivate compassion, and rediscover joy.
