Developing character in youth was the theme of the
Brain Education Conference that took place last Saturday, September 12th at the Cardozo High School in Bayside, New York. Hosted by
Body & Brain and
Power Brain Education, the 300-person event highlighted the positive impact Brain Education has had in U.S. schools.
Brain Education (BE) is action-oriented mind-body training that has been shown to help students focus, improve their creativity, develop confidence, manage their emotions, and increase their analytical ability. Before anyone spoke, the audience got a taste of it with Brain Education exercises led by Dave Beal, director of Power Brain Education. Mr. Beal also explained how Brain Education can benefit the world.
Next, Rodney James, vice president of Skyline Education in Arizona, presented impressive results on how teachers and students in their network of schools have changed through Brain Education. Skyline has been using BE to reach its aim of stimulating "life-long learning while developing character."
Ilchi Lee, founder of Brain Education, gave the keynote presentation on "Brain Potential and Character Development." He described how Brain Education has been used in school programs and to form the alternative high school program, the Benjamin School for Character Education. The Benjamin School does not have buildings, teachers, tests, homework, or textbooks. It works through hundreds of mentors supporting students on their chosen projects. The school started out with one student mentored by Ilchi Lee. In its first year of official operation, 27 students attended and graduated. In the second and current year, 475 students are inspiring others and getting media attention with the challenging and creative projects that have changed themselves, their families, and their communities.
The Executive Superintendent of Family and Community Engagement in New York City, Yolanda Torres, who is in charge of 1,800 schools, then presented how important it is for families and communities to collaborate for education. She also met personally with Ilchi Lee, who shared his vision of transforming education.
Lastly, Isabel Pastor of the
International Brain Education Association (IBREA), a non-governmental organization that cooperates with the United Nations, gave a presentation on how IBREA is helping students in many developing countries by incorporating Brain Education in schools.
For the contribution Brain Education has made to many schools in New York City, Ilchi Lee was presented with an Award of Appreciation from Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.
Power Brain Education and Body & Brain plan to continue their work to introduce the transformative power of Brain Education to many schools, community programs, and workplaces.