News

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – “Mindfulness, Inclusivity, and Best Practices” was the topic of the fifth annual June Forum for Social Entrepreneurship in the Liberal Arts held on June 11-14 at Middlebury’s Bread Loaf campus.

The forum, which was attended by 60 people representing 20 different colleges, universities, and secondary schools, is a gathering of educators dedicated to helping their students lead lives of purpose and social change.

The forum’s facilitators, all from Middlebury, were Jonathan Miller-Lane, associate professor of education studies; Christal Brown, assistant professor of dance; and Melissa Hammerle, visiting lecturer in education studies.

Also conducting workshops or leading discussions from Middlebury were: Elizabeth Robinson, associate dean of the college for creativity, engagement, and careers; Jay Parini, professor of English and creative writing; Roman Christians, assistant director for student organizations and orientation; and Netta Avineri, assistant professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

Visiting presenters included Hal Colston, director of Partnership for Change; Sarah-Marie Hopf, campus partnership manager at Ashoka U.; Darius Graham, director of social innovation for Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures; Marilyn Naegley, director of TalkAbout Wellness; and Shashi Neerukonda, ecosystem lead at the Wellbeing Project.

Middlebury President Laurie L. Patton welcomed the participants to the forum and addressed the subject of mindfulness and inclusivity in her remarks to the gathering.

Heather Neuwirth, the associate director of Middlebury’s Center for Social Entrepreneurship, said, “We are thrilled to foster a community of connectedness between schools that are launching programs, professors that are building courses, and staff that are reviewing and renewing older programs.”