Lily Zeng ‘22, introduces “mindfulness to a younger audience.”
This summer 25 students were accepted in the CSGC grants program. These grants are funded due to the generous support of the Cost, Earle/Mendillo and Workman families, who established endowment funds to support the community and public service endeavors of future generations of Deerfield students. For more information on these grants please visit: https://deerfield.edu/csgc/grants
Since my last post, my plan for my service project went through many changes. This was to be expected, as COVID has forced upon us all changes of plans and last minute adjustments. I am happy, however, that I was still able to help at my local library in maintaining their summer reading program! It is still a cause that means a lot to me, as it helped me tremendously as a kid.
This summer, every age group at the library has had some sort of summer program substitute, except for Baby Story Time. Thanks to the help of the CSGC, I was able to purchase 32 board books designed to introduce the concept of mindfulness to a younger audience, ages 0-2. With a friend, I assembled mindfulness-themed Story Time kits for the original program participants, each kit including a book, a bubbles set, and a play scarf.
We also tucked in info cards, which describe the concept of mindfulness and how young children can benefit from it. On the cards, I emphasized how it’s really never too early to be exposed to mindfulness, and the positive impact on a child’s well-being can be overwhelming. I also added some ideas for how parents can incorporate mindfulness into their infants’ lives, as well as ideas for older children. Many ideas also encourage parents to assess the way they use mindfulness themselves. In some cases, this reflection may also positively affect their relationship with their child.
Thanks again to the CSGC, for your help! I’ve learned so much along the way. It’s been really rewarding to give back to my local library, especially in the midst of this pandemic that threatens the normalcy of daily life, including the ability to have Baby Story Time!
