SEE Learning Workshop for North American Weekend School Teachers & Staff Wraps Up in Canada

Washington DC: The Social, Emotional, and Ethical (SEE) learning workshop, held in Toronto, Canada, concluded on 28 April 2024. This workshop was tailored for educators, staff, and parents from the East Coast states of the United States who are associated with Tibetan weekend schools. Its primary aim was to equip them with the tools to impart SEE education to students attending weekend schools.

Organised in accordance with the resolution set forth during the 21st North American Tibetan Associations’ Conference, the workshop was a collaborative effort involving the Ontario Tibetan Association, the Office of Tibet-Washington DC, and Emory University.

At the request from the Washington-based Office of Tibet, Professor Lobsang Tenzin Negi from Emory University, along with Tsondue Samphel, the Assistant Director for the SEE Learning Program, and Scientist Tenzin Sonam, were the three experts who led the workshop over the course of three days.

The workshop commenced with a welcome speech from Sonam Lankar, President of the Regional Tibetan Association of Toronto, followed by an inaugural speech by Kunga Tashi, the Tibetan Liaison Officer of the Office of Tibet. The main objectives of the workshop were to introduce participants to SEE learning, foster compassionate classroom environments, promote attention to awareness and emotional regulation, nurture a sense of global unity, and develop compassion and creativity within students, all within the framework of SEE learning.

Additionally, the experts engaged the local Tibetan community, shedding light on the origins of SEE learning, its association with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and the current global implementation status. This was followed by a Q&A session. The experts noted that SEE learning is now practiced in over 50 countries, with participation from 70,000 schools, impacting 10 million students and involving 500,000 educators, across 24 different languages.

In this edition of the workshop, 30 educators and staff from Regional Tibetan Association in Toronto, as well as from various American states, including Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Vermont, participated.

Feedback from participants indicated that they found the workshop extremely beneficial in adapting their teaching methods to align with the SEE learning framework.

During the closing remarks, Sonam Lankar, President of the Canadian Tibetan Association of Ontario, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to host the workshop, emphasising its significance in honouring the teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Kunga Tashi, Tibetan Liason Officer of Tibet-Washington DC extended thanks to all involved, including the organisers, sponsors, facilitators, and participants, expressing hope for the continued integration of SEE learning into educational practices post-workshop.

During the conclusion of the workshop, the importance of SEE learning for both the international and Tibetan communities was underscored, leading to the decision to host a three-day workshop on SEE learning from 2 to 4 August 2024 in New York with an invite to Samdhong from Emory University in collaboration with the Office of Tibet-Washington DC, Drepung Loseling Tulku Association, and The Tibetan Community of New York and New Jersey.

-Report filed by OoT Washington DC