Aug 3, 2021

Local Teachers Find Ways to Incorporate Gratitude and Spirituality in the Classroom

Even in the most challenging of times, Miami's childhood educators are helping children cultivate an attitude of gratitude, through an innovative program developed by the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE), a Federation subsidiary agency. Words From Our Hearts, a recipient of a Greater Miami Jewish Federation Incubator Grant, helped teachers and their students discover ways to express a sense of gratitude this past year by exploring Jewish prayer and spirituality. With the darkness of the pandemic, learning to count blessings each and every day is a timeless and valuable lesson.

Professional learning sessions allowed the teachers to look closely at popular Jewish prayers and develop ways to bring prayer practice into the classroom. In turn, they encouraged students to recognize their own moments of todah or thank you during the course of the day. The deeply personal experience brought comfort to both the preschoolers and teachers and has left a lasting imprint. The program “has inspired me to rethink some of the lesson planning for next year,” one teacher noted. “I am going to be thoughtfully incorporating more spirituality and mindfulness. The learning made it clear that our children, as young as they are, are able to connect with spirituality in ways that I wasn’t necessarily aware of.”

Jewish Incubator Grants support nonprofits that strengthen Miami’s Jewish community through innovative and impactful programs that enrich social services, educational or Jewish identity-building activities. Federation is now accepting Jewish Incubator Grant applications for the 2022 funding cycle. The deadline is September 3. For more information and to apply, visit Jewish Incubator Grants (JewishMiami.org).