My latest book, Mindful by Design, incorporates mindfulness & design thinking, emphasizing that each individual has agency as a mindful designer of their experience. You might be asking yourself the question: “What’s my #1 priority when designing spaces that give someone else feelings of empowerment, agency & belonging?”

These resources here can help assist the way we design spaces and experiences.

In addition to focusing on physical spaces we occupy (in the shape and form of a classroom, for example), I also want to address the concept of an “Experience Space”– how to encourage someone to use their voice, taking action and agency through the opportunity we provide. This hinges on our intentionality as educators and facilitators of experiences. We are designers, and we use our consciousness, our awareness of self and others (presence!), and our intention (purpose!) to drive these choices every day.

So, how are you designing with intention?

I recently heard a great quote: “A place is a space with meaning.” How can our learning environments become places that matter? The following are 15 ideas for ways to boost what I identify as the 4 Cornerstones of a Mindful Learning Environment (Dignity, Freedom, Invention and Agency) across different Experience Spaces, and we can mindfully design these places and venues, incorporating them into our curriculum and learning environments in a way that naturally fits our nature and style. Now that’s being Mindful by Design!