Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education (CACE)
Serving as a hub for the study and development of contemplative education, the Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education is an international resource for educators to expand their knowledge and experience of contemplative education. CACE promotes the ongoing dissemination and development of contemplative education.
CACE Mission
- Constructive leadership in the vision and articulation of the meaning, outcomes, and best practices of contemplative education
- Effectiveness in offering this education in all its aspects to our students, both graduate and undergraduate
- Courageous engagement with a complex and challenging world, in order to transform that world with skill and compassion
- Strategic thinking about Naropa University’s role in leading and guiding the future of contemplative higher education in North America and beyond
Contemplative Teaching Initiative
Naropa’s founder, Chögyam Trungpa, set forth a vision of contemplative education that is both profound and adaptable to contemporary teaching and learning. It is based on notion that the transformation of the teacher is an integral dimension in meaningful student-centered learning. Trungpa’s educational vision, rooted in mindful awareness and compassion, extended far beyond those practices to encompass contemplative approaches to the arts, language, psychology, theatre, etc.
To preserve and further develop the curricula of the Contemplative Education department, Naropa created the Contemplative Teaching Initiative. The Initiative, directed by Richard Brown who founded the Contemplative Education department, is housed in the Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education (CACE). This new initiative supports contemplative education at Naropa alongside short-term programs for educators nationwide including the Embodied Mindfulness in Teaching Program.
Faculty Spotlight
"Within higher education, many universities are now researching the neuroscience of contemplative practice, mindfulness, and compassion, and CACE will be a crucial resource."
— Judith Simmer-Brown
Professor of Contemplative and Religious Studies and chair of the CACE Faculty Council