Naropa University, Birthplace of the Modern Mindfulness Movement, Celebrates 50 Years of Transformative Education
June 25 2024 - 9:03AM
Business Wire
Spark the Mind. Ignite the Heart. Illuminate
the World: Legendary Summer Writing Program Kicks Off Robust Event
Series
Naropa University (Naropa), the birthplace of the modern
mindfulness movement and one of the nation’s only higher education
institutions grounded in a contemplative teaching approach,
celebrates its 50th anniversary from June 2024 through June 2025.
With several months of special programs that pay homage to its
Buddhist-inspired beginnings, influential leaders and visionary
curricula, Naropa is honoring its history and community while
weaving key themes of the Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path
throughout.
From the Beginning… Spirituality, Science, Performance,
Psychology and the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied
Poetics
Since its founding in 1974, Naropa University has reshaped
higher education with its distinctive fusion of mindfulness,
compassion and service practices inside and outside of the modern
classroom. The summer was framed by the alternating nights of
keynote talks offered by Naropa Founder, the Tibetan Buddhist
scholar, practitioner, poet and political refugee Ch�gyam Trungpa
Rinpoche and Ram Dass (Richard Alpert), pioneering research
psychologist in the use of psychedelics for healing and by then
intensely trained Hindu practitioner and fierce social justice
activist. Naropa welcomed interfaith dialogue among Buddhist,
Hindu, Christian, Jewish, Muslim and indigenous leaders, an
interweaving of neuro-psychology with anthropology, and the
creative process including dance, music and theater.
Esteemed poets, writers and cultural critics Allen Ginsberg,
Anne Waldman and Diane di Prima founded the Jack Kerouac School of
Disembodied Poetics that same year, fostering a vibrant literary
community that inspires writers and expands on the experimental and
performative legacy of the Beat Generation. The 50 years of Kerouac
School audio, visual and print archives are the most significant
collection of Beat, Post Beat and modern poetry from the latter
third of the 20th Century to today.
“At Naropa, we've embraced the challenge of redefining education
for a precipitous world,” said Waldman, American Poet, co-founder
of Naropa’s Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics and its
Summer Writing Program who will be a featured teacher this year.
“Its students explore the depths of their intellect and
creativity—harmonizing academia with the generative practice of
awareness and imagination to help the world wake up to itself.”
Celebrating 50 Years of Transformation
To commemorate the milestone anniversary, upcoming special
events at the Boulder campus include:
- Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics’ Summer Writing
Program (June 9-29): Open to writers, artists and
students of all backgrounds, this event offers a unique opportunity
to participate in workshops, readings and lectures from Naropa
teachers, guest artists and musicians.
- Interfaith Dialogue with Judith Simmer-Brown and Netanel
Miles-Yépez (Aug. 30): In commemoration of Naropa’s
historic Buddhist-Christian dialogues in 1981 that included a visit
from the Dalai Lama, Professor Emeritus Judith Simmer-Brown, who
led those dialogues for eight years, and Professor Netanel
Miles-Yépez will guide a modern interfaith conversation while
exploring why these dialogues are needed now more than ever.
- Maker Day (Sept. 6): Housed within “Right
Intention Week,” Naropa alumnx and community members can
participate in a day of live, free-form art making where creativity
and mindfulness converge.
- 50th Anniversary Gala (Sept. 21): Celebrating and
reflecting on Naropa’s journey and future direction, the gala is
the signature fundraising event of the anniversary year and will
honor the students, faculty, staff, alumnx and friends who have
given their time, talents and resources to support the
college.
- 24-Hour Sitting Meditation (Oct. 3): Dedicating a
day of practice to the next 50 years of Naropa, this meditation
marathon can be joined in person under the sycamore trees of Naropa
Green or online.
- Alumnx Reunion Weekend (Oct. 18-20): The Alumnx
Reunion Weekend is an opportunity for alumnx from the past 50 years
to return to Naropa University and connect with fellow alumnx,
faculty, staff and current students.
- SparkTalks (Oct. 18): SparkTalks, dynamic
presentations that share the wisdom of Naropa University’s alumnx,
will open your heart, broaden your perspective, and enliven your
spirit, are bigger than ever before.
“For 50 years, Naropa offered a radical approach to higher
education in the U.S., by integrating academic study with
contemplative disciplines which hone critical intelligence,
compassionate action and a fervor for social justice,” said Charles
G. Lief, President of Naropa University since 2012. “Our commitment
to nurture minds, grow hearts and spark passion for service in
students whose journey brings them to Naropa has not wavered in a
half century and will serve a world in need of healing into the
future.”
“In the last few years, Naropa has increased enrollment by 30%
and retention by 9%, which was no small feat during the pandemic,”
said Naropa Vice President for Development, Enrollment and Student
Success Ann Marie Klotz. “Our faculty and staff have remained
committed to expanding our university community in innovative ways,
so it is not surprising that the mission and vision of Naropa
continue to resonate. We are sending healers, mental health
professionals and artists into a world that is in need of those
talents. The future of Naropa is bright, and with the continued
addition of our online programs, the university community is
expanding to every corner of our country.”
Naropa’s 50-Year Impact
Over the last five decades, Naropa’s students took their
education far and wide as award-winning musicians, artists,
writers, activists, chaplains and entrepreneurs, including author
and psychotherapist Arielle Schwartz; acclaimed author and
Guggenheim Fellow, Laird Hunt; and Fortune 500 entrepreneur Matthew
Bellows.
Naropa continues to break new ground in its curricula and fields
of study. Among its notable achievements in the past decade:
- In 2013, Naropa implemented an Investment Policy Statement
avoiding investment in weapons, companies with egregious
environmental records, tobacco, alcohol and gambling, nuclear power
facilities and enterprises primarily involved in resource
extractive activities.
- Naropa was recognized on its 40th anniversary in 2014 by
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, who proclaimed September 18 as
"Naropa University Day," acknowledging Naropa's leadership in
contemplative education and its significant impact on Colorado's
cultural, academic and economic landscapes.
- Naropa established a Medicaid-licensed community counseling
center in 2015 to provide low-cost mental health services while
training therapists across the Front Range, and continues to grow
its services.
- In 2020 with the launch of the Center for Psychedelic Studies,
Naropa became one of the only universities to offer professional
training certification and expanded its offerings in 2024 with an
undergraduate minor in psychedelic studies and a concentration for
chaplains earning a Master of Divinity degree.
- In 2023, 78% of incoming undergraduates this past fall were
transfer students, making it a university where populations at risk
of not completing their degree can do so.
- In 2024, Naropa is quickly becoming an accessible college for
working adults, with 43% of its students enrolled in a
low-residency or online program.
For more information on Naropa University's 50th anniversary
celebrations, visit naropa.edu/about-naropa/50-years/.
About Naropa University
Naropa University, nestled in Boulder, Colorado, was established
in 1974 by Tibetan Buddhist teacher Ch�gyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Drawing its name and inspiration from the teachings of the
11th-century Indian Buddhist sage Naropa, this private university
stands out distinctly among America's higher education landscape in
its effort to integrate eastern wisdom with traditional western
scholarship. Recognized as the pioneering force behind
contemplative higher education and the start of the modern
mindfulness movement, Naropa University is the sole institution to
integrate a university-wide contemplative pedagogical approach. At
Naropa, education transcends the ordinary; the institution embraces
the entirety of its students—mind, body and spirit—augmenting
traditional methodologies with practices like meditation. Since
receiving its accreditation in 1986, Naropa University consistently
upholds the exacting standards for quality and accountability set
by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Learn more at
naropa.edu.
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